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Swedish Ambulance Managers’ Descriptions of Crisis Support for Ambulance Staff After Potentially Traumatic Events

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 October 2014

Karin Hugelius ,
Sara Berg ,
Elin Westerberg ,
Mervyn Gifford  and
Annsofie Adolfsson
Karin Hugelius*
Affiliation:
School of Health and Medical Science, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden Department of Anaesthesia, Karlskoga Hospital, Karlskoga, Sweden
Sara Berg
Affiliation:
School of Health and Medical Science, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden Ambulance Department, Värmland County Council, Karlstad, Sweden
Elin Westerberg
Affiliation:
School of Health and Medical Science, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden Ambulance Department, Värmland County Council, Karlstad, Sweden
Mervyn Gifford
Affiliation:
School of Health and Medical Science, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
Annsofie Adolfsson
Affiliation:
School of Health and Medical Science, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
*
Correspondence: Karin Hugelius, RN, MSc School of Health and Medical Science Örebro University 70281 Örebro, Sweden E-mail karin.hugelius@oru.se
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Abstract

Introduction

Ambulance staff face complex and sometimes stressful or potentially traumatic situations, not only in disasters but also in their routine daily work. The aim of this study was to survey ambulance managers’ descriptions of crisis support interventions for ambulance staff after potential traumatic events (PTEs).

Methods

Semistructured interviews with a qualitative descriptive design were conducted with six ambulance managers in a health care region in central Sweden. The data was analyzed using content analysis.

Result

Five categories were found in the result: (1) description of a PTE; (2) description and performance of crisis support interventions; (3) impact of working in potentially traumatic situations; (4) the ambulance managers’ role in crisis support interventions; and (5) the ambulance managers’ suggestions for improvement. Ambulance managers described crisis support interventions after a PTE as a single, mandatory group meeting with a structure reminiscent of debriefing. The ambulance managers also expressed doubts about the present structures for crisis support and mentioned an alternative approach which is more in line with present evidence-based recommendations.

Conclusion

The results indicated a need for increased understanding of the importance of the managers’ attitudes for ambulance staff; a need for further implementation of evidence-based recommendations for crisis support interventions was also highlighted.

HugeliusK, BergS, WesterbergE, GiffordM, AdolfssonA. Swedish Ambulance Managers’ Descriptions of Crisis Support for Ambulance Staff After Potentially Traumatic Events. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2014;29(6):1-4.

Keywords

ambulancemanagementstress
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 29 , Issue 6 , December 2014 , pp. 589 - 592
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2014 

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