THE IMPACT OF WORKING CONDITIONS ON STRESS AND ITS EFFECTS IN THE GROUP OF PARAMEDICS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract

Purpose: This is a review to assess the working conditions that affect the stress level of paramedics and their ability to cope with stress. The profession of a paramedic is characterized by constant contact with other people and exposure to many factors, including biological (HIV, flu virus), chemical (causing allergic reactions, burns) physical (noise, low or excessive temperature), psychosocial (aggression, violence, traumatic experiences). Methodology: This is a Systematic review paper. The PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google scholar search were used to analyze the problem. The following keywords were used to search for information sources: paramedic, working conditions, medical rescue, ambulance, stress, coping with stress. Articles were selected according to the impact of working conditions on stress and its consequences among the group of paramedics. Main Findings: The work of a rescuer is a constant action under the influence of a high level of stress and emotions, caused by an unforeseen sequence of events and time pressure. The long-term presence of negative factors is the cause of the appearance of burnout syndrome, rumination, PTSD, and somatic symptoms related to stress in the workplace. It can result in a deterioration of the quality of patient care. Implications of this study: The above results should be taken into account by units of the emergency medical care system. The paper indicates the occurrence of negative psychological effects of work-related stress and as a consequence the need to train the personnel in the field of stress-coping techniques and to provide emergency medical service workers with mental health monitoring and psychological care in the workplace. Novelty in this study: There is a lack of systematic reviews of the impact of working conditions on the mental health of workers in emergency medical care services. The paper is an attempt to assess the impact of working conditions on stress and its effects on the group of paramedics and other emergencies medical care system employees.