There is a saying that states that things in our work life should be left at work and not thought about at home during off hours, but for some that’s not the case. Many lines of work, involving high amounts of stress in intense situations, require employers to be on the clock 24/7, with little to no time to rest.
In the paramedic workforce, employers have mental health services available at any time for workers to use in a time of crisis. Paramedics, alongside other first responder groups, are on the frontlines of some of the most intense and grim situations. They are exposed to things that most would not be able to handle or see things that are very emotionally straining.
Paramedics have reported heightened anxiety, depression, and PTSD as detrimental factors having a negative impact in life. At the Middlesex-London Emergency Medical Services (MLEMS), they offer a diverse number of programs for their medical personnel who are in need of help during a crisis.
Samantha, the Public Education Coordinator from MLEMS gave insight as to what kinds of programs they offer to their medical personnel when they are going through their time of need.
“We have a peer support team; We do training on mental health support, after-hours calls we do debriefing with the peer support member who’s trained in critical incident stress management. We also have a psychologist who is on board with us that we should have referrals to in order to help support someone in immediate crisis”. said Samantha.
With paramedics working under pressure many hours at a time, they are moving on from case to case at a rapid pace. Many of them are just taking patience to the hospital, dropping them off then moving onto their next call, never knowing what happens to the person they were helping
So in light of offering closure for those paramedics who wanted to learn of the well being of the people they helped lead to the creation of Survivors Day.
“We have Survivors Day, which is our big one. We have some patients who choose to connect but in general it’s just going to be survivor’s day.” said Samantha
At this event, Paramedics with their patients are reunited with another and partake in a ceremony then after sharing a meal with one another. An event like this has seen a positive impact on many of MLEMS personnel helping bring a form of closure to them
“It’s always a very positive day and a lot of people really enjoy getting to see the positive problems for patients that we have and getting that ball up; You don’t usually have a lot of follow-up with patients after we drop them off at the hospital.
So I do know it does have a positive impact.” said Samantha.
It’s important to know that these are humans and despite having thick skin, there’s only so much one’s mind can bear. A work environment, of any kind, is a community that looks after and takes care of their own.
Comments