• CarterAlix J EAJE0000-0003-1542-1521Emergency Health Services Nova Scotia, Halifax, Canada. alix.carter@novascotia.ca.Division of EMS, Department of Emergency Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada. alix.carter@novascotia.ca.Nova Scotia Healt, Michelle Harrison, Judah Goldstein, Marianne Arab, Jan Jensen, Katherine Houde, and Robin Urquhart.
• Emergency Health Services Nova Scotia, Halifax, Canada. alix.carter@novascotia.ca.
• CJEM. 2022 Nov 1; 24 (7): 751759751-759.

BackgroundAn innovative program, 'Paramedics Providing Palliative Care at Home,' was implemented in Nova Scotia, Canada in 2015. Roles like this are part of an evolving professional identity; role discordance or lack of clarity not only hinders professionalization but may impair the wellbeing, and career longevity of paramedics. This study explored the alignment of providing palliative support at home with paramedic professional identity.MethodsQualitative description was employed, with thematic analysis of focus groups with paramedics and palliative health care providers. Recruitment posters were sent through the professional college (paramedics) and program managers (health care providers). Focus groups followed a semi-structured guide, discussing understanding of and experiences with the role and its alignment with professional identity. Challenges to paramedic palliative support and fit with professional identify were explored. Thematic content analysis was ongoing while focus groups were being conducted, until no new codes were found. Codes were combined, sorted into categories, and ultimately, agreed-upon themes. Saturation of themes was reached.ResultsEleven paramedics and twenty palliative health care providers participated. Four themes reflected paramedic's expanded role: (1) patient centeredness and job satisfaction with provision of palliative support, (2) a bridging role, (3) paramedic as advocate and educator, (4) provision of psychosocial support. Four themes reflected paramedic's professional identity: (1) evolution of paramedicine as a skilled clinical profession, (2) helping people and communities, (3) paramedic skill set aligns with work in palliative care, and (4) changing paramedic mindset.ConclusionParamedics and palliative health care providers highlighted the provision of palliative care as part of a positive growth of paramedicine as a health profession, and a good fit with professional identity. Novel roles like this are important in the evolution of our health care system faced with increasing pressures to get the right care with the right provider at the right time.© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP)/ Association Canadienne de Médecine d'Urgence (ACMU).

11 keywords...

hide…