• Belinda Flanagan, Matthew Warren-James, and Jeanine Young.
• Director of Paramedicine, School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
• Prehosp Emerg Care. 2023 Jan 1; 27 (8): 971977971-977.

ObjectiveInfant or child death is reported as being the most distressing type of case paramedics attend. Student paramedics also identify supporting bereaved families as an area associated with low confidence. This study evaluated the CARES skills framework (Connect to emotion, Attention training, Reflective listening, Empathy, Support help seeking) as a peer support model to encourage student paramedics to talk about grief and death related to infants and children.MethodA convenience sample of first-year paramedic students (target n = 154) was recruited from a single Australian regional university. A modified nominal group technique method was used following a student debriefing session designed to identify problems, generate solutions, and make decisions regarding the efficacy of the CARES skills framework.ResultsOf 154 eligible participants, 141 participated (92% response rate). Peer social support normalized students' emotions related to death and dying. Although naming emotions was challenging, students reported that the CARES model facilitated a safe environment to talk about death and dying. Students reported feeling heard and connected to their peers during the exercise and an enhanced sense of belonging after the exercise.ConclusionsFindings contribute to evidence that suggests the CARES model is a useful mechanism to enhance peer social support in paramedic students.

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