Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2016
Fatigue and mental health in Australian rural and regional ambulance personnel.
Australian ambulance personnel experience stress, fatigue and exposure to traumatic events. These risks have been extensively researched in metropolitan paramedics. However, there has been limited research in rural and regional personnel. Rural and regional ambulance personnel make up a significant proportion of the Australian ambulance workforce and may be exposed to unique stressors. The aim of the current study was to investigate levels of fatigue, stress, and emotional trauma in rural and regional ambulance personnel. ⋯ This is one of the first studies to investigate fatigue, stress, and emotional trauma in a rural and regional ambulance population. Results indicate a complex and unique profile of risks and challenges for this critical and understudied community resource.