Workplace health & safety
-
Workplace health & safety · Jun 2012
Posttraumatic stress disorder among paramedics: exploring a new solution with occupational health nurses using the Ottawa Charter as a framework.
Paramedics have the highest rate of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among emergency service workers, higher than police or firefighters. This disorder can be detrimental to their personal and family lives, as well as their careers. ⋯ This goal can be accomplished by using a component of the Ottawa Charter, creating a supportive work environment, as a framework. Occupational health nurses, together with management and paramedics, can facilitate a sustainable and supportive work environment that initiates change from within the trauma membrane of paramedics' workplaces to prevent PTSD.