Occupational Challenges And Stressors Faced By Paramedics

Stress Is the body’s way of responding to the hectic lives most of us live, whether good or bad. The body releases chemicals into the bloodstream, which creates a rush of energy and strength If an individual is feeling stressed. This energy can prove useful if an individual is in physical danger. Because it enables a person’s survival instinct kicks in; it is often described as ‘fight or flight.’ In addition, stress can also have a negative effect on the body, for example: suffering from stress and leaving it unchecked can contribute to health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.

Many scientists believe that the reasons may lie in the combination of the extreme heat and the physical stress involved.Dr. Helene Wilson of the British Heart Foundation theorizes that the toxins released during fires and inhaling smoke play contributing roles in firefighter mortality. The Foundation has commenced a study to determine why heart attacks are so prevalent while fighting a fire and what measures can be deployed to improve health outcomes for firefighters. Researchers hope to better understand how fire stresses the body and how to protect the health of firefighters. Initial research findings indicate that small changes such as drinking water more frequently may reduce risk.Sadly, all of these stressors and health challenges have led to other negative outcomes, including an increased rate of suicide among firefighters than experienced in past generations. The National Firefighters Foundation reports that in any year, a department is four times more likely to experience the suicide death of a member than a line-of-duty death.Stress, negative health changes, the physical rigors of the job, and mental health challenges are taking their toll on our nation’s bravest.The brotherhood (and sisterhood) of firefighting is unique, with a strength that is often not available in many other

To begin with, nurses are prone to deal with stressful events. As a nurse you are exposed to traumatic situations especially when it comes to witnessing death. Even though nurses are taught to deal with complications among patients, staff or any circumstance there will always be events that can’t be unseen. According to Skorobogatova, “Long-lasting stress that is common in nursing and sometimes leads to mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion may subsequently lead to burnout” (Skorobogatova et al, 2017). In other words, it depends on how one might act in a stressful event. Stressful experiences can either push an individual over the edge in both mental and physical state. On the other hand, stress can also be used as an opportunity allowing

"The sources of stress for and threats to patients arise from circumstances of the hospital setting, the behaviour of hospital staff, the patients' own behaviour and the built hospital environment. Although anxiety and distress are negative states that most people would choose to avoid anyway, they are particularly relevant when their influence on physical recovery is examined. The various ways in which stress can slow recovery and in which buffers against stress can speed recovery are of central importance to the training of

The experience leading to posttraumatic stress doesn’t have to last hours on end. In fact, the entire confrontation could last but a short thirty seconds. For many first responders in life-threatening situations, these few seconds can adversely affect the rest of their life (Willis, 2014). From that day or night on, the one affected will be plagued by sleepless nights, nightmares during the minimal hours of rest, and periodic anxiety attacks (Willis, 2014). In just thirty seconds, a well-trained first responder can go from being emotionally stable with a happy heart and life to having an unstable family, marriage, and have an inability to effectively perform many of his or her job duties. In just thirty seconds, one can develop a case of (undiagnosed) posttraumatic stress disorder (Willis, 2014).

(2007). First Responders: Mental Health Consequences of Natural and Human-Made Disasters for Public Health and Public Safety Workers. Annual Review of Public Health, 28, 55-68. Retrieved from http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.publhealth.28.021406.144037/ Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Trauma can range from PTSD to getting lost in the moment. Despite these roadblocks, first responders are capable of using their resources in order to find a way to work through the setbacks that come to them every single day. Ways of coping can variate from keeping tabs on the people involved in the accident to developing a bond with the first response team. Mr. Rodenburg found his own way of coping with difficult situations. Voice dropping to a low tone, he explained, “The sad thing is that on scene, after all is done, we develop a morbid sense of humor that stays on scene and with our members only. We also have a time after any bad situation where we all go back to the station and talk about

Everyone experiences stress in a different way: some shut down while others cry or become frustrated. Moreover, although a instinctual necessity, too much stress can definitely cause problems for one’s physical or psychological well-being. When I get too stressed, for example, my immune system drops which causes me to get sick sometimes even three times in a month. Other times, I just have to take breaks from my responsibilities to prevent myself from breaking down or becoming so exhausted that I cannot finish the task at

Stress has been linked to hypertension, heart attacks, diabetes, asthma, chronic pain, allegeries, headaches, skin disorders, cancer, immune system weakness and decrease blood count (Cummings et al, 2005). It has also been linked to an increase risk of alcoholism and drug use. High levels of stress can lead to higher absenteeism, larger staff turnover and low productivity. The symptoms are evident in the quantitative data, with an

Law enforcement organizations are among the top five stressful occupations worldwide. Stress is hard to define because of the different aspects of stress. The term "stress" has been used to make reference to the stimulus that causes the stress response, the stress response itself, the stimulus-response interaction, or even the whole spectrum of interacting factors (stimulus, cognitive appraisal, perception, and coping style) related to the stimulus and response (Anderson, G. S., Litzenberger, R., & Plecas, D. (2002)). Think of it this way, a police officer responds to a robbery and it involves two armed suspects. The officer turns on the lights and his or her mouth starts to dry, and heart begins to race. Before the officer gets out of the car they feel the pressure and demands that are on their shoulders. Individuals identify this as a physiological response to stress.

Stress is a term used by many, is somewhat misunderstood, and often used to describe a negative condition or emotional state. People experience various forms of stress at home, work, in social settings, and when engaged in activities to simply have fun, such as playing sports. Police officers experience stress the same as others, but also in ways much different than the average citizen. The dangers, violence, and tragedy seen by officers result in added levels of stress not experienced by the general population.

Many believe that stress is a simple problem, however it is often misunderstood and more complex than they believe (p. 181, Griffin & Moorhead, 2014). Stress is the physiological and psychological response to excessive and usually unpleasant stimulation as well as threatening events in the environment (p. 284, Schultz and Schultz, 2010). Stress appears in silent and subtle ways but this negative response affects millions of employees in all levels of all types of jobs (p. 284, Schultz and Schultz, 2010). If identified

The nursing field is an occupation that is naturally subject to a high degree of stress because professionals in this field deal with grief, suffering, and death cases. The vulnerability to stress in the nursing occupation is also fueled by the fact that several nursing tasks tend to be mundane and unrewarding. In normal standards, nursing tasks range from being distasteful to degrading, disgusting, and frightening. Generally, many visits by patients to health care services are usually brought by stress-related illnesses to an extent that 90 percent of these visits are associated to stress. Therefore, stress is part of nearly every person's existence since it's linked to the development of mental disorders, enhanced stress-related diseases, and minimized immunologic function.

General stressors are not as crucial as critical incidents, but can be if not dealt with over a long period of time. Some examples of general work stressors most commonly cited by police officers that cause stress are: paperwork, public disrespect, shift work, death notifications, domestic violence calls, or frustration with the courts (National Institute of Justice Journal, 2000).

      It is critical to understand important stress management skills.  If stress is not dealt with, it can result in a burnout, or perhaps worse, "People who experience high levels of anxiety are four to five times more likely to die of a heart attack or stroke" (Morrison