School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS29JT, UK.
Department of Basic Science, Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz College for Emergency Medical Services, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11466, Saudi Arabia.
BMC Health Serv Res. 2023 May 5;23(1):444. doi: 10.1186/s12913-023-09374-y.
Paramedicine presents students with numerous challenges, including factors threatening their wellbeing. Over the last two decades studies have illustrated that paramedics and paramedic students are more likely to have mental disorders than the general population. These findings suggest that course-related factors could be important in contributing to poorer mental health. However, few studies have examined factors related to stress in paramedic students, and none of these have included paramedic students from cross-culture. To address this, the present study (1) explored paramedicine students' training experiences and other education-related factors that could affect their wellbeing, and (2) illustrated the possible differences and similarities between two cultures (Saudi Arabia and the UK) to determine whether the students' cultural environment influenced factors related to their wellbeing.
A qualitative exploratory research design was used. Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with paramedicine students from the United Kingdom and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (ten participants from each country). Reflexive thematic analysis was employed as the analytical approach in this study.
Four major themes were identified which captured the contributors to paramedic students' stress levels: (1) exposure to potentially traumatic events, (2) relationships and communication, illustrating the student's personal and professional experiences with others, (3) programme atmosphere, demonstrating the challenges and support students encounter during their coursework and training, and (4) career, elucidating the pressure of future career expectations and predictions.
The study revealed contributors to stress were similar in both countries. Better preparation can help to reduce the negative impacts of the possible traumatic events encountered on placements and supportive relationships, especially with proctors, can boost student wellbeing. Universities are able to address both these factors and help foster a positive environment for paramedicine students. As such, these results should help educators and policymakers when identifying and delivering interventions to support paramedic students.
急诊医学专业给学生带来了诸多挑战，包括对其幸福感构成威胁的因素。在过去的二十年中，研究表明，急救人员和急救专业学生比普通人群更有可能患有精神障碍。这些发现表明，与课程相关的因素可能是导致心理健康状况较差的重要因素。然而，很少有研究调查与急救专业学生压力相关的因素，而且这些研究都没有包括来自跨文化背景的急救专业学生。为了解决这一问题，本研究（1）探讨了急救专业学生的培训经历和其他可能影响其幸福感的教育相关因素，（2）说明了两个文化（沙特阿拉伯和英国）之间可能存在的差异和相似之处，以确定学生的文化环境是否会影响与其幸福感相关的因素。
采用定性探索性研究设计。对来自英国和沙特阿拉伯的急救专业学生进行了 20 次半结构化访谈（每个国家各 10 名参与者）。本研究采用反思性主题分析作为分析方法。
确定了四个主要主题，这些主题捕捉到了导致急救专业学生压力水平的因素：（1）接触潜在创伤性事件，（2）人际关系和沟通，展示了学生在个人和专业方面与他人的经历，（3）课程氛围，展示了学生在课程和培训期间遇到的挑战和支持，（4）职业，阐明了对未来职业期望和预测的压力。
该研究表明，两国的压力因素相似。更好的准备可以帮助减轻在实习期间遇到的潜在创伤性事件的负面影响，而与导师建立支持性关系可以提高学生的幸福感。大学能够解决这两个因素，并为急救专业学生营造一个积极的环境。因此，这些结果有助于教育工作者和政策制定者在确定和实施干预措施以支持急救专业学生时提供参考。
