Building personal resilience in paramedic students

Abstract

The present study examined the impact of a 6- to 8-hour, self-paced online resiliency training program to help students training to be Primary Care Paramedics (PCP) mitigate the risks associated with working in a trauma informed work setting. Of the 138 participants, 88 were male and 30 were female, with a mean age of 25.5 years. Of these, 81 students participated in the experimental group (who took the course), and 57 in the control group. Baseline demographic results were examined using bivariate comparisons between the control and experimental, and all were found to be statistically insignificant at p < 0.05 which suggests that there were no differences between the two groups on the pre-test demographic variables. Prior to the intervention there were no significant differences in total resilience or any of the sub-scales (selfreliance, meaningfulness, equanimity, perseverance, and existential aloneness). Following the resiliency training and the practicum experience, the experimental group scored better in total resilience and each of the sub-scores (p < 0.05) except meaningfulness. Results suggest that developing skills to mitigate and manage workplace trauma can reduce or help mitigate the negative impact of exposure to trauma and potentially reduce the risk of developing trauma related mental health problems which may impact the well-being and quality of life of students once employed as a paramedic.