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Research paper|Articles in Press

Paramedic interactions with significant others during and after resuscitation and death of a patient

Published:September 07, 2022DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.auec.2022.08.007
Paramedic interactions with significant others during and after resuscitation and death of a patient
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      Abstract

      Background

      Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest often occurs at home, requiring paramedics to interact with family members and bystanders during resuscitation and inform them should the patient die. This study explores how paramedics navigate interactions and the changing needs of the patient and the bereaved.

      Methods

      Phenomenological methodology inspired individual, semi-structured interviews. Data was then coded using reflexive thematic analysis.

      Results

      Ten individual interviews with working paramedics with an average of 7.2 years of experience were analysed and resulted in four overarching themes. These themes encompassed communication goals and factors affecting their implementation. Four themes emerged: maximising patient outcome, minimising psychological trauma for significant others, paramedic engagement and communicating across cultures. Communication goals shift from maximising patient outcome to minimising psychological trauma for significant others during the resuscitation. Implementation of those goals is affected by paramedic engagement and communicating across cultures.

      Conclusions

      Paramedics used communication techniques based on personal and professional experiences, attempting to navigate limited resources, factors affecting paramedic engagement and a perceived lack of education and support in matters of grief and death.

      Keywords

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      Article info

      Publication history

      Published online: September 07, 2022
      Accepted: August 24, 2022
      Received in revised form: August 19, 2022
      Received: May 22, 2022

      Publication stage

      In Press Corrected Proof

      Identification

      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.auec.2022.08.007

      Copyright

      Crown Copyright © 2022 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of College of Emergency Nursing Australasia. All rights reserved.

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