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National Study Commissioned to Determine Level of Violence Experienced by Canadian Paramedics

Just how serious and quantifiable is the issue of violence against Canadian paramedics? The Paramedics Chiefs of Canada (PCC) association intends to find out. It has directed $440,000 Canadian (about $306,000 U.S.) to a research team led by Wilfrid Laurier University associate professor Renée MacPhee, PhD, to survey Canadian paramedics about workplace violence over the next 16 to 18 months. The study’s research will be used to generate recommendations that will be given to various levels of government in a bid to make EMS work in Canada safer and less psychologically stressful.

“At present, we don't have any national data that indicates to us the scope of violence that paramedics are experiencing in Canada,” MacPhee said. “The rationale for doing this study is to find out that information, to find out what is happening to paramedics across the country while in the capacity of their jobs, and to try and get a better understanding of the violence that's taking place. We hear about such violence in the media and from paramedics themselves, but again, we have no information on a national scope. Although there are some smaller projects being done in different provinces, we need to get a better understanding of what's happening nationally.”

According to PCC Vice President Marc-André Periard, the money to fund this study came from Defence Research and Development Canada, the science and technology wing of the Canadian Department of National Defence. Surveying Canadian paramedics about workplace violence is part of PCC's mandate.

“We continue to advocate for change, and we are continually encouraging the federal government to take on recommendations that have been put forth by the PCC to make EMS work safer,” Periard said. “Obviously, we support a zero-tolerance position on physical and verbal attacks on paramedics and support staff. Being able to secure some funding to have Dr. MacPhee and her team conduct this study and get the information that we need to achieve better working conditions for our frontline staff is something that we believe in very strongly.”

The Canadian EMS workplace violence study will begin by sending out surveys to active and retired paramedics nationwide, to accumulate hard data about violence against paramedics. Next will come two sets of interviews.

“The first set of personal interviews will be done with paramedics who have experienced violence throughout or at some point in their careers,” MacPhee said. “The second set of interviews will be done with families of paramedics who've experienced violence. It's important to capture their voices as well, to understand what the impact has been on them when one of their loved ones has been injured in the line of duty as a function of violence.”

MacPhee doesn't know what the response rate will be to the survey, but she's optimistic about the eventual results. “We will work with whatever we're going to get, but we're truly hoping that we will get a significant response, and I expect that we will,” she said. “This is a topic that is of great concern to the paramedics in this country as well as stakeholders and government folks. After all, the objective of the study is to first understand the breadth, scope and depth of the violence that is occurring, and to understand where it's happening, why it's happening, and who's committing the offenses. From there we'll be able to build some recommendations with respect to education, training, policy changes, and so forth.”

The study’s results will be shared widely across organizations in Canada. “Obviously it'll go to the federal government, it'll go to all our provincial associations, our service providers, and our labor relations groups,” Periard said. “I think the important thing here is to improve working conditions and the safety of our paramedics, and decrease the negative impact that violence has on not only our frontline staff, but their families and their loved ones as well.”