A report by a student at the University of Saskatchewan’s Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy states Saskatoon paramedics face one of the highest call rate volumes per-capita in Canada. Jennifer Chouinard figures there needs to be four additional ambulances on the road around the clock to bring Saskatoon up to the national average. The report says Canadian paramedics are more than twice as likely to develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the researcher who has also been a front line social worker feels the increased work load makes local paramedics prime candidates. Chouinard points out local paramedics have little or no down time between calls compounding the already stressful job of facing life and death situations daily. She recommends a multi-stakeholder approach allowing paramedics to come forward with concerns about mental and physical stress. Chouinard says it’s the responsibility of employers, labour representatives and the health care system to invest in strengthening a network that will care for the people who care for us. The report indicates 68 Canadian paramedics have committed suicide since 2014 including two recent cases in Saskatchewan.
Saskatoon Researcher Looks at the Tough Job of Paramedic
Sep 10, 2018 | 10:38 AM
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