EMTs' attitudes' toward death before and after a death education program

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Psychology
• Emergency Medical Services

Background:

• Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) frequently encounter death and grief.
• Existing training for EMTs regarding death and grief support is often perceived as inadequate.
• EMTs' attitudes toward death can impact patient care and family support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a death education program on EMTs' attitudes toward death.
• To assess whether specific training components enhance EMTs' perceived preparedness for death notification and grief support.

Main Methods:

• A pretest-posttest study involving 83 rural EMTs.
• Random assignment to three groups: short intervention (death notification class), long intervention (16-hour EDECT(SM) workshop), and control (toxicology program).
• Questionnaires using a five-point Likert scale were administered before and after the interventions.

Main Results:

• Prior to training, most EMTs (84%) felt uncomfortable with death notifications and found their training inadequate.
• After the intervention, EMTs in the long-intervention group (92%) reported significantly more adequate training compared to the short-intervention (43%) and control (21%) groups.
• A majority of participants (77%) initially believed EMT actions impact family grief.

Conclusions:

• Exposure to death education programs can positively alter EMTs' attitudes toward death.
• Comprehensive training, such as the EDECT(SM) program, is more effective in improving EMTs' confidence and perceived preparedness.
• Further research should explore long-term effects and specific training elements that best support EMTs in end-of-life care scenarios.