Do paramedic students have situational awareness during high-fidelity simulation? A mixed-methods pilot study.

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medical Services Education
• Human Factors in Healthcare
• Paramedic Training

Background:

• Situational awareness is critical for paramedic safety and patient care.
• Paramedics must recognize, interpret, and anticipate events to maintain situational awareness.
• Empirical data on paramedic student situational awareness is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine paramedic students' situational awareness during high-fidelity simulation.
• To identify factors affecting paramedic student situational awareness.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-methods pilot study using high-fidelity simulation.
• Data collected via pre/post surveys, performance assessments, and video debriefings.
• Situational Awareness Global Assessment Technique (SAGAT) and thematic analysis were employed.

Main Results:

• Students recognized 42% of critical items and correctly interpreted 34% of recognized items.
• Students accurately projected patient clinical progression only 40% of the time.
• Key themes identified: tunnel vision, stress, and lack of organized approach impacted situational awareness.

Conclusions:

• Paramedic students exhibit deficient situational awareness.
• Inability to recognize, interpret, and anticipate events stems from stress and poor focus.
• Further research is needed to enhance paramedic situational awareness education.