Cross-sectional study of workplace violence prevention training among emergency medical services personnel and students

BACKGROUND: Workplace violence (WPV) in emergency medical services (EMS) has become a part of everyday life, constituting an occupational safety risk for paramedics. This study aimed to explore EMS personnel and students' experiences and expectations regarding WPV prevention training. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using data collected via social media. The survey included structured and open-ended questions that were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and inductive content analysis. RESULTS: A total of 124 EMS personnel responded, with 93% having received WPV prevention training during their studies or at work. Key topics included anticipation, planning and preparedness (92%), occupational safety (87%), and situational awareness (84%). Less covered topics were organizational reporting (41%), filing a criminal report (30%), and screening previous risk information (14%). Among those who had received training, 90% found it useful, citing benefits like improved preparedness, situation management, safety, and a sense of security. As the result of a qualitative analysis, the main category Consistent training to reinforce safe practices and resilience was created. This category consisted of three sub- categories: Consistency, Safe working practices, and Attention to psychological resilience and recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Training appears to be well-structured, but it seems to lack uniformity and does not fully meet the needs of EMS personnel and students. In particular, the portion of the training related to aftercare in WPV situations seems to receive insufficient attention. Further research is needed to determine how WPV prevention training should be developed. The knowledge gained from this study can be utilized in educational institutes and EMS organizations to support the development of WPV prevention training.