Opening Case
• You have noticed lately that your
partner of two years has been
behaving differently than normal:
– He has been extremely shorttempered with you and the
patients.
– He has been beating the time
clock by seconds.
– His appearance is sloppy.
Opening Case
Nothing
• When you attempt
to find out what is
going on with your
partner, he tells
you, “Nothing.”
Question:
What could be affecting your partner’s
behavior?
A. Stress
B. Drugs/Alcohol
C. Burnout
D. All of the above
Question:
• What should you do to help your partner?
Introduction
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Permission required for reproduction or display
Introduction
• Paramedics:
– work 45–60 hrs/week
– irregular hours
– lift, carry, walk, stand, crawl, kneel to
perform duties
– work in all weather and temperature
conditions
Disease,
Injury,
and Death
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Permission required for reproduction or display
Life Expectancy in U.S.
Morbidity and Mortality
• Analysis helps us understand factors that
affect our health and safety
Age <65 = Preventable 83% of time
Wellness
• Optimal health
• Maintaining quality of
life
• Requires balance in all
aspects of life
Disease, Injury, and Death
• Know your risk factors
– Those that can be controlled and those that
cannot be controlled
Reducing
the Threat
of Disease
and Injury
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Permission required for reproduction or display
Factors Influencing Wellness
•
•
•
•
Lifestyle behaviors
Environmental factors
Health care received
Genetic factors
How to Promote Wellness
•
•
•
•
Smoking cessation
Cardiovascular disease prevention
Stroke prevention
Cancer prevention
Wellness
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Permission required for reproduction or display
Dimensions of
Wellness
•
•
•
•
•
•
Physical
Intellectual
Emotional
Social
Environmental
Spiritual
Physical
Wellness
•
•
•
•
•
Exercise
Eating nutritiously
Regular sleep
Regular doctor visits
Avoiding risky behaviors—
alcohol and drug use
• Taking medication
Fitting in a
Workout
• Play sports with
your partner while
waiting for a call
• Use the back
bumper of the
ambulance to
stretch
Intellectual and Emotional
Wellness
•
•
•
•
•
Healthy decision-making
Flexibility to life’s changes
Ability to think under stress
Ability to express emotions
Knowing your limits
Social Wellness
•
•
•
•
Interacting well with others
Appreciation of diversity
Support network—friends, family
Connectedness to the community
Environmental Wellness
• Protecting yourself from
hazards
– BSI
• Scene safety at all times
Spiritual
Wellness
• Provides life with
meaning
• Promotes ethical and
moral thinking
• Maintains faith and
hope
Occupational Wellness
• Ability to find meaning in your occupation
• Ability to find satisfaction in your
occupation
• Ability to accomplish objectives required
for the job
High-Level Wellness
• Wellness is always changing
• Paramedic’s duty to promote wellness
– Through education
– By example
Physical Fitness
• Health-related
• Skill-related
Health-Related
Fitness
• Cardiovascular
endurance
• Muscular strength
• Muscular
endurance
• Muscular flexibility
• Body composition
Skill-Related Fitness
• Athletic
performance
•
•
•
•
•
•
Agility
Speed
Power
Stamina
Balance
Coordination
Benefits and Maintenance
•
•
•
•
•
Ability to control risk factors
Improve energy level
Work out with crew members
Join a team
Encourage healthy behaviors
Nutrition
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Permission required for reproduction or display
Healthy Diet
• Be aware of caloric intake
• Know what your are eating
– carbohydrates
– protein
– fats
Achieving a Health Diet
•
•
•
•
Read labels
Plan ahead
Be realistic about snacks
Be creative
Eating on the Go
• Preplan, bring a cooler
– Bring fruits and vegetables
• Choose grocery store over fast food
Weight
Control
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Permission required for reproduction or display
Weight Control
•
•
•
•
Set realistic goals
Devise a plan
Ask for help
Exercise regularly
The Hours We Keep
• Sleep does many things
– Decreasing stress
– Fighting off illness, injury, and disease
• Lack of sleep can lead to
– Unhealthy weight gain
Stress
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Permission required for reproduction or display
Good/Bad
Stress
• Eustress—stress
has positive effects
• Distress—stress
has negative
effects
Stress
• Fight or flight response
– causes physiological and psychological
reactions
General Adaptive Syndrome
• Research based on Hans Selye
• Three stages
– alarm
– resistance
– exhaustion
Alarm
• Occurs when presented with
stressor
• Increase in
– Heart rate
– Blood pressure
– Mental acuity
– Possible anxiety and
sweating
Resistance
• New homeostasis or
baseline
– Body reacts to the
stressors
– Prolonged by
• caffeine
• smoking
Exhaustion
• Depletion of the
body’s resources
• Inability of the body
to react to stress
– causing disease
or death
Warning Signs
•
•
•
•
•
•
Headaches
Sleep disturbances
Short temper
Job dissatisfaction
Digestive problems
Difficulty concentrating
What to do about stress?
• Reduce physiological
effects
– deep breathing
• Learn to manage
external stressors
– time management
• Adjust perceptions
about stressors
– priorities
Critical
Incident
Stress
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Permission required for reproduction or display
Critical Incident Stress
• Experienced by many high-stress
professionals
• Has no time limit
– Short-term and long-term responses
• Causes burnout
• Needs to be addressed every time
Critical Incident Stress
• Exercise, nutrition, and relaxation
techniques help control effects
• Preincident education and follow-up
counseling can offer further help
Healthy Choices
• Maintain proper body
weight
• Eat a nutritious diet
• Exercise
• Manage stress
Healthy Choices
• Eliminating the use of tobacco/drugs
• Using alcohol in moderation
• Avoiding stimulants
Results of Stress
• Cardiovascular disease
• Stroke
• Many other diseases
Summary
• Wellness is a choice, not simply the
absence of disease
• Occurs when poor behaviors are removed
and replaced by healthy choices
Summary
• Individual responsibilities in maintaining
wellness
• Know behaviors that promote wellness
into your lifestyle
• Strategies for dealing with stress in EMS
The END
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Permission required for reproduction or display