Emergency response services are vital for enhancing public safety by safeguarding the environment, property, and human lives. As frontline members of these services, 9-1-1 dispatchers have a direct impact on response times and the overall effectiveness of emergency operations. However, traditional dispatcher training methods, which rely on…

This paper reports a cross-sector reflection on a current, simulation-based program for maternity emergency management in an Australian healthcare site. It aims to develop our understandings of how learning can be enhanced through simulation and debriefing practices. It discovers how the healthcare and aviation sectors, which have seen increasing…

In recent years, NHS Ambulance Trusts throughout the UK have consistently failed to achieve their response time targets for both actual and potential life-threatening calls. To avoid a media and public outcry, the NHS response has been to change the basic parameters upon which the response time targets are calculated. An action learning study,…

In healthcare, action teams are carrying out complex medical procedures in intense and unpredictable situations to save lives. Previous research has shown that efficient communication, high-quality coordination, and coping with stress are particularly essential for high performance. However, precisely and objectively capturing these team…

This article analyzes the need for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) educational programs and academicians to develop interdisciplinary educational and training opportunities with other healthcare disciplines. A literature review was conducted on EMS education and interdisciplinary approaches in healthcare education. In general, support for both…

A pilot study depicting a collaborative learning experience involving students in the helping professions (i.e., social work and paramedic) is presented, whereby students put discipline-specific practice behaviors into action in a training exercise using standardized clients (SCs). Real world scenarios commonly encountered in emergency response…

This applied dissertation investigated the effect of crew resource management (CRM) training on medical errors in a simulated prehospital setting. Specific areas addressed by this program included situational awareness, decision making, task management, teamwork, and communication. This study is believed to be the first investigation of CRM…

Objective: Emergency Departments (EDs) offer an opportunity to improve the care of patients with at-risk and dependent drinking by teaching staff to screen, perform brief intervention and refer to treatment (SBIRT). We describe here the implementation at 14 Academic EDs of a structured SBIRT curriculum to determine if this learning experience…