Student Paramedics’ Experiences of Compassion Fatigue: A Phenomenological Mixed-Methods Study

This poster reports findings from a phenomenological mixed-methods study exploring student paramedics’ experiences of compassion fatigue (CF). Healthcare professionals often have higher-than-average exposure to secondary trauma through their patients’ experiences, and emergency medical services workers face unique risks of burnout, PTSD, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma. However, there is limited research specifically addressing these issues among student paramedics in the pre-hospital setting.

A mixed-methods, phenomenological approach was used to gain an in-depth understanding of student experiences and perceptions of compassion fatigue. Data collection involved semi-structured, remote interviews using mostly open-ended questions to enable rich exploration of lived experience. Reflexive thematic analysis was applied to identify key themes. In addition, the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL) was administered to measure Compassion Satisfaction, Burnout, and Secondary Traumatic Stress.

Out of approximately 240 students contacted, 10 responded and 7 agreed to participate (4 males and 3 females, aged 21–63 years, with between 0–7 years’ healthcare experience). Five key themes were identified: mindset, coping mechanisms, influences, support, and emotional intelligence. ProQOL results indicated moderate levels of compassion satisfaction and burnout, and low levels of secondary traumatic stress.

Participants’ experiences were shaped by internal beliefs, emotional regulation skills, external stressors on placement, and varying levels of formal or peer support. The study highlights a need to address compassion fatigue in paramedic education, given the potential for emotional exhaustion to develop even during training.

Ethical approval was obtained via Teesside University’s ethical procedures for student research.

This poster was presented at the College of Paramedics Annual Research Conference 2025, held in Birmingham on Wednesday, 9th July 2025.