Roger Levine

Longitudinal Emergency Medical Technician Attribute and Demographic Study (LEADS): An interim report

Objectives. This ten-year longitudinal study examines various attributes and demographic characteristics of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics to identify factors that influence their careers, to identify trends in emergency medical services (EMS), and to provide data on why individuals report leaving the EMS career field. Methods. A 46-item core survey and a 16-item cross-sectional survey were administered to EMT-basics and EMT-paramedics who were randomly selected and placed in cohort groups stratified by duration of continuous registration at each level and by race. The core survey focused on five broad areas of attributes and demographics, including general, professional, educational, personal, and financial. Case weights were calculated for respondents in each stratum, reflecting the individuals probability of selection. These case weights were adjusted, within strata, for nonresponse. The survey will be administered annually. The cross-sectional survey focused on EMS education. Results. This interim report is descriptive of the overall responses of EMT-basics and EMT-paramedics to core survey items. The demographic characteristics of EMT-basics and EMT-paramedics are described as well as a description of their work activities, working conditions, and job satisfaction Conclusions. The initial EMT and paramedic attribute and demographic data have been collected, analyzed, and reported. The longitudinal nature of this study requires further data collection and analysis to accurately present trends in EMS, as well as correlations and associations between identified attributes and other factors that influence the careers of EMTs and paramedics. Further reports of the findings will be necessary.

The Geoscience Pipeline: A Conceptual Framework

In order to assess the effectiveness of projects intended to increase the participation of members of traditionally underrepresented groups in geoscience careers, short-term indicators of “success” must be identified and developed. Our first step in identifying these indicators was the creation of a model of the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) career pipeline, based on a literature review of factors associated with STEM career choice in minority populations. To validate the appropriateness of this model for the geosciences, as well as to identify factors specific to geoscience career choice, we conducted a critical incident study and further refined our pipeline model. We used the model to determine the potential efficacy of different approaches that are being employed by geoscience diversity projects and to show how it can be used for determining the effectiveness of these projects.

C OMPENSATION , B ENEFITS , AND S ATISFACTION : T HE L ONGITUDINAL E MERGENCY M EDICAL T ECHNICIAN D EMOGRAPHIC S TUDY (LEADS) P ROJECT

Objective. To determine the compensation, benefit package, and level of satisfaction with the benefits of nationally registered emergency medical technicians (NREMTs) in 2001. Methods. The Longitudinal EMT Attribute Demographic Study (LEADS) Project included an 18-question snapshot survey on compensation with the 2001 core survey. This survey was sent to 4,835 randomly selected NREMTs. A total of 1,718 NREMT-Basics and NREMT-Paramedics, from 1,317 different postal zip codes, responded to the survey. Results. Most NREMTs in the survey (86% of the compensated NREMT-Basics and 85% of the compensated NREMT-Paramedics) were employed primarily as patient care providers. For their emergency medical services (EMS) work in the previous 12 months, compensated NREMT-Basics had mean earnings of

The prevalence of sleep problems in emergency medical technicians

18,324 (standard error,

Effects of antihypertensive drugs atenolol and nifedipine on sexual function in older men : a placebo-controlled, crossover study

978) and compensated NREMT-Paramedics had mean earnings of

Choosing the Geoscience Major: Important Factors, Race/Ethnicity, and Gender.

34,654 (standard error,

Adult sickle cell quality-of-life measurement information system (ASCQ-Me): conceptual model based on review of the literature and formative research.

646). At least 26% of compensated NREMT-Basics and 9% of compensated NREMT-Paramedics had no health insurance. The majority of compensated NREMTs (62% of the Basics and 57% of the Paramedics) reported their retirement plans were not adequate to meet their financial needs. EMTs are not satisfied with the appreciation and recognition they receive from EMS employers. About one-third (35% of the compensated NREMT-Basics and 30% of the compensated NREMT-Paramedics) were not satisfied with all of the benefits they receive from their EMS employer. Nearly all (94% of both compensated NREMT-Basics and NREMT-Paramedics) believed that EMTs should be paid more for the job that they do. Conclusions. The adequacy of EMT compensation and benefit packages is an area of concern. It is not unreasonable to believe that these factors are associated with EMT retention and attrition. Additional longitudinal EMT information on compensation and benefits are anticipated to determine the extent to which compensation and benefits are factors in EMT retention.

Behavioral health risk factors of United States emergency medical technicians: the LEADS Project.

PurposeTo investigate the prevalence, demographic, and work associations of self-reported sleep complaints in US emergency medical technicians (EMTs)MethodsThe mailed 2005 Longitudinal Emergency Medical Technician Attributes and Demographics Study (LEADS) questionnaire was distributed to selected EMTs that included 35 sleep-related questions. Questions were adapted from previously validated sleep medicine surveys, including the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and were used to estimate the prevalence of different sleep problems. These sleep problems were analyzed in relation to demographic, health, satisfaction, and workplace characteristics. Responses of individuals who were not working as EMTs were used as a comparison group.ResultsSleep problems in working EMTs were more prevalent than in a comparison group. Seventy percent of working EMTs had at least one sleep problem. The most common sleep problem was a risk of long sleep onset disorder (50%). EMTs with tiredness-related work difficulties were more than 50% as likely to report this problem. The prevalence of excessive daytime sleepiness (ESS > 10) was 36%; 6% of the EMTs had an ESS > 16. EMTs reporting tiredness-related work difficulties were more than twice as likely to have ESS scores >10 and more than three times as likely to ESS scores >16. Symptom-defined risk of sleep apnea was present in 5%. Risks of sleep onset and maintenance disorder problems were more prevalent among those who worked longer shifts and had longer work weeks and were associated with poorer job satisfaction and poorer health.ConclusionsSevere sleep problems and severe sleepiness at a level that may contribute to health and job issues are common in US EMTs. Although breathing disorders are common, behaviorally related sleep issues are more prevalent. These data support an increased focus on sleep onset and maintenance disorders.

A National Description of Violence toward Emergency Medical Services Personnel

Investigated the adverse sexual effects of two antihypertensive drugs, atenolol and slow-release nifedipine, in a placebo-controlled, randomized, crossover study. Subjects were 16 older men (mean age = 66.6 years, SEM = 1.4) with mild to moderate hypertension. Subjects completed daily self-reports on 13 measures of sexuality: frequency of desire, coitus, noncoital partner sex, masturbation, morning erections, spontaneous erections, orgasms in coitus and masturbation, firmness of morning, masturbatory and coital erections, and subjective pleasure in coitus and masturbation. Except for a significant decrease in masturbatory erectile firmness with nifedipine therapy, variables did not differ between the two drug treatments or between either drug and placebo. Although the sample was relatively small, small differences between treatment means suggest that these antihypertensive agents are fairly benign relative to sexual function in men.

Science in the Mountains: A Unique Research Experience to Enhance Diversity in the Geosciences.

ABSTRACT Geoscience faces dual recruiting challenges: a pending workforce shortage and a lack of diversity. Already suffering from low visibility, geoscience does not resemble the makeup of the general population in terms of either race/ethnicity or gender and is among the least diverse of all science, technology, engineering, and math fields in the U.S. Many studies discuss recruiting and diversity issues in science and math, but only a small number consider—and address quantitatively—barriers in geoscience. We interviewed 31 current and former geoscience majors (18 women, 13 men; 8 Hispanics, 21 whites) at a large university in the southwestern U.S. to collect 926 “critical incidents,” or experiences that affected choice of major. These critical incidents were classified, sorted, and analyzed by race/ethnicity and gender. We found that positive experiences in introductory courses, supportive family members, personal characteristics that meshed with geoscience, and outstanding field experiences were the most commonly reported factors influencing the choice of a geoscience major. Though our sample was not large, we interpret these factors as crucial tools for improving recruitment and retention. Hispanic students reported more familial factors, and more negative familial factors, than white students. Hispanic students also reported fewer informal outdoor experiences and fewer incidents involving personal factors. Men reported more critical incidents related to career and economic factors than women. Women reported more negative experiences than men in required nongeoscience courses. These findings suggest that sociocultural factors behind underrepresentation in other fields may similarly impede diversity in geoscience. Although geoscience majors share many common experiences, knowledge of subtle barriers that may exist for only Hispanic students and women in geoscience can inform recruiting, teaching, and advisement strategies.