Managing stress in prehospital care: Strategies used by ambulance nurses

The study shows that ambulance nurses in general experience emergency calls as being stressful. Unclear circumstances increase the stress level, with cases involving children and childbirth being especially stressful. Accurate information and assistance from the dispatch centre reduced the stress. Having discussions with colleagues directly after the assignment were particularly stress reducing. Advanced team collaboration with teammates was viewed as effective means to decrease stress, in addition to simple rituals to defuse stress such as taking short breaks during the workday. The study confirmed earlier studies that suggest the benefits of defusing immediately after stress reactions.