Ethical work climate and the intention to leave the service in emergency medical technicians during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract


 
 
 
 Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) are very likely to leave the profession due to their obligation to work in critical situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the ethical work climate and the intention to leave the service among EMTs.
 In this descriptive correlational study, 315 EMTs working in Zanjan province were surveyed using the census method in 2021. The research tools included the Ethical Work Climate and the Intention to Leave the Service questionnaires. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 21.
 We found the mean (SD) score of the organization's ethical workclimate to be 73.93 (±12.53), and the intention to leave the service12.54 (±4.52), which are at a moderate level.A statistically significant positive correlation existed between thesevariables (r = 0.148, P = 0.017). Also, there was a statisticallysignificant relationship between age and employment status amongthe demographic variables, and the ethical work climate and the intention to leave (P < 0.05).Our findings indicate that ethical work climate is one of the influential but less noticed factors that affect the performance of EMTs. Therefore, it is suggested that managers implement measures to develop a positive ethical work climate to reduce the tendency to leave the service among EMTs.
 
 
 

Associations between paramedics' salutogenic health experience and the intention to stay in the profession: A cross‐sectional survey

“…The support provided by EMS organizations has been deemed insufficient (Ericsson et al., 2022 ; Lawn et al., 2020 ). Evidence suggests that the pandemic has increased the intention of frontline healthcare workers, including paramedics, to leave (De Los Santos & Labrague, 2020 ; Labrague, & de los Santos, J., 2021 ; Mousavi et al., 2022 ). For example, in a US survey of 9688 employees from 258 EMS organizations, 20%–30% of paramedics and emergency medical technicians expressed an intention to leave the profession.…”