Situational awareness in the identification of abuse – Out-of-hospital emergency care providers’ experiences

Abstract

This qualitative study describes out-of-hospital emergency care providers’ experiences and views of situational awareness (SA) in the identification of abuse, including observations that led them to suspect abuse. Nine prehospital emergency care providers and three community paramedics were interviewed based on preselected themes. The data was analyzed using inductive content analysis. According to the results, emergency care providers’ self-defined situational awareness consisted of cognitive competence (logical reasoning and detection of cause-effect relationships); emotional competence (empathy and emotional intelligence); social competence (interaction skills and assessment of family dynamics), and experiential knowledge. Indicators of abuse involved the overall situation; the client’s physical condition; the client’s mental condition; the context and circumstances, and the logic in client reports. Although situational awareness develops with work experience, it is advisable for educators to include a wide range of cognitive, emotional and social skills in the initial and continuing education of emergency care professionals. These skills can be practiced using multi-professional simulation-based education.

Older Adults Affected by Abuse–What about Their Mental Health and Social Participation? A Mixed Methods Study

“…In this context, one must bear in mind that the identification of abuse other than physical is difficult. The alarming extent of abuse is corroborated by earlier studies, but the estimates vary significantly [ 6 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 ].…”

“…The estimates on the prevalence of abuse vary a great deal. The data available has been partly self-reported by home-living older adults [ 58 , 59 ], partly based on the observations of social and healthcare managers or professionals concerning older adults living in their own homes [ 6 , 60 ] or in institutions [ 61 , 62 , 63 ].…”