Authors :
Francis Jeremy E. Castillo; Dorothea C. dela Cruz
Volume/Issue :
Volume 7 - 2022, Issue 7 - July
Google Scholar :
https://bit.ly/3IIfn9N
Scribd :
https://bit.ly/3w6n1XZ
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6996358
Abstract :
Emergency medical services are the first link
in the delivery of healthcare services before patients are
eventually turned over to medical health professionals --
medical doctors, nurses. While the latter have been the
subject of voluminous studies regarding their experiences,
challenges, physical and mental health, emergency
volunteers seem to be relegated to the background that
little or no studies have been conducted on them,
especially in the local setting.
This research dealt with the lived experiences of
regular volunteer emergency first responders. They were
composed of volunteer emergency medical technicians
(EMT), first aid providers, search and rescue volunteers,
and firefighters among others. They did round-the-clock
lifesaving emergency care for individuals involved in
different emergencies. This qualitative research study
explored the lived experiences of nine volunteers who
shared their involvement in being volunteers.
A phenomenological inquiry was chosen as the
method to explore the experiences of the participants with
the use of semi-structured interviews. They were asked
several open-ended questions supporting the primary
question to go deeper into their lived experiences.
Recorded interviews revealed four essential themes
across volunteer-respondents regarding their continuous
service as volunteer emergency first responders: (a)
desire to help transcends volunteers’ age, civil status,
years of service, and educational attainment; (b) helping
others is a rewarding experience; (c) constant retraining
and camaraderie among peers can easily surmount
financial difficulties and lack of equipment; and, (d)
willingness on the part of volunteer-responders to face
injury or death in the process of helping others. This is
the first account of lived experiences of volunteer
emergency first responders, and it hopes to provide a
better understanding of the people who put their lives on
the line so that others may live.
Keywords :
Lived experiences, First Responders, Emergency Medical Technicians.
Emergency medical services are the first link
in the delivery of healthcare services before patients are
eventually turned over to medical health professionals --
medical doctors, nurses. While the latter have been the
subject of voluminous studies regarding their experiences,
challenges, physical and mental health, emergency
volunteers seem to be relegated to the background that
little or no studies have been conducted on them,
especially in the local setting.
This research dealt with the lived experiences of
regular volunteer emergency first responders. They were
composed of volunteer emergency medical technicians
(EMT), first aid providers, search and rescue volunteers,
and firefighters among others. They did round-the-clock
lifesaving emergency care for individuals involved in
different emergencies. This qualitative research study
explored the lived experiences of nine volunteers who
shared their involvement in being volunteers.
A phenomenological inquiry was chosen as the
method to explore the experiences of the participants with
the use of semi-structured interviews. They were asked
several open-ended questions supporting the primary
question to go deeper into their lived experiences.
Recorded interviews revealed four essential themes
across volunteer-respondents regarding their continuous
service as volunteer emergency first responders: (a)
desire to help transcends volunteers’ age, civil status,
years of service, and educational attainment; (b) helping
others is a rewarding experience; (c) constant retraining
and camaraderie among peers can easily surmount
financial difficulties and lack of equipment; and, (d)
willingness on the part of volunteer-responders to face
injury or death in the process of helping others. This is
the first account of lived experiences of volunteer
emergency first responders, and it hopes to provide a
better understanding of the people who put their lives on
the line so that others may live.
Keywords :
Lived experiences, First Responders, Emergency Medical Technicians.