Knowledge of occupational risk factors at prehospital care edication

Objectives: The study aims to define level of knowledge and awareness of Paramedic Programs of Vocational Schools of Health Services and Emergency Medical Technician Programs of Health Services High Schools students.Methods: A cross sectional study was designed to cover all Vocational Schools of Health Services and Health Services High Schools in İzmir. Only last year students of paramedic programs and emergency health technician programs were included. Three different forms were used, one for assessment of occupational risk factors knowledge levels for individuals and one for evaluation of schools education and training equipments. For data collection, questionnaires were distributed to participants and collected at the same time at each school; for evaluation of equipment level an auditing process was done. Occupational risk factors were classified as physical/ergonomic, biological, surrounding environmental and psychological factors.Findings: 88.9% of the study frame were reached (n=153). 85.6% of the participants were female (n=131), 91.5% (n=140) choose their occupation willingly and were satisfied with their choices. 57.1% (n:4) of paramedic programs? faculty members were registered nurses, 92.6% (n=25) of emergency medical technician program teachers (high school level) were Gevher Nesibe Health Education Institute graduates. When training equipments were evaluated; three schools did not have reference books, there were no sink in the vocational skill laboratories in any schools, as for personal protective devices none of the schools had face shield except one. Paramedic and emergency technician program students scores of occupational risk factors knowledge was estimated 5.75 ± 0.79 at the 10 point scale. Paramedic students got higher scores for overall risk factor knowledge and for physical/ergonomic, psychological and surrounding environmental occupational risk factors then emergency medical technician students (p<0.05).Conclusion: Paramedic and emergency medical technician students knowledge on occupational risk factors were not at the preferred level.Key Words: Paramedic, emergency medical technician, occupational risk factors, prehospital care, knowledge