What I Learned About EMS Safety From Research by Joseph

What I Learned About EMS Safety From Research by Joseph - October 2026 Scholarship Essay

The research project that taught me the most focused on assaults against EMS personnel in the field. I worked with a group in paramedic school and did most of the work on the project. Already working in EMS, I wanted to understand how often these assaults happened and what could be done to prevent them.

What surprised me most was how often providers were being assaulted compared with how little attention the problem seemed to receive. I knew violence was a possibility in this line of work, but researching it made me look more closely at how that risk was being addressed. I kept coming back to the same question: if this happens so often, why aren’t we talking about it more and preparing providers better?

I was already safety-conscious on calls, but this project made me more vigilant. It pushed me to think beyond whether a scene was safe when I arrived. I began thinking more about recognizing when a situation changes and remembering that my desire to help someone can sometimes pull my attention away from my own safety.

My biggest takeaway was the need to educate new providers. We spend a lot of time teaching people how to assess and treat patients. We also need to teach them how to keep themselves safe while doing that work. Safety should be part of their education throughout their training, especially when discussing difficult situations they may encounter in the field.

This project changed how I understood the value of research. A question about my profession became something that affected how I approached my own work. I came away with more than information to put into a paper. I became more aware of a problem I want to help address through education. Preparing EMS providers to care for others also means preparing them to protect themselves.