Due to the very nature of pre-hospital emergency work, there are going to be times when you may attend a call that will potentially have lasting effects for you personally.
The XL Team takes the welfare of all it’s staff very seriously and aims to address any problems with speed and effectiveness.
Signs that an incident may be troubling you include:
Insomnia (trouble sleeping)
Reduced appetite
Increased dependence upon alcohol, tobacco or other substances
Constant recurring thoughts about the incident
Questioning your actions/ongoing uncertainty about an incident
This list is by no means exhaustive as everyone will deal with stress in different ways.
You must be aware that whilst certain incidents can be extremely emotive by their very nature, it is often the smaller less obvious ones that can cause problems over time.
Requesting and requiring support is not a weakness and is something that is fully available to you from both Excel EMS and specialised external services.
Support may take the form of:
Talking to family or friends
Talking to your line manager or other members
Talking to a member of the Excel EMS
Talking to a trained counsellor
Talking to you own GP