Gatekeepers to the Mindset of Mental Wellness

PTSD and suicide awareness among EMS providers increases by the day, but many providers are stuck in the “Paramedics don’t cry,” mindset. Where did new EMS providers learn they must be unbreakable bastions standing against anything that comes their way? As the entry point to the profession for most providers, educators must acknowledge the difficulties related to caring for others, provide them with tools for mental wellness, and give them permission to be resilient and experience human emotions. Components of the larger picture such as fatigue, moral injury, and work place stress, will be addressed as well as tools to develop and maintain a mental wellness mindset. Common stressors for students and impending suicide indicators will also be discussed.