Evaluation of violence and its management experienced by emergency medical service workers in Lithuania’s biggest cities.

Purpose – to investigate violence experienced in work environment by emergency medical service workers of Lithuania’s biggest cities and methods of violoence management. Aims: 1.Investigate means of violence and its frequency experienced by emergency medical service workers from Lithuania’s biggest cities; 2. Investigate main sources of violence experienced by emergency medical service workers from Lithuania’s biggest cities; 3. Explore means of violence management used by emergency medical service providers in Lithuania’s biggest cities. Method – anonymous surveys were conducted from from January 1st 2018 until February 19th 2018 at Kaunas city emergency medical service, March 1st 2019 – October 30th 2019 at Vilnius, Panevėžys, Klaipėda and Šiauliai emergency medical service stations. Original questionnaire POPAS by Nico Oud and other additional questionnaires were used. Permission from Bioethics committee was obtained for this research – (2017 – 11 – 21 Nr. BEC – SL(B) – 84 ); 2019-02-21. Nr. BEC-ISP(M)-185 Respondents - physicians, specialist nurses and paramedics working in Kaunas, Vilnius, Panevėžys, Klaipėda and Šiauliai emergency medical service stations were surveyed. Sample size n=210 (response rate 82%). Results – after evaluation of survey it was found that emergency medical service workers of Lithuania’s biggest cities most frequently experience violence in form of verbal aggression (on average 57 times a year), provocative agrressive behavior (22 times a year) and threats (20 times a year). Rarest form of violence experienced was sexual harrassment. After analyzing responses it was noted that emergency medical service providers of Lithuania’s biggest cities experience violence from patients in more than half of all cases and in about third cases of violence it is received from relatives. It should also be noted that a small fraction (one-tenth of all cases) of violence is received from colleagues at work. In situations of violence, emergency medical service workers try to hide their fear and do not retreat, they remain close to the exit door and try to reduce exessive triggers and noises that could escalate frustration