Introduction: Paramedics are among the professions, that are often exposed to traumatic incidents. Their work includes helping people whose health or life is in danger, which means that they are particularly exposed to increased levels of stress. Working in high stress occupations increases the incidence of depression and anxiety disorders among employees and poorer mental health in healthcare workers can affect their quality of life and can lead to poorer functioning. Consequently, it can also affect the quality of health care provided, so identifying the factors related to workplace stress is essential. Purpose: The aim of this
thesis is to describe psychological experience of employees in emergency medical care after traumatic incidents based on a review of the literature. Moreover, we would also like to draw attention to the importance of debriefing and the role of a confidant in emergency medical care. Methods: The thesis is based on descriptive research method. A review of scientific and professional literature in Slovenian and English language was carried out. For the literature search, the Cochrane library and MedLine (PubMed) databases were used, which were accessed via remote access to the digital library of the University of Ljubljana (DiKUL). We also used the dlib search engine and Google Scholar. The following keywords were used in the literature search: ambulance personnel AND traumatic incident AND mental health. The research was not regionally limited. Results: The results of a review of eight studies showed that a large proportion of emergency personnel who regularly
encounter traumatic incidents experience mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders and secondary traumatization with increased substance abuse also possible. The authors of the reviewed research highlighted the importance of treating employees in emergency medic care unit after exposure to
traumatic incidents. Discussion and conclusion: Several similarities were observed in the reviewed research. Ambulance personnel most often mentioned the following traumatic incidents: events where their safety is at risk, mutilated bodies, resuscitation, injured or dead
children, and suicide. Unfortunately, it is not possible to prevent these incidents that they potentially encounter on a daily basis in their line of work. However, employees can be
offered opportunities to relieve their anguish, which is supported and encouraged by the literature reviewed.
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