– I’ve probably been lucky, because I’m not someone who has been up to most such episodes. “Morten” tells about violence and threats against himself and his colleagues in the ambulance service. Although he considers himself lucky, he can tell of an episode that could have gone wrong. A patient needed help, and the paramedics transported the patient to examinations at Stavanger University Hospital. – I thought there would be no problem, but it turned around very quickly. The person decided to try to stab me with a sharp object. I had to sit on the person in order to gain control of the situation, and we had to wait for police assistance. “Morten’s” identity is shielded in this case. news knows his identity. – The intention was to kill Incidents of violence and threats against paramedics are constantly being recorded across the country. In the Oslo area alone, over 100 incidents have been reported so far this year. At Helse Møre og Romsdal, they have registered 61 incidents so far this year. In September this year, a very aggressive man tried to get into the ambulance center in Egersund. – The man’s intention was to kill, which he also said. This incident triggered me, says “Morten”. It was Dalane Tidende that covered the incident in Egersund. “Morten” has himself been an ambulance worker for two years, and is now calling for better training in dealing with aggressive and violent patients. Wants training “Morten” took vocational training to become an ambulance worker. He says that, through his education, he has received some training in handling outpatients. He himself believes that it is not sufficient. – We should have had a course through the job in this very area, how to behave when patients suddenly act out, what to say and not to say to calm the situation, what you should be aware of. Not least how to defend oneself against someone who wants to harm us. Ola Yttre is leader of the Ambulance Association in Delta and agrees with “Morten”. – There is clearly too little focus on handling incidents of violence against paramedics. Everyone has to go through a plivo exercise once a year, but there are almost no exercises at all. It is a prerequisite in the face of life-threatening situations, says Yttre. He receives more and more feedback from members all over the country. – We often receive feedback from our members that there is too little focus on such situations. We also receive feedback from pupils and students. There is great frustration among paramedics throughout the country. Yttre says the ambulance association has for a long time been concerned about a lack of competence in dealing with violent people. – It can have catastrophic and fatal consequences for members who meet people who are mentally unbalanced. Leader of the Delta Ambulance Association, Ola Yttre. Photo: GEIR OLAV SLÅEN / news Notification to the Storting An insider in the Ambulance Association believes that the Ministry of Health and Care must now address the situation. – We must have systematic and good training carried out, so that our members can face everyday life in as safe a way as they can get it. I also hope that more focus is put on this in the course of education. news has been in contact with the Ministry of Health and Care, and State Secretary Karl Kristian Bekeng writes, among other things, the following in an e-mail: – We take the paramedics’ experience of insecurity at work very seriously. That is why we have also announced a notification to the Storting on emergency medical services. It will address the standard for the content of the ambulance service, training and competence. Among other things, the Norwegian Directorate of Health must propose functional requirements for competence, says the proposal to the Storting (external link). The deadline for the assignment is the end of 2022. – The worst that can happen Lena Heimvik is clinic manager for the pre-hospital clinic at Stavanger University Hospital. She says violence and threats are a known area of risk. It is also a focus area for the regional health authority. – The worst thing that can happen to us is that people get injured at work, and I get sick to my stomach as a manager when things like that happen, says Heimvik. She says the clinic has a major focus on violence and threats. – We have zero tolerance for that. Violence and threats against employees are viewed seriously and reported to the police. Lena Ailin Heimvik is clinic manager for the prehospital clinic at Stavanger University Hospital. Photo: Stavanger University Hospital Morten Falkeid is HSE-KP coordinator at the clinic, and also ensures quality and preparedness for the ambulance commander at SUS. He points to professional days via MAP, as a competence measure for employees. – Violence and threats are a topic we will have at the next academic day. But it’s not something we go through every year, and then there will be a stay for a few years where you don’t go through the handling of violence and threats, says Falkeid and adds: – The company must take care of the training, but then it can be difficult to ensure that competence is maintained with training in intervals. Will use VR glasses Both Heimvik and Falkeid say they agree that there should be an increased focus on violence and threats. – We will do what we can together with the employees to keep them safe in such situations. We must work with prevention and information to a greater extent. When you are in the situation, it is too late, says Heimvik. The ambulance service has a competence portal, where the employees have to go through theoretical tasks every year. Now they will also use artificial intelligence to improve the safety of the employees. – Teaching plans have been created and real cases have been recorded which can be tested using VR glasses, explains Falkeid. Heimvik adds: – It will be very real, and is something we want all stations to try. One course every five years is not enough. They inform that several stations have already tested the method, and that they want to carry out such exercises systematically at the various stations. – You have to stand in the situation, and that is something completely different from sitting and reading a document and learning techniques on paper. Simulation as a method, I believe, can be a key factor for the employees to be able to experience a sense of security related to this, says Heimvik. Falkeid says the clinic will make a plan for this in January 2023. Both Heimvik and Falkeid also say they want to start a campaign to reach out to the people. – We see that there is a growing tendency internationally when it comes to violence and threats against public employees and health personnel. We have looked at various campaigns from Australia and England, and want to get started with such campaigns here as well, because it is a growing problem, says Heimvik. Hi! Do you have thoughts about the case you’ve read, or suggestions for other things we should check out? Feel free to send me an email!
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– Can have fatal consequences – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
