The Preparedness of Emergency Medical Services Students for Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Cross-Sectional Study among Paramedic Students

Emergency medical services providers, including emergency medical services students are among healthcare professionals on the front line to fight coronavirus disease 2019 and are under a greater risk of exposure. Preparing emergency medical services students to safely provide healthcare during the pandemic is vital. Therefore, this study assesses the emergency medical services student's preparedness for coronavirus disease 2019 in Saudi Arabia. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted. This study was conducted at Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz College for Emergency Medical Services in King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In this study, 198 students participated. The emergency medical services students thought they are insufficiently prepared to face situations, such coronavirus disease 2019 (2.50 +/- 1.57). Regarding knowledge, the emergency medical services students thought that they are insufficiently prepared for coronavirus disease 2019. The emergency medical services students thought that they are insufficiently contributing to local or national-level efforts associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (2.40 +/- 1.34). Among the emergency medical services students, 83 % (n=132) presented a feeling that they were not satisfactorily equipped to counter coronavirus disease 2019 situation. Furthermore, 87 % (n=138) of the emergency medical services students thought that embedding coronavirus disease 2019 related topics in the emergency medical services curriculum and theory and practical training would help prepare them. The emergency medical services students have moderately inadequate knowledge and skills related to coronavirus disease 2019. Moreover, they indicated that they are uncertain about their ability to respond adequately to, or participate satisfactorily in, pandemic-related events. The emergency medical services students have expressed the need for more knowledge and skills related to coronavirus disease 2019 to be embedded in the emergency medical services program curriculum.

Automated summary

Emergency medical services students in Saudi Arabia feel inadequately prepared to face situations like the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak. They express the need for more training on pandemic-related knowledge and skills.