There is no standardized test to control the appropriate physical ability in the Swedish ambulance service. The county in question does not perform annual physical tests. A project has been going to develop science-based physical tests, designed for the ambulance service. The research has resulted in the Aasa-test.Objective: The aims of this study were to examine the ambulance staff perception of the Aasa-test relevance, introduction of annual tests and the importance of their own physical training in relation to ambulance work.Method: A quasi-experimental study with a comparative design has been conducted. Aasa-tests were conducted in 41 randomly selected staff at an ambulance station in central Sweden.

Background:There are approximately 45 000 people in the ages over 65 years dies outside the health facilities of the hospitals in Sweden in every year. Previous research has shown lacking knowledge in taking care of the next of kin during and after a sudden death. However, conducted research has emphasized that ambulance nurses often are the next of kin?s first contact with the health care system during sudden death at home. Research has also shown that the mourning of the next of kin is affected by the ambulance nurses? way of announcing the next of kin when someone close dies.

The purpose of this study was to explore nurses' experiences of obstructed airways in the prehospital work.A qualitative interview study with a descriptive and explorative design was used. The sample consisted of nine registered nurses whereof three were women and six were men, with or without further education and varying length of experience in the ambulance service.Prehospital personnel builds up a vast plan of action based on the emergency information provided by SOS. Simple methods for managing obstructed airways were stated often enough. Problems with obstructed airways are considered so unusual that it never becomes a routine. Several factors affect the identification and managing of obstructed airways, both external factors and the different patient categories are considered important.

In my degree project I have focused on how to make it easier for ambulance personnel to remove a motorcycle helmet after an accident. During my research I have interviewed ambulance personnel from different cities and a trauma surgeon to get a better understanding of how they work today and the problems they experience. Some of the problem areas are that you need a lot of force to remove the helmet, that the padding catches the ears and that the chin guard catches the face. Since ambulance personnel always assume that there is a neck injury after an accident, all these problems make it difficult to remove the helmet safely.The result is a motorcycle helmet with a focus on safe removal after an accident, to reduce the risk of worsening a neck injury. The solution suggested is that a small part of the back of the helmet is detachable, to make the opening larger.

Bakgrund: De medicinska behandlingarna inom ambulanssjukvården har blivit mer avancerade vilket medför att risken för felbehandlingar ökar. Då det inte finns något fullt fungerande rutinmässigt system att följa upp patienter som vårdats i ambulansen ökar risken för att misstag upprepas.Syfte: Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka om ambulanspersonalen har behov av att få uppföljning av patienter de vårdat i ambulansen.Metod: Studien genomfördes som en kvantitativ tvärsnittsstudie med enkäter som datainsamlingsmetod. 76 av 150 enkäter besvarades.Resultat: Majoriteten av den tillfrågade ambulanspersonalen önskade få möjlighet till uppföljning, oavsett yrkeskategori eller antal år i yrket. Uppföljning önskades för att få veta om rätt medicinska insatser utförts och för att förbättra sin kompetens.Slutsats: Mer omfattande forskning behövs för att ytterligare belysa behovet av uppföljning hos ambulanspersonal och på sikt utveckla ett system för uppföljning.Nyckelord: ambulans, ambulanspersonal, ambulanssjukvårdare, enkät, kvantitativ, omvårdnad, uppföljning, sjuksköterska.Keywords: ambulance, ambulance staff, evaluation, nurse, nursing, paramedic, quantitative, questionnaire..

BackgroundHandover occurs as a daily task for health care professionals in all levels of care. Handover between ambulance crew and emergency department staff stands for the first exchange of information about a patient?s condition. Different factors may impact the handover communication and make it vulnerable.AimThe aim is to highlight factors of importance at handover between the ambulance and emergency room.MethodA literature review of thirteen studies with qualitative and quantitative research approach. The purpose of this literature review was to provide an overview of the area.ResultsExperiences for health care professionals is that communication is important for patient handover between ambulance and emergency department.

In my degree project I have focused on how to make it easier for ambulance personnel to remove a motorcycle helmet after an accident. During my research I have interviewed ambulance personnel from different cities and a trauma surgeon to get a better understanding of how they work today and the problems they experience. Some of the problem areas are that you need a lot of force to remove the helmet, that the padding catches the ears and that the chin guard catches the face. Since ambulance personnel always assume that there is a neck injury after an accident, all these problems make it difficult to remove the helmet safely.The result is a motorcycle helmet with a focus on safe removal after an accident, to reduce the risk of worsening a neck injury. The solution suggested is that a small part of the back of the helmet is detachable, to make the opening larger.

ABSTRACT Introduction: During the past 40 years the ambulance service in Sweden has evolved from mainly being a source of transport to today?s high-tech caring facilities that enable qualified care to start already in the patient?s home. This first level of care is now provided by registered nurses and registered nurses with specialist training in pre hospital care.At the same time as the care provided is becoming more advanced, results from studies demonstrate that the amount of dispatches to patients that lack the need for ambulance care and transport is increasing. Nurses in pre-hospital care possess the knowledge, training and authority to perform an initial assessment of patients and also treat patients according to local and national guidelines. After the treatment it would sometimes be possible for the patients to remain at home without having to use ambulance transport to an emergency department or in other cases find other means of transport to hospital.

Syfte: Syftet med denna litteraturöversikt var att beskriva vad som kännetecknar ett gott bemötande inom den prehospitala akutsjukvården och vilken betydelse bemötandet har för vården. Metod: Studien genomfördes som en litteraturöversikt och artiklar söktes via databaserna CINAHL och PubMed. De elva inkluderade artiklarna resulterade i kategorier och subkategorier som beskriver vad som är utmärkande för ett gott bemötande inom den prehospitala sjukvården och vilken betydelse det har för vården. Resultat: Resultatet visade att ambulanspersonalen ska anpassa kommunikationen efter patientens förutsättningar och de ska ha ett förhållningssätt som baseras på respekt, ödmjukhet och empati. En förutsättning för en god omvårdnad är att en omvårdnadsrelation, baserad på tillit och förtroende, upprättas.

When nursing human patients during hospitalization, the nurse is the one responsible. The nursing is controlled by different models of nursing and careplans, shaped by every patient?s individual needs. This is to guarantee the quality of the care. The veterinary nurse is not ultimately responsible for patient care.

Objective: To investigate the experiences of ambulance nurses when using Boussignac CPAPcompared to their previous model, and their suggestions for possible improvements in the use of CPAP in the care of patients with pulmonary oedema. Method: A qualitative study with a descriptive and exploratory approach. Data was collected through ten semi-structured interviews with ambulance nurses, seven men and three women. The analysis was conducted using Lundman and Graneheim?s content analysis.

Within the ambulance care in Uppsala County a vacuum splint is used to immobilize fractures on extremities. The research available on which method of immobilizing to prefer during pre-hospital treatment is limited. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the perceptions of the ambulance personal in Uppsala County on the issue of usability of SAM-splint and vacuum splint when immobilizing extremities. The project was also aimed at researching if SAM-splint could be seen as an alternative or a complement to vacuum splint, and to get an apprehension on any evident differences in patients? perceived pain when treated with the two different approaches. A descriptive comparative study was carried out. All patients, regardless of age and sex, with the need of immobilizing supposed fractures, were included.  Patients with suspected femur fracture, collum fracture, or where pre-hospital care was not possible or in question, was excluded.

The aim of the literature review was to investigate how relatives to a person suffering from dementia, in institution, experienced the nursing hom staff and the relation to them. The study was based on eight scientific articles. The result gave thirteen themes, that showed that relatives experienced the nursing home staff having a hard work under pressure. They were nice but without knowledge. The relatives experienced that the nursing home staff didn´t see or hear them and gave no confidence.

Within the ambulance care in Uppsala County a vacuum splint is used to immobilize fractures on extremities. The research available on which method of immobilizing to prefer during pre-hospital treatment is limited. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the perceptions of the ambulance personal in Uppsala County on the issue of usability of SAM-splint and vacuum splint when immobilizing extremities. The project was also aimed at researching if SAM-splint could be seen as an alternative or a complement to vacuum splint, and to get an apprehension on any evident differences in patients? perceived pain when treated with the two different approaches. A descriptive comparative study was carried out. All patients, regardless of age and sex, with the need of immobilizing supposed fractures, were included.  Patients with suspected femur fracture, collum fracture, or where pre-hospital care was not possible or in question, was excluded.

Abstract Background Todays guidelines for advanced CPR emphasize chest compressions with good quality and early defibrillation. Prehospital CPR performed by ambulance crew, an automated external defibrillator (AED) is used. The AED analyzes the heart rhythm and the performer is following the advice to chock the heart or not, given by the AED. During on-going CPR there are sequences when no chest compression is performed known as hands-off time. Hands-off time includes the time for the AED to analyze the heart rhythm and the time when advice is given to the crew.