Female paramedics' attitudes towards career progression in the ambulance service

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dc.contributor.authorUlrich, Alexandra
dc.contributor.authorWilliams, Julia
dc.contributor.authorClarke, Vince
dc.date.accessioned2023-06-26T15:35:09Z
dc.date.available2023-06-26T15:35:09Z
dc.date.issued2023-06-02
dc.description.abstractBackground: Women’s historic under-representation in paramedic roles in the London Ambulance Service (LAS) has recently improved, and women and men are equally represented in paramedic roles. However, the gender balance of advanced paramedic practitioners in critical care in the LAS remains unequal, with women constituting only 15.1% of this group. Aims: This study aimed to gather the views of female paramedics to gain some insight into potential reasons for this under representation. Methods: A feminist pragmatic approach was taken. Qualitative, open-ended surveys were distributed via internal social media and bulletins. These surveys underwent primary thematic analysis to generate lines of enquiry that informed semi-structured interview questions. The questions were then posed to a maximum variation, purposeful sample of six women from the LAS. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed. Findings: Ninety-four women responded to the survey; six were sampled for interviews. The women varied by experience, clinical grade, age, work location and societal factors, including whether they were mothers and the number of children they had. A main overarching theme was ‘social construction of women and career progression within the ambulance service’. This was informed by three interrelated subthemes of ‘caregiving lifestyle’, ‘perceptions of self’ and ‘gender stereotypes’. Conclusion: Women in the ambulance service have unique challenges that mirror those in wider society. Social constructs may impose unconscious bias and pressures that prevent women from advancing. Organisational structures and the cultural norms of the LAS may require adapting to improve the gender balance of the workforce and therefore the service it delivers. Abstract published with permission
dc.identifier.citationUlrich, A. et al, 2023. Female paramedic’s attitudes towards career progression in the ambulance service. Journal of Paramedic Practice, 15 (6), 228-237.en_US
dc.identifier.doi10.12968/jpar.2023.15.6.228
dc.identifier.issn1759-1376
dc.identifier.issn2041-9457
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12417/1492
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.source.journaltitleJournal of Paramedic Practiceen_US
dc.subjectEmergency Medical Servicesen_US
dc.subjectWomenen_US
dc.subjectCritical Careen_US
dc.subjectEqualityen_US
dc.subjectGender Equityen_US
dc.titleFemale paramedics' attitudes towards career progression in the ambulance serviceen_US
dc.typeJournal Article/Review
dcterms.dateAccepted2023-06-18
dspace.entity.typePublication
html.description.abstractBackground: Women’s historic under-representation in paramedic roles in the London Ambulance Service (LAS) has recently improved, and women and men are equally represented in paramedic roles. However, the gender balance of advanced paramedic practitioners in critical care in the LAS remains unequal, with women constituting only 15.1% of this group. Aims: This study aimed to gather the views of female paramedics to gain some insight into potential reasons for this under representation. Methods: A feminist pragmatic approach was taken. Qualitative, open-ended surveys were distributed via internal social media and bulletins. These surveys underwent primary thematic analysis to generate lines of enquiry that informed semi-structured interview questions. The questions were then posed to a maximum variation, purposeful sample of six women from the LAS. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed. Findings: Ninety-four women responded to the survey; six were sampled for interviews. The women varied by experience, clinical grade, age, work location and societal factors, including whether they were mothers and the number of children they had. A main overarching theme was ‘social construction of women and career progression within the ambulance service’. This was informed by three interrelated subthemes of ‘caregiving lifestyle’, ‘perceptions of self’ and ‘gender stereotypes’. Conclusion: Women in the ambulance service have unique challenges that mirror those in wider society. Social constructs may impose unconscious bias and pressures that prevent women from advancing. Organisational structures and the cultural norms of the LAS may require adapting to improve the gender balance of the workforce and therefore the service it delivers. Abstract published with permissionen_US
refterms.dateFirstOnline2023-06-02
refterms.panelUnspecifieden_US
rioxxterms.licenseref.startdate2023-06-18
rioxxterms.licenseref.urihttp://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserveden_US
rioxxterms.typeJournal Article/Reviewen_US
rioxxterms.versionNAen_US
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