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S S Landis

Publications and source records attributed to S S Landis.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1989

A comparison of four methods of testing emergency medical technician triage skills.

Triage skills are requisite for all providers of prehospital care. Methods of assessing the acquisition of triage skills vary in complexity and expense. In this study, 61 prehospital care providers classified 20 cases, divided into four groups of five cases each: moulaged live trauma victims, nonmoulaged live trauma victims, nonmoulaged manikin trauma victims, and written scenarios. The providers were asked to classify the cases in each group by assigning triage tags to indicate injury severity and to rank the trauma victims in each group according to the urgency of care required. Analysis of variance revealed statistically significant differences among the four methods in both mean tagging scores (F3,235 = 8.63, P less than .0001) and mean ranking scores (F3,232 = 6.09, P less than .001). Multiple comparisons using Scheffe's test revealed that the mean tagging and ranking scores for moulaged live victims and written scenario methods were comparable and that both were significantly superior to the scores of the two other methods. However, a qualitative evaluation revealed that the providers greatly preferred triage of moulaged live victims to the other three methods.

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PubMed1988

Organizational characteristics, occupational stress, and depression in rural emergency medical technicians.

A model of organizational characteristics, occupational stress and mental health in emergency medical technicians (EMTs) is developed and tested. Supervisor behavior and work group support are used as predictors of negative role perception. Negative role perception is specified as intervening between the organizational variables and occupational stress. Occupational stress is hypothesized to directly influence depression. Data collected from 250 EMTs is used in a structural equation analysis to estimate model parameters. The sample is mostly male (74%), white (94%), and married (68%). Results suggest that there is a direct relationship between perceived occupational stress and increased depression. Role perception is a critical intervening variable between supervisor behavior, work group support, and occupational stress. The findings suggest that EMTs are more satisfied when supervisory practices result in an environment which encourages open expression and group problem solving. This work environment leads to more supportive relationships among squad members, reduced role ambiguity, and decreased occupational stress and depression.

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PubMed1987

A required, combined ACLS/ATLS provider course for senior medical students at East Carolina University.

A course that combines advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) training with advanced trauma life support (ATLS) training for senior medical students was evaluated for its ability to integrate concepts of students' prior clinical experience and to stimulate achievement of provider certification. Since initiation of this program in 1982, students have uniformly praised the combined ACLS/ATLS provider course in anonymous, post-course evaluations. The experience was judged to integrate significantly concepts and principles acquired in students' previous 18 months of clinical training. The opportunity to apply these concepts in unique and challenging clinical simulations was noted by students. Evaluation of pretest and post-test data for the class of 1984 (n = 39) using a t test for matched pairs indicates a significant improvement in post-test examination performance (P less than .001). These data are supported by skills stations testing and achievement of provider certification. Ninety-five percent of student participants achieved provider certification in ACLS; 92% achieved provider certification in ATLS.

Certification↗
PubMed1987

Specific occupational satisfaction and stresses that differentiate paid and volunteer EMTs.

A survey completed by 265 emergency medical technicians (EMTs) who provide emergency prehospital care in a rural area included a stress inventory for health professionals and a job satisfaction scale. Logistic regression indicated that the 118 paid EMTs were more likely to be dissatisfied with the freedom they have on the job than were the 147 volunteer EMTs. Paid EMTs also are less likely to be satisfied with the recognition they receive and more likely to cite work interference with family life and perceptions that others are trying to take advantage of them as sources of stress. Volunteer EMTs are more likely to be dissatisfied with the way their days off work are scheduled and to report stress attributable to work responsibilities different from those they had anticipated. Additional information about the demographic characteristics of EMTs from a rural area is provided.

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