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Mental Health and Wellness

How Peer Support Can Save Your Career

Wednesday, October 26, 2022

08:30 – 09:30

Location: Room 119

CE: 1.0 credit - CAPCE; Nursing; ACHE

Main Presenter(s)

David Wuertz, MS, RN, CFRN, LP

Manager Peer Support and Wellness
PHI Airmedical
Holladay, Utah, United States

Co-Presenter(s)

Dylan Newsom, LP, FP-C, Peer Support Team Member

Flight Medic, Peer support Team Member
PHI Airmedical
Gatesville, Texas, United States

Mental health is an important issue in EMS. Research shows that first responders are at as much as 10 times greater risk of suicide than the general public. This session will explore the brain chemistry of stress, how stress effects memories and how, if unaddressed properly, that it can lead to PTSD. The design and implementation of a peer support program is described and a case study of the use of the team in a real world aviation incident is reviewed.

Learning Objectives:

Describe the relative risk of HEMS providers for mental health issues.
List the 4 types of stress and how memory is affected by fight/flight.
Describe the impact of peer support teams on reducing the impact of job related stress.