Table 1.
Demographic details for quoted participants with examples of role identity dimensions.
| Pseudonym | Gender | Role Identity Dimensions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shawn | Man | Protector, Thrill Seeking, Caregiving, Capacity: “We do it because we want to be put on the spot (to) make a decision that makes the difference between life and death.” “I like the pressure. The more fucked up the call is, the calmer I get.” | Peer Supporter, Mid-Career |
| Elaine | Woman | Caregiver, Protector, Capacity: “(I’m) a stranger they can trust and rely on … (to) offer them help when they don’t think there’s any other way of getting out of whatever spot they’re in.” | Returning from Long-Term Disability Leave, Mid-Career |
| Meredith | Woman | Thrill Seeking, Caregiver: “I very quickly became bored of being a PCP … it didn’t really feel like I was helping as many people as I thought I was going to be … I need a much bigger high, like (calls) that would have excited me for a couple of days before, I’m over in, like, 10 minutes now.” | Acting Superintendent, Mid-Career |
| Johnathan | Man | Thrill Seeking, Caregiving, Capacity: “I’m resilient in the sense that 99% of this job doesn’t bother me. I’ve been in it long enough to realize you can’t fix everything, so you can’t let it bother you when it comes to calls.” “(Being a paramedic) is important because I know that I’m one of a few in the province that can do what I do (special operations). … those skills make me really happy.” | Special Operations, Mid-Career |
| John | Man | Duty, Thrill Seeking, Problem Solving: “I identified as a paramedic. It was that self sacrifice, serve the public before my needs that always came first.” “I’m a third generation paramedic.” “I think that’s the biggest question that drives paramedics is ‘why?’ Why is this patient the way they are now?” | Superintendent, Peer Supporter, Late-Career |
| David | Man | Protecting: “To help people, period. To be that safety net when everything else fails.” (On becoming a supervisor): “I came to the realization that now I’m responsible for not just the patient, myself, and my partner, but I’m responsible for all of these guys, these crews.” (Who do you turn to after a difficult call) “Myself. Everyone else has their own shit to deal with.” | Superintendent, Late-Career |
| Elizabeth | Woman | Caregiving, Protecting, Thrill Seeking: “Honestly, probably at the beginning, I would (have) said yeah, I’m frustrated (by non-urgent calls), but now it’s nice when you can just talk to somebody … It’s a lot of stress and pressure dealing with life and death all the time.” | Peer Supporter, Late-Career |
| Edward | Man | Thrill Seeking: “I think like anyone else, it was the expectation of, like, every call is going to be a ‘real’ call.” “There’s some VSAs (vital signs absent; cardiac arrest) that are almost boring ... you’re almost standing there with your hands in your pockets and you’re like ‘I am not stimulated at all’” | Special Operations, Mid-Career |
| Sophie | Woman | Thrill Seeking, Capacity: “I’ve found that I’ve had way more hot calls in (this service) than I had in (a service she worked in previously), so it was kind of resparked the job for me a little.” “I always knew that I was good at walking into a situation and controlling it, so it was kind of a cool niche, because I could do that when people are in crisis.” | Early Career |
| Catherine | Woman | Thrill Seeking, Problem Solving: “I probably thought it was a lot more dramatic than it actually is, you know, more high acuity.” “I always thought I would do something ‘sciency’” | Acting Superintendent, Mid-Career |
| Nadine | Woman | Caregiving, Protecting: “I wanted to be that person who took away the worry from people … We’re here, we’ll take care of it, you can just let it go. We’ve got this now” | Returning from Long-Term Disability Leave, Mid-Career |
| Jeremiah | Man | Caregiving, Capacity, Problem Solving: “I had worked for two or three years at the YMCA, and I’d responded to a whole bunch of medical emergencies, and I just felt a calmness about it, even with the minimal training I had. I felt like I was able to handle it.” “I’m just very curious.” | Peer Supporter, Mid-Career |
| Dean | Man | Problem Solving: “I’ve always had an interest in the science aspect. The science behind what breaks down, what works, how do you fix people, that sort of thing.” “I remember going through school and thinking’ wow, this isn’t cut and dry’, you really have to think this through and there’s a lot of judgement in it. Experience means a lot.” | Superintendent, Late-Career |
| Rowan | Man | Thrill-seeking, Problem Solving: “I’ve always liked hands on work. That’s why I like this job too; there’s a lot of skills that are hands-on. Assessing a patient is an actual skill, it’s not like I just look at somebody and know what’s wrong.” | Mid-Career |
| Seamas | Man | Thrill-Seeking, Problem Solving, Protecting: (On memorable moments) “Calls that fundamentally changed the way I practice. That my education, my background helped me figure out what was actually wrong with them. Feeling that you have an impact” (On expectations) “I thought I would be shot at more. I’ve been attacked a few times, but not nearly as dramatic as I would’ve hoped, but that being said, I found so much more beauty in the job. I didn’t appreciate how much thought went into paramedicine.” | Mid-Career |
Superintendent/Acting Superintendent = paramedic supervisor; Special Operations = specialized teams (e.g., tactical rescue).