Archetypal meanings of being a paramedic: A hermeneutic review

Abstract

Background: Interpretations of being a paramedic are normally unspoken in the literature and easily overlooked in the busyness of everyday work. The premise of this study was to explicate historical and cultural archetypes of the paramedic from within relevant literature.

Methods: A hermeneutic review was conducted to explore meanings associated with being a paramedic. This was a novel approach to exploring meanings of being and provided a rich depiction of the cultural and historical nuances inherent in paramedic work.

Results: Six paramedic archetypes were identified and related broadly to the principles of service, care and stoicism. These archetypes provided glimpses of how the paramedic is theorised both within and external to the profession, as well as gaps related to how the phenomenon of being a paramedic is experienced amid everyday practice situations.

Conclusion: Historical archetypes of the paramedic need to be recognised by paramedics as important in shaping the inherited cultural meanings of the work they do. However, due to the limited ability of fixed archetypes to capture the dynamic meanings of being a paramedic further research is required to understand how paramedics experience their caring work as meaningful across diverse contexts.

Keywords: Culture; Emergency medical services; Health; Identity; Paramedic; Prehospital.