Differences in Paramedic Education by Student Demographics

Introduction—During paramedic training, students encounter multiple opportunities to perform psychomotor skills on actual patients under realistic conditions. In some cases, however, the student does not perform the skill, but rather simply observes a preceptor do so. This investigation examines whether student demographic variables influence psychomotor skill engagement during paramedic training.

Hypothesis—Demographic variables influence the performance of psychomotor skills during paramedic training.

Methods—This retrospective analysis utilized a 2x2x3 factorial design. We abstracted data from Fisdap, an online database for EMS and healthcare education, for student-patient encounters that occurred during a 39-month interval from November 2014 through January 2018. All students consented to the use of their data, and instructors verified accuracy. The dependent variable was skill engagement reported as performed or observed. The independent demographic variables were gender (male vs. female), ethnicity (Caucasian vs. non-Caucasian), and age measured in years (less than 23 vs. 23–39, vs. more than 39). We examined main effects and interaction effects for each variable.

Results—The analysis involved 4,967 students. The main effects of ethnicity and student age on skill engagement were not significant (p>0.50). Gender was the only independent variable to exert a main effect on skill engagement (p<0.05), with female students more likely to engage compared to male students. There were no significant interaction effects between independent variables.

Discussion—Gender, but not ethnicity or student age, exerted a main effect on skill engagement such that female students were more likely to engage by either performing or observing the skill during their paramedic training compared to male students. However, after deciding to engage in the skill, the student’s gender did not influence whether the student actually performed the skill or merely observed. It is encouraging to note training appears identical for students in terms of skill engagement regardless of gender, ethnicity, or age.