From Burnout to Flourishing: Rethinking Paramedic Wellbeing with Paige Mason

Today on the Pre-Hospital Care Podcast, we are joined by Paige Mason, MA, a researcher, paramedic, and educator whose work reframes how we think about wellbeing on the front line. In this episode, we unpack her work and what it means for individual paramedics, teams, and services striving to build resilient, healthy, and sustainable careers in pre-hospital care.Paige is a Primary Care Paramedic with the Ottawa Paramedic Service and a member of the McNally Project for Paramedicine Research, where she advocates for paramedic-driven inquiry.  She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology from Western University and completed her Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies at Royal Roads University, graduating with distinction for her thesis, Paramedic Flourishing at Work: A Way Forward. Her research explores what enables some paramedics to thrive in one of the most demanding health professions, shifting the focus from reducing burnout to understanding and fostering workplace flourishing. Paige’s interests span organisational culture, human factors, decision making, positive psychology, and appreciative inquiry in paramedicine. Paige's research can be found here: https://www.viurrspace.ca/server/api/core/bitstreams/90743451-ac36-4f85-963e-68fec5be594e/contentThis Podcast is sponsored by World Extreme Medicine.World Extreme Medicine provides internationally recognised education for clinicians and operators working in pre-hospital, remote, expedition, humanitarian, and high-risk environments. Their programmes focus on practical, experience-led learning, equipping professionals with the skills to make sound clinical and operational decisions when resources are limited, evacuation is delayed, and conditions are extreme.With courses covering expedition and wilderness medicine, hostile environments, dive medicine, human performance, leadership, and austere care, World Extreme Medicine brings together a global faculty with real-world experience from some of the most challenging settings on earth. To explore courses, free educational resources, and upcoming webinars, visit: ⁠www.worldextrememedicine.com

In The Physical Toll of High Adventure Healthcare, Kelly Wright examines the often-unacknowledged physical and psychological cost of working at the sharp edge of medicine. Drawing on experience from flight nursing and hospital-based practice, she describes how cumulative occupational stressors steadily erode clinician health, threatening both well-being and career longevity.Kelly outlines how healthcare professionals operating in aviation and other high-intensity clinical environments are exposed to a combination of environment-specific stressors, including continuous vibration, excessive noise, hypoxia, and confined workspaces that limit safe posture and movement. These factors do not exist in isolation but compound the routine demands of clinical work, accelerating musculoskeletal fatigue and long-term physical damage.Beyond these environmental challenges, the article highlights the mechanical strain common across much of healthcare practice. Repetitive lifting, manual handling, prolonged shifts, disrupted recovery, and sustained awkward postures are presented as everyday hazards that, over time, contribute to chronic injury, reduced physical capacity, and premature departure from clinical roles.Kelly also addresses the growing problem of workplace violence directed at healthcare professionals and its profound downstream effects. Physical injury, fear at work, emotional exhaustion, and burnout are described as interconnected outcomes that erode morale, professional identity, and the ability to sustain a long-term career. The article makes clear that physical harm and psychological injury are inseparable and must be addressed together.Protecting clinicians requires more than admiration for their resilience or heroism; it demands deliberate, systemic action. If healthcare systems wish to retain experienced, capable professionals, they must actively reduce preventable harm and invest in safer working environments for those who care for others at high personal cost. You can read the blog here: https://highadventurehealthcare.substack.com/p/the-physicality-of-healthcareThis episode is sponsored by PAX: The gold standard in emergency response bags.When you’re working under pressure, your kit needs to be dependable, tough, and intuitive. That’s exactly what you get with PAX. Every bag is handcrafted by expert tailors who understand the demands of pre-hospital care. From the high-tech, skin-friendly, and environmentally responsible materials to the cutting-edge welding process that reduces seams and makes cleaning easier, PAX puts performance first. They’ve partnered with 3M to perfect reflective surfaces for better visibility, and the bright grey interior makes finding gear fast and effortless, even in low light. With over 200 designs, PAX bags are made to suit your role, needs, and environment. And thanks to their modular system, many bags work seamlessly together, no matter the setup.PAX doesn’t chase trends. Their designs stay consistent, so once you know one, you know them all. And if your bag ever takes a beating? Their in-house repair team will bring it back to life.PAX – built to perform, made to last.Learn more at ⁠https://www.pax-bags.com/en/⁠

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest remains one of the most emotionally complex and ethically challenging events in pre-hospital care. Families can transition from normality to devastating loss within minutes, while clinicians must make rapid, high-stakes decisions that often leave a lasting emotional impact. Traditionally, EMS practice has centred on the moment of “termination of resuscitation”, a clinical decision that often results in abrupt death notifications and limited family involvement. But a growing body of work challenges this model, suggesting that it may unintentionally amplify trauma for both families and providers.In today’s episode, we’re joined by Dr Darren Braude, Paramedic, Director of the Centre for Prehospital Resuscitation and ECMO, Chief of the Division of Prehospital, Austere and Disaster Medicine. Dr Braude is one of the leading voices behind a powerful reframing: viewing the end of resuscitative efforts not as termination, but as the withdrawal of life support.Borrowing principles from ICU end-of-life care, this approach centres families, promotes clearer communication, and acknowledges that CPR and ventilation are themselves forms of life support. Today, we explore how this model can transform the way EMS navigates death, grief, and humanity in the field. You can read the article this interview is based on here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40928306/This episode is sponsored by PAX: The gold standard in emergency response bags.When you’re working under pressure, your kit needs to be dependable, tough, and intuitive. That’s exactly what you get with PAX. Every bag is handcrafted by expert tailors who understand the demands of pre-hospital care. From the high-tech, skin-friendly, and environmentally responsible materials to the cutting-edge welding process that reduces seams and makes cleaning easier, PAX puts performance first. They’ve partnered with 3M to perfect reflective surfaces for better visibility, and the bright grey interior makes finding gear fast and effortless, even in low light. With over 200 designs, PAX bags are made to suit your role, needs, and environment. And thanks to their modular system, many bags work seamlessly together, no matter the setup.PAX doesn’t chase trends. Their designs stay consistent, so once you know one, you know them all. And if your bag ever takes a beating? Their in-house repair team will bring it back to life.PAX – built to perform, made to last.Learn more at ⁠https://www.pax-bags.com/en/⁠

In this episode, Laura Hall reflects on a six-month journey as a volunteer with a Search and Rescue (SAR) team operating in a remote region of Colorado, offering listeners a grounded insight into the realities of wilderness emergency response. The discussion outlines the breadth of skills required to function effectively in SAR, from technical rope rescue and casualty care to drone operations, navigation, and complex inter-agency coordination.The conversation explores the intensity of training demands and the operational realities of callouts in challenging terrain, balancing professional competence with adaptability and teamwork. Beyond the technical elements, Laura highlights the strong sense of community that develops within volunteer SAR teams, where shared risk, service, and purpose foster deep local connections and lasting friendships.Practical safety considerations are also emphasised, particularly for those operating or recreating in the backcountry. Key takeaways include the importance of high-visibility clothing, robust personal protective equipment, and redundant communication systems to mitigate risk and improve survivability in austere environments.Ultimately, this episode functions both as a personal reflection on the value of volunteerism and as an honest guide to the operational, human, and safety realities of search and rescue work in wilderness settings. You can read the blog here: https://highadventurehealthcare.substack.com/p/six-months-of-sar⁠This episode is sponsored by PAX: The gold standard in emergency response bags.When you’re working under pressure, your kit needs to be dependable, tough, and intuitive. That’s exactly what you get with PAX. Every bag is handcrafted by expert tailors who understand the demands of pre-hospital care. From the high-tech, skin-friendly, and environmentally responsible materials to the cutting-edge welding process that reduces seams and makes cleaning easier, PAX puts performance first. They’ve partnered with 3M to perfect reflective surfaces for better visibility, and the bright grey interior makes finding gear fast and effortless, even in low light. With over 200 designs, PAX bags are made to suit your role, needs, and environment. And thanks to their modular system, many bags work seamlessly together, no matter the setup.PAX doesn’t chase trends. Their designs stay consistent, so once you know one, you know them all. And if your bag ever takes a beating? Their in-house repair team will bring it back to life.PAX – built to perform, made to last.Learn more at ⁠https://www.pax-bags.com/en/⁠

Professor David K. Menon joins us for an in-depth exploration of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). As the Founding Director of the Neurosciences Critical Care Unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Professor Menon has been instrumental in shaping modern understanding of TBI physiology, monitoring, and management.In this episode, we break down intracranial pressure physiology in a way that translates directly to roadside decision-making, examining how brain swelling, cerebral perfusion, and autoregulation respond to early interventions. We focus on hypotension and hypoxia, the two most powerful drivers of secondary brain injury, and why the pre-hospital phase represents a critical window to influence outcomes long before CT imaging or neurosurgical care.We also explore the evidence for pre-hospital hypertonic therapy, discussing when it may be beneficial, where its limitations lie, and how it should (and should not) fit into contemporary practice. Practical considerations around airway management and ventilation are covered, including CO₂ targets, RSI decision-making, and strategies to avoid iatrogenic harm.Finally, we look ahead to emerging research and evolving concepts in TBI care, new physiological insights, changing targets, and innovative approaches aimed at reducing secondary brain injury, highlighting what pre-hospital clinicians should be thinking about now and in the years to come.Relevant resources and research networks:TBI-Reporter: https://tbi-reporter.uk/CENTER-TBI (Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in TBI): https://www.center-tbi.eu/This episode is essential listening for anyone involved in pre-hospital, retrieval, or critical care treating patients with traumatic brain injury. You can see more from David here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PhIGMpEpGQThis episode is sponsored by PAX: The gold standard in emergency response bags.When you’re working under pressure, your kit needs to be dependable, tough, and intuitive. That’s exactly what you get with PAX. Every bag is handcrafted by expert tailors who understand the demands of pre-hospital care. From the high-tech, skin-friendly, and environmentally responsible materials to the cutting-edge welding process that reduces seams and makes cleaning easier, PAX puts performance first. They’ve partnered with 3M to perfect reflective surfaces for better visibility, and the bright grey interior makes finding gear fast and effortless, even in low light. With over 200 designs, PAX bags are made to suit your role, needs, and environment. And thanks to their modular system, many bags work seamlessly together, no matter the setup.PAX doesn’t chase trends. Their designs stay consistent, so once you know one, you know them all. And if your bag ever takes a beating? Their in-house repair team will bring it back to life.PAX – built to perform, made to last.Learn more at ⁠https://www.pax-bags.com/en/⁠

In this episode, Laura Hall addresses the often-overlooked impact of secondary trauma on emergency responders and healthcare professionals, emphasising the need for meaningful mental health support and long-term resilience. Drawing on personal experience, the discussion challenges the effectiveness of traditional debriefing models, highlighting how well-intentioned but poorly designed institutional processes can fail staff working in chronically high-stress environments.The conversation explores the consequences of this gap in support, including burnout, moral injury, and workforce attrition. To counter these trends, Laura introduces practical, accessible frameworks such as the Stress Continuum and the 3-3-3 Protocol. These tools provide clinicians with a shared language and structure to recognise early warning signs of psychological strain and to intervene before distress escalates.A key theme is the concept of making green choices, small, proactive decisions that support recovery, regulation, and psychological safety following traumatic incidents. Rather than relying solely on post-incident interventions, the emphasis is on ongoing self-monitoring, peer support, and normalising conversations about mental wellbeing.Ultimately, this episode calls for a cultural shift within organisations: from reactive, checkbox approaches to mental health, towards environments that prioritise emotional safety, mutual care, and staff retention through structured, evidence-informed support systems. You can read the blog here: https://highadventurehealthcare.substack.com/p/building-resiliency-in-respondersThis Podcast is sponsored by World Extreme Medicine.World Extreme Medicine provides internationally recognised education for clinicians and operators working in pre-hospital, remote, expedition, humanitarian, and high-risk environments. Their programmes focus on practical, experience-led learning, equipping professionals with the skills to make sound clinical and operational decisions when resources are limited, evacuation is delayed, and conditions are extreme.With courses covering expedition and wilderness medicine, hostile environments, dive medicine, human performance, leadership, and austere care, World Extreme Medicine brings together a global faculty with real-world experience from some of the most challenging settings on earth. To explore courses, free educational resources, and upcoming webinars, visit: ⁠www.worldextrememedicine.com

In this episode, Alec Wilding is joined by Nikki Hewitt, a clinician who has been among the first Paramedics in the United Kingdom to deliver pre-hospital ECMO as part of London’s Air Ambulance (LAA), Endovascular Cardiac Arrest Team, known as ECAT. This represents one of the most significant steps forward in resuscitation science within the pre-hospital environment, and Nikki has been at the centre of that evolution.During the conversation, Nikki guides us through the evidence base underpinning ECPR, exploring what we currently know, what remains uncertain, and how ongoing research continues to shape clinical decision-making. She also takes us inside the operational structure of the ECAT model, how the team was established, what it takes to deliver ECMO in the field, and the training, skill sets, and logistics required to make it viable outside the hospital walls.Nikki also shares her perspective on where ECPR is heading: The challenges, the opportunities, and what the future of advanced pre-hospital cardiac arrest care may look like as technology, capability, and evidence continue to advance. It is a fascinating area of practice, and Nikki brings frontline insight, experience, and clarity to a topic that is reshaping the conversation around survivability in cardiac arrest.This Podcast is sponsored by World Extreme Medicine.World Extreme Medicine provides internationally recognised education for clinicians and operators working in pre-hospital, remote, expedition, humanitarian, and high-risk environments. Their programmes focus on practical, experience-led learning, equipping professionals with the skills to make sound clinical and operational decisions when resources are limited, evacuation is delayed, and conditions are extreme.With courses covering expedition and wilderness medicine, hostile environments, dive medicine, human performance, leadership, and austere care, World Extreme Medicine brings together a global faculty with real-world experience from some of the most challenging settings on earth. To explore courses, free educational resources, and upcoming webinars, visit: ⁠www.worldextrememedicine.com

In this episode, Alec Wilding is joined by Nikki Hewitt, a clinician who has been among the first Paramedics in the United Kingdom to deliver pre-hospital ECMO as part of London’s Air Ambulance (LAA), Endovascular Cardiac Arrest Team, known as ECAT. This represents one of the most significant steps forward in resuscitation science within the pre-hospital environment, and Nikki has been at the centre of that evolution. During the conversation, Nikki guides us through the evidence base underpinning ECPR, exploring what we currently know, what remains uncertain, and how ongoing research continues to shape clinical decision-making. She also takes us inside the operational structure of the ECAT model, how the team was established, what it takes to deliver ECMO in the field, and the training, skill sets, and logistics required to make it viable outside the hospital walls. Nikki also shares her perspective on where ECPR is heading: The challenges, the opportunities, and what the future of advanced pre-hospital cardiac arrest care may look like as technology, capability, and evidence continue to advance. It is a fascinating area of practice, and Nikki brings frontline insight, experience, and clarity to a topic that is reshaping the conversation around survivability in cardiac arrest.This Podcast is sponsored by World Extreme Medicine.World Extreme Medicine provides internationally recognised education for clinicians and operators working in pre-hospital, remote, expedition, humanitarian, and high-risk environments. Their programmes focus on practical, experience-led learning, equipping professionals with the skills to make sound clinical and operational decisions when resources are limited, evacuation is delayed, and conditions are extreme.With courses covering expedition and wilderness medicine, hostile environments, dive medicine, human performance, leadership, and austere care, World Extreme Medicine brings together a global faculty with real-world experience from some of the most challenging settings on earth. To explore courses, free educational resources, and upcoming webinars, visit: ⁠www.worldextrememedicine.com

In the final episode of our three-part series marking the anniversary of the 7/7 London bombings, we hear from paramedic Sam Sinclair, who was deployed to Tavistock Square following the fourth and final explosion. This episode brings the series to a close by focusing on the realities of frontline decision-making at a major incident scene and the lasting impact such experiences have.Sam recounts arriving at a scene of profound devastation, rapidly assessing risk, and making critical, time-pressured decisions in an environment defined by uncertainty and loss. In conversation, he reflects on the lessons 7/7 taught him about teamwork, professional instinct, and leadership under pressure, as well as how to carry the emotional and psychological weight of a major incident across a sustained career in emergency medicine.Content Warning: This episode contains detailed and graphic descriptions of traumatic injuries, death, and first-person reflections on the 7/7 bombings. Listener discretion is strongly advised. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the individual speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions of any affiliated organizations, employers, professional bodies, or regulatory authorities.The content discussed is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice, clinical guidance, or a substitute for formal training, local protocols, or independent clinical judgment.Clinical decisions should always be made in accordance with current evidence, local guidelines, the scope of practice, and consultation with appropriately qualified healthcare professionals. Listeners are responsible for ensuring that any application of information discussed is appropriate to their own clinical context.

In this episode of the Pre-Hospital Care Podcast, we’re joined by Dr Ron Daniels BEM, one of the most influential voices in the global fight against sepsis. Ron is an NHS Consultant in Intensive Care in Birmingham, the Executive Director of the UK Sepsis Trust, and a key member of the Executive Board of the Global Sepsis Alliance. His work has played a central role in shaping national and international policy, including the WHO’s landmark 2017 Resolution on Sepsis.Ron’s passion lies in translational medicine, turning evidence into practical actions that save lives. He led the team behind the Sepsis 6, a pathway that has transformed early recognition and treatment across the UK. Thanks to these efforts, more than 80% of patients with suspected sepsis in England now receive timely antimicrobials. Yet challenges remain: striking a balance with antimicrobial stewardship, navigating the intricacies of early shock physiology, and recognising that sepsis in the field is often subtle, evolving, and easily missed.In this conversation, we’ll explore how pre-hospital teams can recognise sepsis earlier, act decisively, and integrateseamlessly into wider systems of care. From red flags to real-world barriers, from fluids to future pathways, this episode is packed with essential insights for frontline clinicians.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the individual speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions of any affiliated organisations, employers, professional bodies, or regulatory authorities.The content discussed is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice, clinical guidance, or a substitute for formal training, local protocols, or independent clinical judgment.Clinical decisions should always be made in accordance with current evidence, local guidelines, scope of practice, and consultation with appropriately qualified healthcare professionals. Listeners are responsible for ensuring that any application of information discussed is appropriate to their own clinical context.This Podcast is sponsored by World Extreme Medicine.World Extreme Medicine provides internationally recognised education for clinicians and operators working in pre-hospital, remote, expedition, humanitarian, and high-risk environments. Their programmes focus on practical, experience-led learning, equipping professionals with the skills to make sound clinical and operational decisions when resources are limited, evacuation is delayed, and conditions are extreme.With courses covering expedition and wilderness medicine, hostile environments, dive medicine, human performance, leadership, and austere care, World Extreme Medicine brings together a global faculty with real-world experience from some of the most challenging settings on earth. To explore courses, free educational resources, and upcoming webinars, visit: ⁠www.worldextrememedicine.com