Yes / The infrequency of sudden deaths means that professionals have limited exposure, making it difficult to gain experience and feel confident in their role. This meta-synthesis aims to synthesise qualitative research on the experience of professionals responding to cases of sudden or unexpected death. A systematic literature search was conducted using Academic Search Complete, CINHAL, Embase, psycINFO, PubMed and Web of Science, identifying ten papers for inclusion. Studies were appraised and synthesized using the principles of meta‐synthesis. Four superordinate themes were identified: perceptions of role, experience on scene, approaches to coping, and barriers to support. Findings suggest the way responders perceive their role and their experience on scene affect the approach taken to tasks and coping strategies used. The complexity of experience is often not acknowledged by responders or their colleagues. Experiences are compounded by cumulative factors which were expressed by different professional groups and across settings. Several barriers relating to workforce culture within organisations were identified, alongside the implications these have on staff wellbeing and the impact on bereaved families.

Objectives Previous studies have illustrated pediatric knowledge deficits among Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers. The purpose of this study was to identify perspectives of a diverse group of EMS providers regarding pediatric prehospital care educational deficits and proposed methods of training improvements. Methods Purposive sampling was used to recruit EMS providers in diverse settings for study participation. Two separate focus groups of EMS providers (administrative and non-administrative personnel) were held in three locations (urban, suburban, and rural). A professional moderator facilitated focus group discussion using a guide developed by the study team. A grounded theory approach was used to analyze data. Results Forty-two participants provided data. Four major themes were identified: (1) suboptimal previous pediatric training and training gaps in continuing pediatric education; (2) opportunities for improved interactions with emergency department (ED) staff, including case-based feedback on patient care; (3) barriers to optimal pediatric prehospital care; and (4) proposed pediatric training improvements. Conclusion Focus groups identified four themes surrounding preparation of EMS personnel for providing care to pediatric patients. These themes can guide future educational interventions for EMS to improve pediatric prehospital care.

This thesis sought to understand reasons for noncompliant respondents and ineffective leadership in the National Incident Management System (NIMS) by Texas public safety training officers. Research has been conducted on the policies and their implications for NIMS, organizational culture and its impact on NIMS, and the hierarchy network of the Incident Command System (ICS). However, research evaluating the attitudes and perceptions regarding the effectiveness of NIMS is scarce. Training officers from rural fire departments, emergency medical services, and law enforcement agencies were the population for this study (n=33). The results of this study have implications for combined fire department, emergency medical services, and law enforcement training (interoperability), simplification of the management structure, and a mentoring program. This study should be explored further in an urban setting, based on this model. This study showed that respondents agreed that rural emergency responders tend to be noncompliant with NIMS. Respondents mentioned that rural emergency responders disagree with the effectiveness of NIMS. This study showed that a correlation occurred between the effectiveness of NIMS and the number of times a respondent was involved in a formal NIMS incident command. The following recommendations were made based on the findings and conclusions of this study. Researchers should continue to look at what public safety training officers believe affects the adaptability of NIMS. Training officers should consider contributing to the future NIMS curriculum. Training officers should focus on interoperability issues through increased field exercises. Research should be conducted to determine what improvements to curriculum effect future NIMS compliance. Further research should be conducted on the effectiveness of individual compliance, and achievement.

Le présent mémoire de maîtrise constitue une recherche qualitative qui porte sur le rôle des agents d’intervention œuvrant au sein des centres jeunesse, dans le processus de réadaptation des jeunes. Peu des études et chercheurs se sont consacrés au rôle des agents d’intervention. Pourtant ils travaillent quotidiennement auprès des jeunes placés en CJM-IU et collaborent avec les éducateurs. Les pages suivantes s’attardent au rôle de l’agent d’intervention ainsi qu’à la manière dont ce rôle est situé dans un contexte de centre de réadaptation comme le Centre jeunesse de Montréal – Institut universitaire (CJM-IU). Le rôle et les pratiques de l’agent d’intervention sont expliqués selon la perception des agents eux-mêmes, de jeunes et de chefs de permanence rencontrés. Ainsi, à la fin de ce mémoire de maîtrise, un portrait plus détaillé de l’agent d’intervention qui travaille auprès des adolescents de la Cité-Des-Prairies et du Mont St-Antoine est dressé. L’évolution du rôle et les pratiques du milieu sont également relatées afin de répondre aux objectifs de recherche. / This document is a qualitative research that focuses on the impact of emergency responders working in youth centres in the rehabilitation process of young people. This question stems from the fact that the practices of those responders are not always the same and the perceptions about these actors can be very different. Often, emergency responders are more important than we think for the youth they work with. The following pages will focus on their role and how that role plays out in a rehabilitation centre environment such as that of the Centre jeunesse de Montréal – Institut universitaire (CJM-IU). The emergency responder’s role and practices will be explained here through the perception of the responders themselves, as well as the perceptions of the youth and managers that we encountered. Thus, at the end of this master's thesis, it will be possible to draw up a more detailed picture of the emergency responder working with the Cité-Des-Prairies and Mont St-Antoine teenagers. The evolving role and the practices in this field are also presented in order to meet our research objectives.