An investigation of the relationships between Emergency Medical Technician's ratings of Emergency Medical Service (EMS) director's transformational leadership and job satisfaction in rural EMS environments.

摘要

Leadership is important in any profession especially in challenging professions such as Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and paramedics are the backbone of the EMS profession. EMS leadership must influence diverse personnel providing life-saving support for patients in stressful work environments. For example, many EMS organizations are either all volunteer or a combination of volunteer and low-paid professionals. The work-hours are usually long, patient care is challenging, much of the work is performed in a traumatic environment, and EMTs are routinely unappreciated by patients and other members of the medical profession. The focus of the study was EMS leadership. The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between Emergency Medical Technician's (EMTs), including paramedics, and their perceptions of director's transformational leadership style in six rural counties in South Central Texas. The study also examined job satisfaction. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) was used to measure transformational leadership. Job satisfaction was measured using the Job Descriptive Index (JDI) and Job in General (JIG) combination questionnaire. Study findings indicate there is a relationship between EMS director's transformational leadership and organizational satisfaction, effectiveness, and extra effort as perceived by EMTs and paramedics.