Advances in Medical Education and Practice (Feb 2022)
Saudi Arabian Community Perceptions on Saudi Female Paramedics: A Cross-Sectional Study
Abstract
Abdullah Mohammed Alobaid,1,2 Abdulmajeed Mobrad,3 Cameron Gosling,2 Lisa McKenna,4 Brett Williams2 1Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz College for Emergency Medical Services, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Paramedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; 3Department of Emergency Medical Services, Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz College for Emergency Medical Services, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 4La Trobe University, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Melbourne, Victoria, AustraliaCorrespondence: Abdullah Mohammed AlobaidPrince Sultan bin Abdulaziz College for Emergency Medical Services, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Tel +966533336396, Email [email protected]: Although emergency medical services (EMS) stakeholders acknowledge the need for both male and female paramedics in the EMS field, the Saudi EMS system is currently only staffed by male paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) working in EMS organisations.Aim: To understand and explore the Saudi Arabian community’s perceptions on engaging Saudi female paramedics in the EMS workforce.Material and Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey design using convenience sampling of the public in Riyadh city by self-administered English and Arabic language questionnaires. Questionnaire validity was assessed by face and content validity.Results: Of the 3603 surveys distributed, 3132 were returned (87% completion response rate). Most respondents were aged between 18 and 29 years (n = 1308, 41%), and the sex distribution was (n = 1646, 52.6%) male and (n = 1486, 47.4%) female. Overall, 77% (n = 2412) of the respondents supported the need for female paramedics in Saudi Arabian ambulance services, and 74.8% (n = 2343) preferred that female paramedics treated female patients.Conclusion: This is the first public study to explore Saudi public perceptions about female paramedics in EMS in the Riyadh region, Saudi Arabia. The Saudi public is supportive of female paramedics being employed as paramedics in the country. Moreover, significant differences in perceptions were evidenced in the sex groups over any other factors.Keywords: emergency medical services, female, paramedic, public perception, Saudi Arabia
