Table 3 Themes, descriptions

Exposure to potentially traumatic events

The identified theme suggests that paramedic students may experience adverse impacts on their wellbeing due to possible traumatic events, which were related to (1) patients, (2) training, and (3) vulnerability.

1. Patients2.

participants from both cultures reported experiencing traumatic events related to patient care, including death, as well as patient age (e.g., paediatric patients) and experience level (e.g., first clinical case)0.4.

5. 2. Training

Various aspects of training were identified as contributing to adverse impacts on the paramedic students’ wellbeing. These included unsafe training environments and events that were deemed unsuitable for practice and training.

3. Vulnerability

Paramedic students identified events that made them feel vulnerable, including early training placements as first-year students and involvement in shift work.

Relationships and communication

The identified theme highlights the significance of relationships and communication between paramedic students, their teaching faculty, peers, family, and training proctors for the students’ mental wellbeing. It was described as an essential aspect of their lives.

1. Teaching faculty

The wellbeing of paramedic students was significantly influenced by faculty members, with the extent of the impact varying depending on the faculty member’s chosen role.

2. Peers and family

The support provided by peers and family is essential to the wellbeing of paramedic students.

3. Training proctors

Establishing effective communication and relationships with training proctors is crucial for supporting paramedic students’ professional competence and psychological wellbeing. While some proctors negatively impacted the students’ wellbeing, others played a role in identifying factors that negatively affected the students and improved their circumstances.

Programme atmosphere

The identified theme emphasizes the importance of the program atmosphere, with many participants reporting spending most of their time at their respective colleges. This highlighted two crucial components of the program: (1) college experience and (2) support.

1. College Experience

The identified subthemes recognize the diversity of tertiary academic programs in both countries, including differences in program structure, educational methods, and subject materials, particularly those related to mental health. Participants from both cultures shared their views on the paramedicine programs they enrolled in, highlighting various components that negatively impacted their wellbeing.

2. Support

The identified subthemes focus on the type and availability of support that paramedic students received, as well as instances where they felt unsupported.

Career

The identified theme explores the relationship between paramedic students and their specialty, emphasizing its importance for their wellbeing. This theme reveals two subthemes: (1) motivation to pursue paramedicine and (2) future career aspirations.

1. Motivation to join paramedicine

The identified subtheme sheds light on the participants’ motivations and reasons for choosing to pursue a career in paramedicine.

2. Future career predictions

The identified subtheme addresses the current challenges that paramedic students face and explores their predictions for their future careers.