title: Challenges ahead of emergency medical technician graduates in the workplace in Iran: a qualitative study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) in Iran enter the workplace after a short academic education. Their workplace has high emotional fluctuations and imposes high pressure. The aim of this study was to assess the challenges faced by EMT graduates in Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  This applied study was conducted using qualitative content analysis. Twelve paramedics and graduates with 2 to 3 years of service were interviewed and their responses were analyzed by content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Findings were presented in five themes: organizational pressure, educational style, professional communication, emotional load, and misunderstanding of others.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Several problems confront EMTs in Iran. Educators and educational planners in this discipline could help resolve these problems by revising problematic points in the education and management of EMT graduates and by revising educational methods and human resource management to provide better services and save lives.
authors.affiliation: Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad, Iran. mostafarad633@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heydari
authors.forename: Mojtaba
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rad
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Ghasemi
authors.forename: Marzie Torkmannejad
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Sabzevari
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rad
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004634:Emergency Medical Technicians / Q000193:education* / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007492:Iran; D011361:Professional Competence; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*