Systematic Review of the Personality Profile of Paramedics: Bringing Evidence into Emergency Medical Personnel Recruitment Policy

Because emergency medicine is extremely demanding and challenging for emergency medical personnel (EMP), it is important that the personality traits of EMP be understood. Few studies have addressed the personality traits that EMP should possess. The aim of this study was to systematically review the personality traits of EMP to establish a profile that can help identify individuals whose personalities are suited to prehospital emergency occupations. Electronic databases, including MEDLINE, SCOPUS, CINAHL, and PsychINFO, with information accumulated from their conception to March 2015, were searched using the terms "personality," "trait," "rescue," "emergency," "medical," "services," "personnel," "paramedic," and "technician." The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Statement was followed in this review. Data extraction was performed by two authors who independently reviewed each article. Of 398 articles found, 27 were eligible for review. A total of 9,721 paramedics had participated in the selected studies. Nearly half of the studies were performed in the USA and Australia. The paramedics scored high in conscientiousness, sensation seeking, resiliency, and empathy but low in extroversion, neuroticism, and agreeableness. While high conscientiousness and low neuroticism could be assumed to be protective factors against post-traumatic stress disorder among EMP, certain personality traits, such as conscientiousness, put them at risk of burnout. The personality traits of paramedics need to be further investigated in terms of role model traits and performance indicators related to personality traits.