Work-stress burnout in emergency medical technicians and the use of early recollections

Numerous studies have indicated the high work-stress burnout and attrition rate of emergency medical technicians. Of these studies, none have attempted to use projective techniques to predict work-stress burnout. Eight central themes of early recollections have been reported: getter, controller driver, pleaser, martyr/victim, "aginner," feeling avoider, and excitement seeker. This article discusses those early memories that are more representative of emergency medical technicians who may be susceptible to burnout, as well as other memories that may indicate an individual's resistance to burnout, and proposes research to substantiate the effectiveness of early recollections in predicting burnout in emergency medical technicians.