Date
12-4-2025
Department
School of Health Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences (PhD)
Chair
Keith Pelletier
Keywords
Cognitive Fatigue, EMS personnel, decision-making abilities
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
Recommended Citation
Bush, Charlotte L., "An Assessment of Cognitive Fatigue Among Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Professionals in the State of Georgia" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7720.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7720
Abstract
The purpose of this dissertation was to delve into the urgent and pervasive issue of cognitive fatigue in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel, a critical yet often overlooked aspect of healthcare delivery. EMS personnel operate in high-stress, unpredictable environments, frequently working long hours and overnight shifts, which can lead to significant fatigue. This study aimed to identify the primary causes of cognitive fatigue in this population, examine its impact on decision-making abilities and patient care outcomes, and evaluate the effectiveness of current fatigue management strategies. The research employed a comprehensive mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative data from surveys and qualitative data from semi-structed interviews. The findings of this research are expected to significantly contribute to a deeper understanding of cognitive fatigue in EMS personnel, its implications for healthcare delivery, and the development of effective strategies to mitigate its effects. The study underscores the importance of addressing cognitive fatigue in EMS personnel as a matter of occupational health and safety and as a factor in the quality of patient care. This research is significant as it contributes to the academic discourse on fatigue in healthcare professionals and provides practical, actionable recommendations for EMS organizations, policy-makers, and practitioners to improve working conditions and patient care outcomes.
