TY - JOUR
T1 - Volunteer responders' experience of attending a paediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Denmark
T2 - a qualitative study
AU - Kjærholm, Sofie Have
AU - Kragh, Astrid Rolin
AU - Juul Grabmayr, Anne
AU - Borch-Johnsen, Liv
AU - Folke, Fredrik
AU - Poulsen, Ingrid
AU - Malta Hansen, Carolina
AU - Guldager, Rikke
N1 - © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ Group.
PY - 2025/2/13
Y1 - 2025/2/13
N2 - OBJECTIVE: To explore the experiences of volunteer responders attending a paediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (POHCAs) in Denmark.DESIGN: This qualitative study used the Reflective Lifeworld Research theoretical framework. Data were generated through nine in-depth, in-person or virtual semistructured interviews conducted with volunteer responders.SETTING: The study was conducted in Denmark. We recruited volunteer responders from all of Denmark enrolled in the nationwide volunteer responder programme.PARTICIPANTS: Nine volunteer responders who were dispatched in response to a POHCA from 2020 to 2023 were included in the study.RESULTS: The experiences of attending a POHCA were categorised into three key themes: the mission, the situation and the aftermath. The mission refers to the altruistic drive of volunteer responders to contribute to life-saving efforts. The situation reflects the profound shock experienced when volunteer responders realise that the patient is a child, alongside their ability to act decisively and initiate cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the situation. The aftermath reveals the deep sense of fulfilment derived from being present and actively involved in attempting to save a child's life, as well as the various emotions and reactions that the volunteer responders process after the event.CONCLUSION: Attending a POHCA is a profoundly intense experience that can leave an emotional impact on the volunteer responders. On arriving at the location, despite the initial shock upon realising that the patient is a child, the volunteer responders engage in the resuscitation attempt and offer support to the child's family. However, alerting the volunteer responders beforehand that the patient is a child may help mitigate the initial shock. Volunteer responders find significant meaning in their roles and express a strong commitment to saving lives, irrespective of the age of those in need.
AB - OBJECTIVE: To explore the experiences of volunteer responders attending a paediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (POHCAs) in Denmark.DESIGN: This qualitative study used the Reflective Lifeworld Research theoretical framework. Data were generated through nine in-depth, in-person or virtual semistructured interviews conducted with volunteer responders.SETTING: The study was conducted in Denmark. We recruited volunteer responders from all of Denmark enrolled in the nationwide volunteer responder programme.PARTICIPANTS: Nine volunteer responders who were dispatched in response to a POHCA from 2020 to 2023 were included in the study.RESULTS: The experiences of attending a POHCA were categorised into three key themes: the mission, the situation and the aftermath. The mission refers to the altruistic drive of volunteer responders to contribute to life-saving efforts. The situation reflects the profound shock experienced when volunteer responders realise that the patient is a child, alongside their ability to act decisively and initiate cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the situation. The aftermath reveals the deep sense of fulfilment derived from being present and actively involved in attempting to save a child's life, as well as the various emotions and reactions that the volunteer responders process after the event.CONCLUSION: Attending a POHCA is a profoundly intense experience that can leave an emotional impact on the volunteer responders. On arriving at the location, despite the initial shock upon realising that the patient is a child, the volunteer responders engage in the resuscitation attempt and offer support to the child's family. However, alerting the volunteer responders beforehand that the patient is a child may help mitigate the initial shock. Volunteer responders find significant meaning in their roles and express a strong commitment to saving lives, irrespective of the age of those in need.
KW - Humans
KW - Denmark
KW - Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest/therapy
KW - Volunteers/psychology
KW - Qualitative Research
KW - Male
KW - Female
KW - Child
KW - Adult
KW - Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
KW - Interviews as Topic
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Emergency Responders/psychology
KW - Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
KW - QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
KW - Community child health
KW - Paediatric cardiology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85218122142&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-093913
DO - 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-093913
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 39947823
SN - 2044-6055
VL - 15
SP - e093913
JO - BMJ Open
JF - BMJ Open
IS - 2
M1 - e093913
ER -