As ambulance staff, are there any risks that critical incidents may be experienced as traumatic and affect the individual negatively? What the outcome will be for those affected depends on how well prepared the ambulance staff is. Research shows that peer support is an important feature to reduce the risk of the caregiver to suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder and how the continued careing becomes. The first support, however, is the most important thing when a carer experiences a critical incident. The aim of this study was to identify how ambulance staff experiences peer support. The methodology of the study was a triangulation, which means that quantitative and qualitative methods are mixed. This methodology makes it possible to study the subject as deeply as possible and still maintain a high validity and reliability. A questionnaire was designd and sent out to the informants. There were 169 persons who were asked to participate. The survery was voluntary and anonymous. A total number of 100 carers with different job titles chose to participate.

A majority of the ambulance staff said that they had experienced a critical incident that influenced them at work. The results show that peer support is important to most people and that a majority of those affected chose to talk to their colleague in connection with the incident. When peer support was not used this had to do with personal chemistry and/or that it was not considered necessary. The results show that it would be desirable if a professional kept regular monitoring or reflection with those affected by a critical incident. Not a colleague since personal chemistry may lead to unsatisfactory results.