Between Space and Place: Exploring Scenes of Pre-Hospital Emergency Medical Care

Background: Current scholarship regarding space and place has largely neglected emergency medicine in pre-hospital contexts. The process through which paramedics operate within between spaces is an unexplored concept, and one that has the potential to impact applied pre-hospital practice. Question: How do paramedics practice across unpredictable spaces? Theoretical Orientation: This study will be conducted as a clinical ethnography, applying Foucauldian and Spatial Practice theory towards the analysis of space. Methods: This study will be conducted through (1) participant observation of paramedic practice, (2) semi-formal interviews with paramedics while on shift, in specific and limited contexts, and (3) in depth debriefing interviews following initial observation and preliminary analysis. Significance: The proposed research will be the first to explore the concept of space in paramedic contexts, and represents a unique investigation of the use of space in emergency contexts.