Wired for the Job: ADHD, Mental Preparedness, Neurodiversity in EMS

What if the traits that make someone great at EMS are the same ones that make traditional classrooms feel challenging? In this episode, hosts Rob Lawrence, Hilary Gates, and Maia Dorsett sit down with Nicole Hansen, EdD, EMT-P, Long Island EMS Division Manager for NYU Langone to explore two of her recent publications. Nicole shares findings from her dissertation on mental preparedness in EMS, including why current curricula fall short and how the "wounded healer" theory might shape who enters EMS. The conversation then shifts to her latest research on ADHD prevalence among EMS clinicians. They discuss how neurodiverse learners are often misread as underperformers, the link between ADHD and PTSD risk, and — crucially — what EMS educators can do right now to redesign their classrooms to support every kind of brain.

Ginger Locke highlights the episode's key points with her "Mindset Minute."

Mentioned in the episode:

Self-Reported ADHD in a Convenience Sample of EMS Clinicians: https://internationaljournalofparamedicine.com/index.php/ijop/article/view/3601/3399

Perceptions of Mental Preparedness in EMS Students: https://scholarworks.ace.edu/items/88b8a3d3-f12e-466f-b048-d9d62bb7a5e2

How Learning Works: https://www.amazon.com/How-Learning-Works-Research-Based-Principles/dp/1119861691

Prehospital Care Research Forum (PCRF): https://www.cpc.mednet.ucla.edu/pcrf

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/

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