Recognizing the exceptional, ignoring the everyday: a qualitative study of work recognition among paramedics

Abstract

The paramedic profession is undergoing a significant transformation driven by sociodemographic changes and evolving healthcare needs. As the profession shifts away from its historically transport-focused role toward more complex clinical, psychosocial and non-urgent transport, little is known about how organizations recognize these tasks. This study examines how paramedics perceive work recognition that manifests in their daily professional activities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-one paramedics from five prehospital organizations in Quebec, Canada. Data were analyzed using an abductive thematic approach to capture both concept-driven and emergent dimensions of recognition. Findings show that recognition is largely absent from daily interactions and centers almost exclusively on rare, life-saving events. This outcome-based focus reinforces the gap between Work-as-Imagined and Work-as-Done, leaving everyday clinical and psychosocial work invisible. Furthermore, the public celebration of heroic acts may inadvertently exacerbate their emotional burden by requiring paramedics to revisit traumatic events. These results highlight the need for recognition practices that better reflect the realities of paramedic work and acknowledge the full range of contributions that shape everyday practice.