Navigating Collective Trauma: NHS Ambulance Teams in the COVID-19 Crisis with Jo Mildenhall

Today, we explore the collective experience of trauma among NHS
ambulance personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period that
tested the resilience and identity of clinicians like never
before.


In the episode, we’ll uncover the inspirations behind this
research, examining how social identity processes provide a
profound lens to understand how ambulance teams navigate trauma.
Our guest will walk us through their methodology, highlighting
the value of a longitudinal qualitative approach and the unique
hurdles of conducting research during a global crisis.


Jo guides us through her methodology, highlighting the importance
of longitudinal qualitative approaches and the challenges of
conducting research amid a global crisis. We unpack how group
membership shaped emotional and behavioural responses during the
pandemic, revealing the cultural forces at play within NHS
ambulance services and how these dynamics contributed to
collective resilience.


We also explore the long-term psychological impact of the
pandemic, comparing individual and team-based coping strategies,
and discuss what this tells us about building solidarity under
extreme strain.


Finally, Jo shares practical, evidence-based strategies for
leaders in emergency services to foster resilience, mitigate
trauma, and apply these learnings to other high-stakes
professions.


Dr. Jo Mildenhall is a paramedic with over 20 years of experience
in operational and leadership roles within ambulance services.
She holds a master’s degree in Occupational Trauma Psychology
from the University of Nottingham and earned her Doctorate from
the University of York, focusing on trauma experienced by NHS
ambulance staff during the pandemic. Jo is the National Paramedic
Mental Health & Wellbeing Lead for the College of Paramedics
and was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 2019 to study paramedic
mental health initiatives in Australasia. You can access Jo's
research here: https://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/35774/