EMS Workforce Faces Burnout Crisis as Communication Training Gains Renewed Focus

Burnout emerges as top concern among EMS professionals, prompting leadership development programs to prioritize communication skills.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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A recent survey found that 76% of EMS professionals identified burnout as a critical issue, with 25% ranking it as their top concern. Factors contributing to burnout include inadequate staffing, limited leadership support, and poor communication. In response, the EMS Leadership Academy has released a free self-assessment tool and reintroduced its communications training program, recognizing that communication skills are an essential workforce strategy. The Academy is also launching an advanced communication course for supervisors and executives to help them navigate high-stakes conversations and build trust, accountability, and a positive culture within their teams.

Why it matters

EMS agencies are facing annual turnover rates of 20-30%, underscoring the need for effective leadership development to stabilize the workforce. Additionally, the data shows that ambulance reimbursement remains well below the cost of delivering care, highlighting the importance of EMS leaders communicating with their teams, elected officials, and the public to secure the necessary funding and investment to sustain the EMS workforce.

The details

The EMS1 What Paramedics Want in 2025 workforce survey found that 76% of respondents identified burnout as a critical issue, with 25% ranking it as their No. 1 concern. Contributors to burnout included inadequate staffing, limited leadership support, and poor communication, factors that respondents repeatedly linked to disengagement and intent to leave the profession. In response, the EMS Leadership Academy has released a free self-assessment tool for EMS professionals at all levels to help them improve their leadership self-awareness and reintroduced its long-running communications training under a new name: The Essential Communication Course. The Academy is also launching an Advanced Communication Course: The Language of Leadership, designed for supervisors, managers, and executives to help them recognize communication blind spots, regulate their response under pressure, and lead difficult conversations without escalating stress or disengagement.

  • The EMS1 What Paramedics Want in 2025 workforce survey was conducted in 2025.
  • The EMS Leadership Academy released its free self-assessment tool and reintroduced its communications training program in February 2026.
  • The Academy is launching its Advanced Communication Course: The Language of Leadership in February 2026.

The players

Robbie MacCue

A paramedic and co-founder of the EMS Leadership Academy.

EMS Leadership Academy

A national organization focused on developing strong, self-aware leaders in emergency medical services through practical, EMS-specific training grounded in emotional intelligence and communication science.

American Ambulance Association

An organization that conducted a workforce study in 2025 finding annual turnover rates of 20-30% among EMS agencies.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)

An agency that conducted a preliminary analysis of Medicare Ground Ambulance Cost Collection data, confirming that ambulance reimbursement remains well below the cost of delivering care.

MedPAC

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, which received the CMS analysis on ambulance reimbursement.

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What’s next

The EMS Leadership Academy's free self-assessment tool and new communication training programs are now available to EMS professionals and agencies nationwide.

The takeaway

Addressing the burnout crisis in the EMS workforce requires a multi-faceted approach, with a renewed focus on improving leadership communication skills and securing the necessary funding and investment to sustain the EMS system. By prioritizing these efforts, EMS agencies can improve retention, strengthen leadership at all levels, and build a more resilient and supported workforce.