en Nursing Orginal research <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height:2;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="background:white"><span style="color:#2980b9;"><strong>Background:</strong></span><span style="color:#0f1115">&nbsp;Pre-hospital emergency medical services play a vital role in saving patients&#39; lives, and women&#39;s participation in this field is increasing; however, qualitative evidence regarding the lived experiences and occupational challenges of female emergency medical technicians (EMTs) in Iran remains limited.</span></span><br> <span style="background:white"><span style="color:#2980b9;"><strong>Objectives:</strong></span><span style="color:#0f1115">&nbsp;This study aimed to qualitatively explore these challenges, identify participant-proposed solutions, and develop a phased policy framework.</span></span><br> <span style="background:white"><span style="color:#2980b9;"><strong>Methods:</strong></span><span style="color:#0f1115">&nbsp;This conventional content analysis research involved 32 participants, who were purposively chosen from women in pre-hospital emergency operations across Iran between September and December 2024. Data collection was carried out through face-to-face, semi-structured, and in-depth interviews lasting between 30 and 60 minutes until data saturation was reached. The gathered data were analyzed following the methodology proposed by Graneheim and Lundman. Additionally, MAXQDA software version 2010 was utilized for data organization.</span></span><br> <span style="background:white"><span style="color:#2980b9;"><strong>Results:</strong>&nbsp;</span><span style="color:#0f1115">Analysis revealed three primary themes characterizing the occupational challenges of female EMTs: (1)&nbsp;Socio-cultural challenges,<b><span style="color:#0f1115"> </span></b>including fear of public non-acceptance, cultural sensitivities in patient care, lack of family acceptance, and issues with culturally appropriate uniforms; (2)&nbsp;Physical-Ergonomic challenges, primarily difficulties in moving patients and handling heavy equipment; and (3)&nbsp;Organizational-Supportive challenges, where job satisfaction was closely tied to the level of managerial support. Despite these challenges, participants reported positive public reception and strong collegial relationships.</span></span><br> <span style="background:white"><span style="color:#2980b9;"><strong>Conclusion:</strong></span><span style="color:#0f1115">&nbsp;Effective reform requires leveraging existing public legitimacy to enable institutional change. A phased strategy encompassing awareness initiatives, workplace adaptation, and inclusive infrastructure investment is essential for achieving a more equitable and effective pre-hospital emergency medical system.</span></span></span></span></span><br> &nbsp;</div> Emergency Medical Technicians, Women Working, Emergency Medical Services, Occupational Stress, Gender Equity 52 59 http://nmcjournal.zums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1068-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Fatemeh Sookhak Fatemeh.sookhak@gmail.com 100319475328460014788 100319475328460014788 No Department of Nursing, School of Nursing, Larestan University of Medical Sciences, Larestan, Iran Ali Asadi Aliasadi_2@yahoo.com 100319475328460014789 100319475328460014789 No Student research committee,Larestan university of medical sciences, Larestan,iran Negin Monjazeb neginmonjazeb6758@gmail.com 100319475328460014790 100319475328460014790 No Student research committee,Gerash university of medical sciences, Gerash,iran Nasim Safarpour nasiiim.safarpoor74@gmail.com 100319475328460014791 100319475328460014791 No Student research committee,Gerash university of medical sciences, Gerash,iran Mohammad Sina Sheikh ali Khani mssh8019@gmail.com 100319475328460014792 100319475328460014792 No Student research committee,Larestan university of medical sciences, Larestan,iran Mohammadreza Razavi mrerazavi@yahoo.com 100319475328460014793 100319475328460014793 No Department of Nursing, School of Nursing, Larestan University of Medical Sciences, Larestan, Iran Ali Mohammad Parviniannasab ali parviniyan@yahoo.com 100319475328460014794 100319475328460014794 No Department of Nursing, School of Nursing, Larestan University of Medical Sciences, Larestan, Iran Mohammad-Rafi Bazrafshan Seeder2007@gmail.com 100319475328460014795 100319475328460014795 Yes Department of Nursing, School of Nursing, Larestan University of Medical Sciences, Larestan, Iran