Emergency dispatchers face high levels of stress, yet little research exists on support mechanisms for their well-being. This study focuses on the utilization and perceived efficacy of peer support programs among this critical workforce.
Emergency dispatch personnel play a crucial role in emergency response systems by serving as the initial point of contact during crises. The high-stress environment they operate in, coupled with the demanding nature of their responsibilities, raises concerns about their psychological well-being.
The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine the effects of occupational identity on the psychological needs of emergency telecommunicators on and off the job, as well as to learn their recommendations for improvements which would strengthen psychological well-being both onsite and offsite.
High job demands in 9-1-1 centers mean high turnover which place 9-1-1 centers in an understaffed situation. Understanding the public safety telecommunicator perspectives that further describe the life-or-death protective nature of the work can lead to improved retention.
Emergency medical services require the accuracy of priority dispatching to optimize the match between patients' medical needs, prehospital resources, and maintaining patient safety. When ambulances are traveling with Lights/Sirens rather than with other vehicles' flow and speed on the road, they place themselves and the public at a higher risk. From 1992-2011, 58% of all injuries and fatalities in ambulances occurred when the ambulance was traveling with Lights/Sirens. EMS physician(s) are responsible for all aspects of the EMS system, including EMD protocols. This research aims to evaluate the sensitiv
Previously, researchers have identified barriers and facilitators to using 911 in Black and Hispanic communities. However, there are many other groups that have access to 911 service, who have not yet been represented in the literature. Prior to this study, a Community Engagement Studio (a focus group forum) was held to solicit input from representatives of various diverse communities in Salt Lake Valley on their attitudes, experiences, and perceptions of their local 911 services.
With the increased importance placed on cultivating a translational workforce, there has been demand for emergency dispatching professionals to be more involved in research activities intended to improve patient outcomes. Through interviewing emergency dispatch professionals who attended a research training program, this project sought to better understand how to create more effective research partnerships with practitioners interested in doing research relevant to their field...
Relatively few dispatch agencies using the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch protocol systems have achieved Accredited Center of Excellence (ACE) status. Despite ACE being the gold standard for implementation of these systems, no research exists about either barrier to ACE achievement or drivers of ACE success. s: The objectives of this study were to describe the barriers to achieving ACE and to identify characteristics that indicate success with respect to...
Several studies explore the link between emergency response work and compassion fatigue, burnout, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In each study, the connection between the challenging and traumatic nature of the workload and its effect on the responder are explored to explain certain behaviors, or changes. This study covers a different side of the impact of the work of emergency telecommunicators. Focused on the effects of the load brought home by telecommunicators, the study outlines perceived changes family members of telecommunicators notice during their tenure as...
Most United Kingdom (UK) ambulance services undertake remote clinical consultation of 999 emergency calls, often using computerised decision support systems, such as the Emergency Communication Nurse System (ECNS). In 2021 the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust implemented ECNS in a novel way. Both nurses and paramedics used the tool to assess the full range of Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System (AMPDS) codes and acuities. This study reports the ECNS outcomes of the full range of AMPDS codes, aiming to inform future discussion, protocol evolution, and clinical models internationally.