Burnout and Perceived Stress of Polish Emergency Call Takers and Dispatchers.

Marta Makara-Studzińska,Maciej Załuski,Katarzyna Adamczyk

doi:10.3390/ijerph181910206

Marta Makara-Studzińska, Maciej Załuski + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910206

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Abstract

A scientific research has demonstrated that emergency call operators face unique risks to job stress and burnout. It was hypothesized that perceived stress (demonstrated as resourcefulness–helplessness dimension) may mediate relationships between work environments and burnout taking into account the buffering effect of self-efficacy. The participants of the study were 546 emergency dispatchers and call-takers from 14 Polish public-safety answering points. The Link Burnout Questionnaire, the Perceived Stress Scale and the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale were employed. The method of path analysis was used and direct and indirect interactions between the variables were identified. Shorter work experience (fewer years on this specific job position) was associated with a higher level of burnout. The greater number of shifts per month was associated with a higher level of perceived stress (higher level of helplessness). Self-efficacy was combined with perceived stress by antagonistic relationships, but the assumed buffering effect on burnout was not confirmed. It was observed that engaging the resource of one’s own self-efficacy in professional work may lead to the loss of other personal resources, manifesting itself in the form of greater disappointment with the work performed.

Highlights

Emergency call-takers and dispatchers (ECDs) are a key component of emergency care.The work of a dispatcher consists of receiving emergency reports from callers, registering them in the ICT system, collecting information on the type of event, its place and the number of injured persons, and forwarding or redirecting the report to the appropriate dispatchers of rescue entities
The results show that the longer length of service of the emergency number operator significantly correlates with two aspects of occupational burnout-deterioration of interpersonal relations and disappointment in the work performed
The number of shifts per month significantly correlated with the level of perceived stress

Summary

Introduction

The work of a dispatcher consists of receiving emergency reports from callers, registering them in the ICT system, collecting information on the type of event, its place and the number of injured persons, and forwarding or redirecting the report to the appropriate dispatchers of rescue entities (medical rescue, fire service, police). One of the reasons is that work exposes the employee to a number of specific stressors [1]. They include high responsibility for the safety of individuals reporting the risk and for the health of the dispatched personnel. Research carried out in one of the American ECDs center showed that 42% of operators assess their work as “stressful and very stressful”, 47% “demanding” and 14% “extreme demanding”, regardless of gender and length of service [1]. Communication difficulties resulting from the mental state of the callers who often provide insufficient information are a source of considerable psychological burden

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