Having oneself as a stake- a qualitative study on Work-related psychosocial health among emergency call centre...

Although emergency call centre operators are not physically present at the scene of emergencies, they are still significantly impacted by these events. They are exposed to distressed individuals who express feelings of fear, desperation, and helplessness. Emergency call centre operators must endure this emotional exposure while simultaneously collecting crucial information from callers, relaying this information to responding units, and potentially instructing callers in critical first aid.

Limited research exists on the work environment and health conditions of emergency call centre operators. The motive of this study is to enhance understanding of the work environment and challenges faced by emergency call operators. The findings are relevant for employers and other professionals within the emergency care chain.

This study aims to describe the experiences of work-related psychosocial health among emergency call centre operators.

This study employed a qualitative approach, with data collected through 16 semi-structured interviews. The analysis was conducted using qualitative content analysis.

The analysis revealed one main theme, four themes, and 12 subthemes. The main theme was "Having oneself as a stake," built on the themes "Facing challenges," "Being affected as a person," "Feeling ignored by organisational conditions," and "Drawing strength from rewarding conditions."

The workplace environment of emergency call centre operators can have a negative impact on their psychosocial health. This can lead to decreased quality of emergency call responses and less accurate assessments of critical situations. Further research is needed to identify improvements in operational conditions for emergency call centre operators and establish goals for enhancing work-related health.