The use and effectiveness of the tools designed to reduce emergency medical care personnel workplace stress : a critical analysis

Abstract

Work-related stress is generally defined as harmful physical or emotional responses that may occur when the needs of the occupation do not match the abilities, resources or necessities of the employee. This can lead to poor health and physical injury. Emergency medical care personnel (EMCP) are not immune to this condition. They are a vital component of the healthcare system but workplace stress places their effectiveness at risk. This is evident when they have to treat patients at scenes of a violent nature. Such experiences result in an increase in stress thereby affecting their decision-making abilities. As employees have a right to be safe at work, they must be able to access the tools required to ensure they remain emotionally safe and well. This study aimed to identify the tools currently supporting EMCP in the Emergency Medical Care Service of the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) in Johannesburg, South Africa, and whether these tools are currently utilised. It also sought to investigate how effective these tools are in reducing work-related stress among EMCP. Qualitative methods were used to investigate the meaning of social phenomena around the tools used to manage work-related stress, as encountered by EMCP in their work capacity. The study followed an interpretivism philosophy, using purposeful sampling, while data collection was conducted using in-depth interviews. The population comprised EMCP working in Johannesburg for the GPG, and participants were selected using non-probability sampling, following a snowball technique. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The research found that tools to manage work-related stress (WRS) were available and were utilised. However, some causes of WRS were found not to have adequate tools for reducing such stress. While some tools had positive effects, like formal debriefing sessions, others like the Employee Wellness Programme (EWP) needed some improvement. Additionally, the lack of security increased WRS immensely, yet there were very limited effective tools designed to reduce stress from the increased security threats experienced by EMCP. Finally, causes of WRS were identified for which no tools were available for its reduction and thus immediate action is required to reduce it. WRS has been seen to have multiple adverse effects for organisations in general and EMCP in particular. Therefore, addressing issues raised by this research could have a positive impact on the industry. In addition, the findings contribute to the body of knowledge on mental health among prehospital emergency care workers.