TY - JOUR
T1 - Evaluation of call volume and negative emotions in emergency response system telecommunicators
T2 - a prospective, intensive longitudinal investigation
AU - Hoang, Matthew
AU - Hillier, Elizabeth
AU - Conger, Chris
AU - Gengler, Devan N.
AU - Welty, Cody W.
AU - Mayer, Candace
AU - Haynes, Patricia L.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the University of Arizona Canyon Ranch Center for Prevention & Health Promotion. We gratefully acknowledge the time and effort provided by study participants. In addition, we acknowledge the assistance of Caitlin Fung, Trishala Basana, and Kasey Varley. We acknowledge the support of the University of Arizona Collaboratory for Metabolic Disease Prevention and Treatment.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 the Author(s), licensee AIMS Press
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Emergency telecommunicators are essential first responders tasked with coordinated communication within the emergency response system (ERS). Despite their exposure to significant job demands, little is known about the effect of call load or call type on emotional state within these workers. Therefore, we employed a prospective, intensive longitudinal design to examine whether emergency-eligible call volume would lead to higher intensity negative emotions post-shift when controlling for pre-shift negative emotions and a number of other work and individual factors, including work duration and night shift. A total of 47 ERS telecommunicators (dispatchers, operators, other) completed ratings over working shifts within a two-week period. Call frequency was gathered through the agency Computer-Assisted Dispatch database. Negative emotions of irritation, stress, worry, and fatigue were measured through the Visual Analogue Scale administered before and after shift. Mixed linear modeling demonstrated that telecommunicators who received more calls per hour (Estimate = 3.56, SE = 1.44, p < 0.05) and more-than-usual calls per hour (Estimate = 1.97, SE =.94, p < 0.05) had higher levels of post-shift irritability. Longer-than-usual working hours also predicted higher levels of post-shift irritability (Estimate = 1.32, SE = 0.59, p < 0.05). Call volume did not predict other negative emotions, although secondary analyses demonstrated that a larger number of chronic calls lead to greater levels of post-shift worry. ERS telecommunication agencies aiming to reduce negative emotions in workers may benefit from implementing policies and programs that target working hours, call load, and work-life balance.
AB - Emergency telecommunicators are essential first responders tasked with coordinated communication within the emergency response system (ERS). Despite their exposure to significant job demands, little is known about the effect of call load or call type on emotional state within these workers. Therefore, we employed a prospective, intensive longitudinal design to examine whether emergency-eligible call volume would lead to higher intensity negative emotions post-shift when controlling for pre-shift negative emotions and a number of other work and individual factors, including work duration and night shift. A total of 47 ERS telecommunicators (dispatchers, operators, other) completed ratings over working shifts within a two-week period. Call frequency was gathered through the agency Computer-Assisted Dispatch database. Negative emotions of irritation, stress, worry, and fatigue were measured through the Visual Analogue Scale administered before and after shift. Mixed linear modeling demonstrated that telecommunicators who received more calls per hour (Estimate = 3.56, SE = 1.44, p < 0.05) and more-than-usual calls per hour (Estimate = 1.97, SE =.94, p < 0.05) had higher levels of post-shift irritability. Longer-than-usual working hours also predicted higher levels of post-shift irritability (Estimate = 1.32, SE = 0.59, p < 0.05). Call volume did not predict other negative emotions, although secondary analyses demonstrated that a larger number of chronic calls lead to greater levels of post-shift worry. ERS telecommunication agencies aiming to reduce negative emotions in workers may benefit from implementing policies and programs that target working hours, call load, and work-life balance.
KW - emergency dispatchers
KW - emergency medical service
KW - emotion
KW - exposure
KW - irritable mood
KW - occupational
KW - psychological stresses
KW - telecommunication
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U2 - 10.3934/PUBLICHEALTH.2022027
DO - 10.3934/PUBLICHEALTH.2022027
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85128657939
SN - 2327-8994
VL - 9
SP - 403
EP - 414
JO - AIMS Public Health
JF - AIMS Public Health
IS - 2
ER -