| Adams, Shakespeare-Finch & Armstrong (2015) |
(1) Operational stress and vicarious trauma, (2) Organizational stress, (3) Post traumatic growth |
Dispatchers experience vicarious trauma, which can impact their mental health and relationships with others. Organizational protocols contribute to stress, & lack of positive feedback leaves dispatchers feeling undervalued. Some dispatchers experience post-traumatic growth. |
| Coxon et al. (2016) |
(1) How dispatch is perceived by others, (2) What dispatch really involves, (3) Dealing with the stresses of dispatch |
Dispatchers enjoy & take pride in work, despite stressors. Demoralisation reported. Three key stressors: resources & pay, interpersonal difficulties, & feeling overworked & undervalued. |
| Forslund, Kihlgren & Kihlgren (2004) |
(1) Uncertainty, (2) Communication difficulties, (3) Internal & external resources, (4) Personal qualities, (5) Acquired skills |
Stressors reported include: clinical uncertainty & lack of information, communication difficulties & lack of resources. Dispatchers drew on personal attributes, experience & knowledge to manage difficult calls. |
| Gallagher & McGilloway (2008) |
(1) The nature of the critical incident(s), (2) The impact of the critical incident(s), (3) Organisational hassles, (4) The perceived effectiveness of peer support, (5) EMCs—the ‘forgotten few’? |
Some critical incidents are more traumatic than others, & have more significant impact on mental health. Cumulative effect of several critical incidents occurring within a short time reported. |
| Palmer (2014) |
(1) Stressors, (2) Coping |
Themes of control & the need for emotional support to cope. Elements of organizational operations & how they contribute to worker stress were present & underscore the importance of smooth operations & supportive management in high stress jobs. |
| Shuler & Sypher (2000) |
(1) Emotional labour as comic relief, (2) Emotional labour as ‘fix’, (3) Emotional labour as altruistic service |
Emotional labour is an important aspect of the ‘structuation of organisational reality’. Healthy, positive workplaces are fostered through shared emotional labour. |
| Tracy & Tracy (1998) |
(1) Channelling citizens’ emotion, (2) Expressed emotions of call takers, (3) Institutional feeling rules, (4) Emotion labour strategies |
Call taking not considered stressful of itself. Peer-support helps reduce stress. Advantage of telephone versus face to face exchanges where emotional demand high. Organisational culture influences emotional expression. |
