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. 2021 Mar 23;21(1):35.
doi: 10.1186/s12873-021-00430-6.

Perceived occupational stressors among emergency medical service providers: a qualitative study

Ali Afshari  1 , Seyed Reza Borzou  2 , Farshid Shamsaei  3 , Eesa Mohammadi  4 , Leili Tapak  5
Affiliations

Perceived occupational stressors among emergency medical service providers: a qualitative study

Ali Afshari et al. BMC Emerg Med. .

Abstract

Introduction: Emergency medical services (EMS) providers are at continuous exposure to occupational stressors which negatively affect their health and professional practice. This study explored perceived occupational stressors among EMS providers.

Methods: This qualitative study was conducted from December 2019 to April 2020 using conventional content analysis. Sixteen EMS providers were purposively selected from EMS stations in Hamadan, Iran. Semi-structured interviews (with length of 45-60 min) were held for data collection. Data were analyzed through Graneheim and Lundman's conventional content analysis approach.

Findings: Data analysis resulted in the development of two themes, namely critical conditions of EMS provision, and personal and professional conflicts. The six categories of these two themes were complexity of patients' clinical conditions, interruption of EMS provision, health hazards, interpersonal problems, interprofessional interactions, and legal conflicts.

Conclusion: Besides the stress associated with emergency patient care, EMS providers face many different occupational stressors. EMS managers can use the findings of the present study to develop strategies for reducing occupational stress among EMS providers and thereby, improve their health and care quality.

Keywords: Emergency medical services; Qualitative study; Stress.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

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