The Use and Effectiveness of The Tools Designed to Reduce Emergency Medical Care Personnel Workplace Stress: A Critical Analysis
Date: THURSDAY 26th May 2022
Work-Related Stress (WRS) is generally defined as harmful physical or sometimes emotional responses that may occur when the needs of the occupation do not match the abilities, resources, or necessities of the employee (Dallard 2019: 6). 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; however, workplace stress places their effectiveness at risk. This is evident when they have to treat patients in the face of violent scenes; such cases result in to increase in stress, thereby affecting their decision-making abilities (Vincent-Lambert and Westwood 2019: 12). As employees have a right to be safe at work, they must access the tools required to ensure they remain emotionally safe and well.
The study aimed to identify the tools currently supporting EMCP in Gauteng Provincial Government, Emergency Medical Care Service in Johannesburg, and whether these tools are presently utilised, and investigate how effectively these tools impact EMCP in reducing work-related stress.
Qualitative methods were used to investigate the meaning of social phenomena around tools used to manage work-related stress as encountered by EMCP in their work capacity. The study followed the interpretivism philosophy. A Sampling method used was a purposeful sampling while the data collection was conducted using in-depth interviews. The population was EMCP working in Johannesburg for Gauteng Provincial Government, and they were selected using non-probability sampling, following the snowball techniques. Data analysis was used thematic analysis.
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Malusi Mtetwa, Operational Paramedic
Malusi Mtetwa is an operational paramedic and has worked internationally, including in South Africa, the United Arabic Emirates, and Australia. Currently, he works for the South Australian Ambulance Service (SAAS) and is registered to practice as a paramedic both with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and the Health Professions Council of South Africa. Additionally, he is a member of the Australasian College of Paramedicine. He studied at the Durban University of Technology, completing a Bachelor of Technology in Emergency Medical Care. Over the years, he has developed an interest in Mental health. He is part of the voluntary section of SAAS’ Employee Wellness Program as a Peer Support Officer (PSO). PSOs are part of a first-line strategy that assists paramedics with work-related issues, personal issues, potential traumatic events, group crisis strategies, etc. He has identified a need to learn more about aspects of work place welfare in South African Emergency Medical Systems. He is currently completing postgraduate Masters focusing in research, investigating work-related stress for paramedics in South Africa, he is registered at Durban University of Technology.