Design, Implement, and Evaluate the Educational Program based on Dimensions of Quality of Work Life among Emergency Medical Services Employees

Abstract

Background Quality of work life is a vital factor for health care providers. This study aimed to design, implement, and evaluate the educational program based on the dimensions of quality of work life among EMS employees. Methods The current interventional study was conducted on 100 emergency medical services employees in Tehran, Iran, who were chosen using a convenience sampling method (50 in the intervention group and 50 in the control group). The information was gathered using a Demographic questionnaire and a Walton quality of work life questionnaire with eight dimensions. The research was carried out in three stages: design, implementation, and evaluation of the educational program. During the design phase, the educational needs of the participants were determined in terms of the dimensions of the quality of work life and work and total living space. The educational program on work-life quality was implemented in four virtual group sessions, emphasizing the educational needs identified through uploading educational content to the WhatsApp application. The evaluation was conducted in two stages: before the educational program and three months after the program. With a significance level of 0.05, the data was analyzed using SPSS version 24 software. Results The results revealed that an education program on the quality of work life and its dimensions, emphasizing strategies to improve work and total living space, can improve the score of this dimension in the intra-group comparison of both the intervention and control groups (p = 0.046), as well as in the inter-group comparison, at the three-month post-intervention stage, there is a significant difference and a significant increase (p = 0.030), but it does not have a significant effect on the quality of work life and its other dimensions. Conclusion It is recommended that emergency medical services managers plan to improve the quality of working life of their employees, particularly in terms of work and total living space.