Empowering public service workers to face bystander conflict: Enhancing resources through a training intervention

Abstract

Public service employees work in occupations that are accompanied with high psychosocial risks. Police, firefighters, and paramedics are increasingly being confronted with argumentative, conflicting bystanders that frustrate them in executing their task. We developed a resource-enhancement intervention and tested its usefulness for securing employees' effective functioning and well-being in bystander conflict. In a simulation-based pre-test post-test control group design, paramedics in the intervention condition received training about how to increase their resources in terms of conflict management efficacy, perspective taking, task support, and emotional support. For those in the control condition, no such training was provided. Comparing pre-and post-test measures (n = 81) of the participants in the intervention and control groups, we found evidence that the intervention successfully increased employees' resources over time. Moreover, we found considerable support for a positive link between these resources and employees' affective well-being and job dedication. Thus, our study suggests that a resource-enhancing intervention can serve as an important means to protect public service employees against the deleterious effects of bystander conflict. Practitioner pointsA resource-enhancing intervention can protect public service employees against the deleterious effects of bystander conflict. Resources related to dealing with a hindering bystander, as well as resources facilitating the continuation of the primary task, are positively associated with employees' affective well-being, job dedication, and job performance.

Mitigating Violence Against First Responder Teams: Results and Ideas From the Hackmanathon

“…Other role-play scenarios may involve practicing skills for approaching frustrated or agitated patients, family members, and other bystanders who may hinder the care process. van Erp and colleagues (2018) show that participating in such role-play exercises significantly increased paramedics’ confidence and skills for dealing with violence and aggression while preserving employees’ well-being and job dedication.…”

“…Research on team training has shown benefits of training as a team in team processes and team performance (Delise, Allen Gorman, Brooks, Rentsch, & Steele-Johnson, 2010; Hughes et al, 2016), also for dealing specifically with instances of violence and aggression (van Erp et al, 2018). Team 3 therefore recommends the implementation of team training.…”

“…To date, no evidence-based interventions exist to prepare EMS responder teams for violence from patients on the job (Taylor & Murray, 2017), with the exception of a training intervention recently developed in the Netherlands to enhance paramedics’ resources for dealing with violent bystanders (van Erp, Gevers, Rispens, & Demerouti, 2018). Practitioner articles within the EMS industry do provide potential organizational interventions that could mitigate the risks of assault.…”

Critical Perspectives on the Management and Organization of Emergency Services

“…Another risk factor in paramedicine is vicarious trauma -the work necessitates proximity to life-threatening injuries, illnesses and death, sometimes on a mass scale and often with a patient's family or other bystanders watching triage and treatment efforts (eg, Brady, 2015;Clompus and Albarran, 2016). Paramedics are also commonly the targets of violence from patients and their families and bystandersincluding intimidation, sexual harassment, verbal, physical and sexual assault (eg, Corman, 2017;Maguire et al, 2018;van Erp et al, 2018). Taylor et al (2016: 156) suggest male paramedics especially may under-report such violence for fear of appearing weak.…”

From Extreme to Mundane? The Changing Face of Paramedicine in the UK Ambulance Service

“…The most recent example at the time of writing is new legislation enabling paramedics patient's family or other bystanders watching triage and treatment efforts (eg, Brady, 2015;Clompus and Albarran, 2016). Paramedics are also commonly the targets of violence from patients and their families and bystandersincluding intimidation, sexual harassment, verbal, physical and sexual assault (eg, Corman, 2017;Maguire et al, 2018;van Erp et al, 2018). Taylor et al (2016: 156) suggest male paramedics especially may under-report such violence for fear of appearing weak.…”