CED Dispatcher Wellness & Stress Management Flashcards

What term describes the emotional and psychological toll on dispatchers who are repeatedly exposed to traumatic events through the calls they handle?

Answer: Secondary traumatic stress (vicarious trauma)

Secondary traumatic stress, also called vicarious trauma, occurs when emergency dispatchers absorb the trauma of callers and victims without direct physical exposure.

Which condition is defined by persistent re-experiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal symptoms following repeated exposure to traumatic emergency calls?

Answer: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

PTSD in emergency dispatchers can develop from cumulative trauma exposure and presents with flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, and emotional numbing.

What is 'compassion fatigue' as it applies to emergency dispatchers?

Answer: Emotional exhaustion and reduced empathy resulting from the cumulative burden of helping others in crisis

Compassion fatigue depletes a dispatcher's capacity for empathy over time due to repeated exposure to suffering, ultimately affecting both job performance and personal well-being.

Which scheduling factor is most strongly associated with elevated stress levels and health risks among emergency dispatchers?

Answer: Rotating or overnight shift work

Rotating shifts and overnight work disrupt circadian rhythms, impair sleep quality, and compound the psychological stress already inherent in dispatch work.

Which physical symptom cluster is most commonly reported by dispatchers experiencing occupational burnout?

Answer: Chronic fatigue, sleep disturbances, and frequent headaches

Burnout manifests physically through exhaustion, insomnia, and somatic complaints such as headaches, gastrointestinal issues, and musculoskeletal pain.

What is considered the most effective immediate intervention for a dispatcher experiencing acute stress following a particularly traumatic call?

Answer: Immediate peer support contact or a brief supervisor debriefing

Early peer support and informal supervisor check-ins immediately after a traumatic call can prevent acute stress from developing into more serious psychological conditions.