Compassion Fatigue and Burnout Among Public Safety Dispatchers

• In Event: Poster Session 1

Abstract

Continual exposure to trauma coupled with insufficient case closure contributes to greater occupational risk for burnout and compassion fatigue among first responders, causing many to leave the profession. As the first line of communication for emergencies, dispatchers are no exception. Yet, few studies have investigated the prevalence and impact of burnout and compassion fatigue on dispatchers in comparison to other first responders such as police, fire, or emergency medical services (EMS). The proposed study aims to extend this line of inquiry by surveying a stratified random sample of dispatchers working in California dispatch centers (N=100). Using the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) this study will measure how much burnout and compassion fatigue accrues with consistent exposure to traumatic events and document how burnout and compassion fatigue affects dispatchers' careers.

Author

• Emily Ann McFarren, California State University, San Bernardino