No rest for the women: Understanding the impact of on-call work for women in the emergency services

Chronobiology International
Sarah M JaySally A Ferguson

Abstract

The unpredictable, "on-call" component of the emergency services (ES) may be difficult to navigate in the context of domestic and work responsibilities, and especially difficult for women, given they tend to take on a greater household burden than do men. Our aim was to understand women's experiences in the ES, particularly the impact of being on-call and related coping strategies. Twenty-four women were recruited from two ES agencies in Australia. Participation involved a brief questionnaire and a 45-60-min interview. Interviews were recorded, and audio files were transcribed before analysis using nVIVO software. Interview data identified two major themes: impact and management. Women talked about the impact of on-call for themselves (e.g. disturbed? sleep, fatigue and the relentlessness of the role) but also discussed the, largely negative, impact for their family/household. In terms of management, support (family, social and work) and planning and preparation were identified as important in helping women manage their multiple roles in the context of on-call unpredictability. The negative impacts of on-call work on women's sleep supports existing quantitative and qualitative data in the broader on-call area. For those women w...Continue Reading

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Citations

Nov 9, 2018·Industrial Health·Charlotte C GuptaSiobhan Banks
Feb 29, 2020·Behavioral Sleep Medicine·Grace E VincentSally A Ferguson
Feb 1, 2019·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Bernadette RobertsSarah M Jay
Jul 20, 2018·Chronobiology International·Gregory D RoachFrida Marina Fischer
Oct 23, 2020·Clocks & Sleep·Grace E VincentSally A Ferguson
Nov 18, 2020·Clocks & Sleep·Madeline SprajcerSally A Ferguson
Feb 10, 2021·Clocks & Sleep·Grace E VincentSally A Ferguson

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