Mobile emergency care service: the work on display

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to discuss the way visibility constitutes a power device in the everyday practice of the Mobile Emergency Care Service in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. A qualitative case study was developed and data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 31 workers of the service (five physicians, 11 nurses, seven nursing assistants and eight ambulance drivers) and submitted to discourse analysis. The analysis of power relations in the service allowed to verify that there is not an only one source from which the power emanates in this organizational structure. Power is exercised through many techniques and their sources are scattered, diffuse, interchangeable and even confusing. Although there is a hierarchical structure formally established, a parallel network to this structure is formed. It was also observed that the visibility generated by radio communication provides constant supervision, which generates tension within the team.

Transfer of Pre-Hospital Care and Its Potential Risks for Patient Safety

“…Perceptions of a bad relationship were found, associated with inadequate receptivity in Emergency Care Units and emergency hospitals. 24 The lack of protocols between the emergency services also generated non-conformities between the teams. The use of clinical-care protocols contributes to improving the quality of patient care.…”

Work weaknesses and potentials: perception of mobile emergency service nurses

“…Participants reported as difficulties the lack of ambulances to develop their activities, either by scrapping or not delivering new vehicles to complete the fleet (31) . In other Brazilian states, studies highlighted as difficulties in the work process: lack of adequate structure (32) , lack of materials, precariousness of the physical space/housing of the team, and lack of human resources (21,(33)(34)(35) ; occupational risk related to traffic accident (34) .…”

“…Workers often lack protection or safety in space and lack of delimitation, which enables people to observe and even interfere with care (29) . Thus, there is a role reversal, in which the worker assumes the role of subject examined (35) . It is known that acting in certain settings can trigger psychosomatic changes in nurses (2) , and also irritation, waste and frustration (36) .…”

Dissertações E Teses Da Enfermagem Acerca Do Serviço De Atendimento Móvel De Urgência: Estudo Bibliométrico

“…Exposure to the various risks is related to the operationalization of the work performed in the SAMU, which occurs in the various out-of-hospital locations where the population is affected by urgent or emergency aggravations and need specialized help from such mobile service. 19 A study performed with professionals from SAMU in the State of Paraíba highlighted that their work profile exposed them greater vulnerability to biological risks 20 This is because the rapid realization and the nature of the procedures performed in the pre -hospital setting increases the chances of accidents with sharp objects and consequently exposure to biological risks. 21 Another factor that contributes to the high exposure to such risk is the lack of knowledge of the patient's status related to communicable diseases diagnoses in which makes it necessary to use standard precautionary measures.…”