Perceptions About Being On-call Among Trinidadian Doctors and Significant Others: A Qualitative Inquiry

Abstract

Previous research has not adequately considered the subjective evaluations of being on-call for doctors who provide these services onsite (i.e., proximal doctors) versus those who wait offsite to be called in cases of emergencies (i.e., distal doctors).  The current article reports the findings associated with on-call doctors’ and significant others’ (SOs) assessments of their experiences when they or their partners were on-call. 18 doctors who worked on-call and seven SOs whose partners worked on-call were purposively recruited and interviewed.  The data were analysed thematically. Findings revealed that the doctors’ accepted their on-call duties despite them describing the experience as tiring, stressful, and dangerous. SOs’ perceptions of their partners’ on-call were that while they had grown accustomed to the limitations the working arrangement presented, it was distracting and there were anxieties about their partners’ safety when they were responding to callouts.  The participants’ experiences differed according to their on-call classification and gender.  Recommendations geared toward improving the on-call experience of doctors should acknowledge the individual variation in those experiences and the experiences of those with whom they share their lives.