From Uncertainty to Competence: Decision-Making Strategies of Volunteer Ambulance Responders in Indonesian Low-Resource Emergency Care

Background: Volunteer ambulance personnel play a critical role in prehospital emergency care, especially in low-resource settings. However, limited attention has been given to how they make rapid decisions under uncertain and constrained conditions. Materials and Methods: This qualitative study employed a phenomenological approach, involving in-depth interviews with ۲۰ experienced male volunteers aged ۳۱-۴۰ years with ۴-۷ years of emergency response experience in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Thematic analysis was used to explore decision-making processes during emergency responses. Results: Four main themes emerged: navigating emergencies with incomplete caller information; making rapid decisions despite limited equipment and environmental challenges; managing pressure from families and bystanders; and reflecting on confidence and identity shaped by repeated field experience. Volunteers relied on clinical intuition, teamwork, and improvisation to adapt to unpredictable situations. Conclusion: Volunteer responders in low-resource environments demonstrate strong adaptive capacity, emotional resilience, and field-based competence in critical decision-making. These findings highlight the need for structured training, institutional support, and policy integration to enhance their role in community-based emergency systems.

کلیدواژه ها:

Volunteer ambulance personnel ، prehospital care ، critical decision-making ، low-resource settings ، qualitative research