Learning Lessons for Future Preparedness: Exploring Work Well-Being-Related Leadership Challenges among Paramedics during the Early Stage of the COVID-19 Pandemic—A Qualitative Study

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Improvement Considerations

Line 68 – “The essays were gathered from a group of experienced advanced-level paramedics pursuing their master’s degree” The authors must describe and contextualize the reasons for choosing this group of students.

Line 89 – „The students worked in different areas across Finland, and none of the 20 hospital districts of Finland were overrepresented.“ Authors must describe which areas are across Finland.

Line 331 – „The actions were well-intentioned, but the impact was not as intended.“ Authors must demonstrate why the impact was not as intended.

Line 406 – „EMS is also only a small part of healthcare.“ Authors must describe which ones, specifically.

Line 421 – „All organizations should invest in training for remote communication tools and visible leadership.“ Authors must specify, specifically, what type of remote communication tools

The authors must include in the conclusions the added value of this study for understanding the topic and future studies.

Author Response

Please see the attachment. 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The article concerns a very interesting and important issue, which is effective leadership in times of difficulty for the organisation or the employee. The pandemic period was a test to show what leadership should be.

The authors did a very good job of conducting this study and analysing the results.

In my opinion, the first part of the article should be further developed. Please describe more about the role of leadership in an organisation, the benefits of effective communication, etc. There is a lack of more reference to literature and to theory, not only from the pandemic period.

Please add to  the discussion more results of other studies. Discussion is too short.

Conclusion  -  in this section should be formulated general conclusions of the study, limitations, implication and directions for future research.

Author Response

Please see the attachment. 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear Authors

I think you have started an interesting manuscript. However I lack an ontological discussion in the background. I also find the manuscript a bit wordy, could you rewrite to become more coherent and straight to the point. In the ethical section I lack a discussion about the student perspective. In the analysis section it needs to be clearly stated what references you use and all steps you have taken, now it is not clear to me what you have done in terms of analysis. Please give examples and clarifye your process. Also the result needs to be abstracted further. Now it seems that you are still in the analysis phase. In the discussion section it is to much of the same as in the result section, please abstract and rewrite using a problematizing discussion that adds to the body of knowledge. 

Thank you

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The English is a bit wordy and needs editing to be precice and coherent with the chosen theorethical perspective. 

Author Response

Please see the attachment. 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf