The Paramedic Student

“For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again.” Eric Roth

Not my usual way to start a blog but I saw this quote and it fitted perfectly. Before I go on about being a student paramedic.I thought id sum out how I ended up in this career. I've always liked medicine and science and through school I longed to be an equine vet, after choosing equine college and realising working with, owning and going to college with horses was taking the fun out of my own I decided to have a career change. Right in the middle of applying to equine unis, ooops!

As the quote states its never too early and its never too late. Changing my whole career pathway after years of working towards one goal initially did seem like too late. So many people laughed, my college tutors confused but I stuck with it. I took a year out and always felt a year behind everyone else. My year out changed me for the better. I worked in forensic mental health, at 19, on a ward with 15 men. Scary, yes. Rewarding , yes. Worth it, yes. I absolutely loved it. I grew up quick and it confirmed that helping people was what I wanted to do.

I applied to uni to be a paramedic, paid for and completed an access to para-medicine course out of my wages, passed my 7.5t driving, attended uni interviews and amazingly got into my first choice uni to be a paramedic student. With 30 places out of 100’s of applicants getting a place was literally life changing.

Just over a year later and im one month in to being a 2nd year paramedic student and with less than one year left till I (hopefully) qualify it’s going to be a very exciting but equally scary year! I was going to do a ‘day in the life’ of a paramedic student but with everyday being different I thought I’d try and just explain ‘the paramedic student’ instead and the journey we go through.

The course is split with blocks of university, placement and a 4 weed advanced driving course. First year involves learning technician level skills and drugs such as intermediate life support, history takes and condition assessments, trauma management etc along with written exams such as anatomy and physiology and professional studies. Although the practical exams (OSCE’s) may be the most nerve-racking thing so far overall first year was amazing! You don’t realise how much you’ve learnt till you sit the exams!

Second year at university so far has only been 3 weeks long and we have covered neurological management and assessment in much more detail , including administrating paramedic drugs and demonstrating our newly learnt paramedic skills such as cannulation, intubation, chest needle decompression and new written modules like pharmacology and pathophysiology. It’s safe to say it’s going to be fun but intense year! Being a paramedic student basically turns you into a zombie, who even needs sleep and a social life?

Placement includes 750 hours on ambulance with a mentor in first year and 150 hours in second year. Quite scary to think I only have 150 hours left on the big yellow bus where I can hide behind my mentor! Second year also includes placements in different parts of health care such as the A and E department, theatres and midwifery!

Ambulance placements start mostly the same…

03.30am: Alarm. Shower. Extremely flattering green uniform squeezed into. Notebook, diary , toughcuts, pen torch, stethoscope, fob watch, tape, JRCALC and numerous pens crammed into pockets. Hair shoved in a messy bun. As much lucozade, chocolate and sweets stuffed into my bag as I have time for and were ready to go.

04.00am: The long drive. Im travelling from home to shift today, the just slightly less drive from uni is filled with closed roads so the 2 hour drive down the M1 it is.

06.00am: Finally at station, just enough time to grab my helmet and hi-viz, quick chat with my mentor and its time to check the vehicle. All equipment, bags, vehicle etc checked, restocked and placed where my mentor likes it. Numerous amounts of gloves shoved in pockets, you can never have too many.

06.20am: Radio sounds, first job. Blues on. Red back up, FRV on scene.

This is where anything can happen. As a student and even as a qualified paramedic there are lots that you haven’t been exposed to yet and everything is different and the same conditions can present differently too so you have to be ready for the unexpected. I chose to include a few jobs from half of a day shift in my first year.

06.26am: 78 year old, male, sepsis, extremely low oxygen saturations, difficulty breathing, little change with oxygen and treatment. No improvement during transport. Little can be done to help patient in pre-hospital setting. Resus pre-alerted. Blues on.

07.00: Vehicle and equipment cleaned, debrief, paper work completed, call clear.

07.10: Dr’s urgent, pt needs transport to hospital, unsure why.

07.30: GP left note with pt last night, pt needing catheter change in hospital after problems during changing. Patient taken to general hospital with no issues. None emergency response required.

09.00: Radio call out for cardiac arrest. Respond with call sign, blues on, adrenaline pumping. Role in cardiac arrest sorted prior to attending, this time it’s me on airways alone for the first time.

09.04: Radio sounds “STAND DOWN”. Closer crews mean we are no longer needed and instead are diverted to another call.

09.07: Call to a fall, patient conscious and breathing.

09.20: 69 year old male, fallen while walking, found by care staff. Unable to gain access through door due to how he has landed. After discussion of access, crew mate who is also fire fighter manages to manoeuvre door and explain to patient where to move. Being the smallest of us three, im first in and carry out a trauma assessment. Pt complaining of no pain and moves himself away from door. Crew can now enter. Physical observations and assessments carried out. No injury from fall. Blood pressure drops on standing, query cause of fall. This is known medical history, patient care plan states to stay at home. Red flags and advice given. Patient left with carers.

11.00: Call to a 44 year old male, chest pain.

11.06: Arrived on scene, patient in obvious severe pain. Physical observations, treatment and history take carried out. Patient taken to hospital on blues, treatment given during transport, ? pericarditis.

11:50: Patients life line pulled, now no response.

12:00: Arrive on scene, no answer to any of the doors or windows. Neighbour brings key and explains patient has been looking unwell and down for a number of days. Enter house , still no answer until the last bedroom where patient sleeping. Slight jump back and sigh of relief when she wakes. Patient doesn’t recall pulling life line however begins to get upset so cup of tea made, a quick MOT finding no physical health issues, broken TV fixed and conversation around patients mental health and wellbeing later and she is safe to stay at home, now in family’s company and a much happier patient.

I won’t carry on with the rest of the shift but apart from missing all the medical interventions out I thought it would be nice to share how diverse this job is and how it’s not all about the blue lights and trauma that some people perceive it to be. It’s the calls like making someone a cup of tea and having a chat that make the job what it is. I love how everyday and every call is different so you never know what is next.

Thank you fro reading,

Meg xxx