Well, where do I start………first year has gone so fast, and with covid restrictions it has been a strange new learning experience for us all. Without being on campus to meet our fellow students, linking up virtually with other classes to have lectures delivered, only being in very small groups to do our skills classes which were mega restricted due to not being allowed a lot of time. But all in all I have still had the most amazing year.
I have decided to write this end of year piece to try and some up from start to finish everything we have encountered along the way, and as much information as possible on what to expect as a UWS Paramedic Science student and if your not a UWS Para student this will still be of use even if the course work is sightly different we still all cover the same requirements.
The coursework for first year has been intense, first term we had Understanding Self and Society module. This was a joint module with adult and mental health nursing students. With this being the first time that the modules were shared it did feel a little more directed towards nurses, but these small glitches have been addressed through our feedback. We had a reflective report and also a group presentation as part of the module. The module was very interesting and I enjoyed doing it. Our second term, well….. this was very intense as we had quite a few modules Community, Health and Social care which we explored health determinants, socio-political health factors, and ongoing health issues currently faced. We had an essay to complete for this with much interaction with small groups each week, and I’ll be honest I shed a few tears trying to write this essay but still got a great mark in the end, so there were tears for no reason. Alongside this module we had our human health and development module which explored anatomy and physiology of each body system, case study scenarios and a multiple choice exam at the end of term, along with an essay on Standard infection control procedures. We had investigation and communication which consisted of completing 5 parts of work for an over all mark, to basically show you have knowledge of power point, word etc but in my personal opinion this module would have been better in term 1 but that is just my view! Our longest module was Paramedic Principles in Practice which was ongoing all year long and this was where we participated in our skills classes in preparation for our OSCE’s and also to use out on the road. I won’t go into too much detail here as its exciting getting skills released each week. The workload was intense and hard going, I don’t imagine that the next two years will get any easier but im quite sure with hard work and determination you will get there. It is enjoyable as much as it is tough going and I learned so much in my first year!!
Lets talk non-ambulance placements first of all, our very first placement was cancelled due to covid. These placements are just three weeks long, my first one was in a care of the elderly day hospital where there were clinics for stroke, falls, neurological illnesses, and many more. Here I was very included working alongside nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and I learned a lot of new skills which I never had prior to here. My second non-ambulance was in a care of the elderly ward in my local hospital which is a great placement for learning basic care. I personally have spent many years within the NHS as a healthcare support worker so these placements just allowed for me to build on my existing knowledge. The clinics allowed me to see what happens after the patients have been to hospital and how there care planning is carried on as an outpatient. I am really looking forward to my second and third year non-ambulance placements as they will be in areas that I have never experienced before so I will keep you all up to date as and when I attend these placements.
Now…….my ambulance placements!!!! The most amazing part of first year altogether, I have been based in Dumfries and Galloway which is such an amazing place. I have had a mixture of day shifts and night shifts, was assigned a different mentor for each placement. Both of which were on relief shift patterns so I worked out of Dumfries, Lockerbie, Annan and Thornhill station. Not only that, but i also got the benefit of working in a busy town and more rural locations which allowed me to use more interventions and spend more time with the patient. Only disadvantage of rural is having a sick sick patient being so far away from the hospital. I was faced with so many jobs from falls, mental health, general accidents, some really unwell patients and emergency situations. I used a range of equipment such as vaccum splint, orthopaedic stretcher, I also worked with patients from various ages and backgrounds. I worked with outside agencies to allow some patients to be cared for in their home rather than taking them to the ED. I also worked with some amazing technicians, which I learned so much so when you are on placement please be mindful that some of these technicians have more clinical experience than your paramedic mentor so ask them questions, use them for your learning. They are keen to teach you also!
Overall my year has been so fast, I have grown so much as a person and so has my confidence. Although I have so much still to learn I am ready for the next two years. There have been times when I walk into a challenging situation and think god….what the hell do I do?……what the hell is going on?…….but I just take a moment, breath and remember ABCDE!!!! Nothing can actually prepare you for what you will face, you can listen to all the paramedic and technician stories in the mess room and laugh along, but when you are actually faced with this head on it is a different ball game. No matter what though, use your team to talk, to debrief and to take the weight off, I also recommend developing a support bubble that you can rant to I promise it helps (most of the time).
Being an adult learner and taking on this role at 37 has its own challenges, I’m a mum of 2 and and still have to work full time as well as getting my study in but it is all worth the stress and tears. This is not an easy job, it is not an easy learning experience, if this is truly your passion in life then stop hesitating and get out there and go for it. I have no regrets at all in changing my career path late in life, having the life experience has actually helped me massively. I can now say in two years I will be a paramedic. Who would have thought it!!
I cannot fit every single thing into this blog, it would not be fair on you all for me too ramble on……but I am always available on my instagram @studentparadebi to answer any questions and to also be a support for anyone who needs it, and also for general chit chat after all I love to talk!!!
Thanks for reading and I look forward to meeting my new UWS para students in the autumn
Debbie xx
Life in Greens 