Diversity in practice

I have never been one for ignoring the ‘pink elephant in the room’, and with just under 8 months remaining, my time as a newly qualified paramedic (NQP)—that 2-year period of consolidated learning—is drawing ever closer to its end, and with that I can't help but wonder…what's next?

Against the backdrop of a turbulent 2 years across the ambulance service—long waits at hospital, late finishes, and a seemingly never-ending pandemic—there is an overwhelming sense among many on the front line that something has to give. Experienced paramedics are continuing to leave the service every day for emerging opportunities that afford a better work-life balance, and those of us that remain question how much longer we can go on like this. As an NQP, I am not saying that I am ‘burnt out’—certainly a bit crispier around the edges—but for my own mental health and wellbeing, I know my next 2 years need to be different.