And breathe…

When I wrote my last article, my bags were packed and I was ready for my first shift as an emergency care support worker (ECSW) the next day. Responding to the COVID-19 emergency was a new and completely unexpected chapter in my training.

My FIrst shifts were full of trepidation, anxiety and a certain amount of guesswork in knowing how this new role would operate within the ambulance trust. Established key workers were not aware of this new position and its function. My ECSW colleagues and I drove a new ambulance, with new technology, and new guidance regarding personal protective equipment (PPE) for COVID-19.

Working alongside a fellow 2nd-year student, the two of us were small fish in a vast pond. This was not a clinical placement supervised by a paramedic mentor. We were working independently, treating patients where our existing skills allowed and knowing when to call for a paramedic or medical guidance. At first, my habit was to look over my shoulder and seek my mentor's approval, but I saw only a blank wall. For the first time in my paramedic training, I had no mentor by my side. My ECSW colleague and I had the autonomy to make decisions and treat our patients as we saw fit.