Beginning new adventures

Three years ago, as a brand-new paramedic student, I was desperately trying to familiarise myself with my new peer group, learn names, navigate a maze of corridors, and recognise a mass of lecture rooms. At the same time, we were introduced to the critical elements of Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, and Exposure (ABCDE), the foundations of communication, and what the acronym ‘ECG’ stood for. This week, I realise that the feeling of anxious anticipation has returned, but the situation is entirely different. I am finally a newly qualified paramedic, starting my ambulance induction course.

In his book, ‘An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth’, astronaut Chris Hadfield tells of the importance of enjoying the journey rather than focusing on a specific destination and I'm reminded of this in my paramedic training. It has been an extraordinary journey, embracing much more than academic learning and the acquisition of clinical skills. My peer group, tutors, paramedics, other professionals, patients, and families have played essential roles in my development, widening my understanding and experience and contributing to my readiness to begin my new profession.