Defined as the feeling that your achievements are not real or that you do not deserve praise or success, imposter syndrome has persisted in many newly qualified paramedics (NQPs) I have spoken with, including myself.
In a fast-paced and high-stress environment, the added pressure of feeling you are not being heard can be mentally and emotionally tolling, leading many to question whether they belong in the career. Many in the ambulance service will equate years spent in practice to level of experience. While I do not disagree with this point, there is no doubt that because of it, many NQPs will believe that their suggestions or opinions are not valid. Not speaking up when witnessing outdated practice, thinking of but not suggesting different pathways in relation to a patient's treatment or not offering ideas for potential improvements are all examples of imposter syndrome.
Coming into the profession as a student paramedic at 18 years of age meant that I was regularly a victim of these thoughts of self-doubt. Many clinicians I spoke with either directly or indirectly stated that ‘Paramedics were too young these days’ with not enough ‘life experience’, without having given me a chance. When I started to speak out about key changes that can be made to the ambulance service, particularly in relation to equality, diversity and inclusion, those feelings persisted. I am lucky enough to have already experienced multiple milestones in my career, such as attending NHS roundtables to make key decisions about our practice and improvements, speaking at conferences and working with the College of Paramedics to implement changes—but despite these opportunities, imposter syndrome is prevalent.
I have often explored why I have these feelings of unworthiness before trying to tackle them. Perhaps it is my age, especially when working or speaking amid people who are significantly older than I am. Or it is my ethnicity, being of a different skin tone than many of my peers? Or it is my level of experience, and whether my experience is even valid because I have only been in the profession for a few years?
It is very easy to write, ‘this is how I overcame imposter syndrome, and this is how you can too’, but I would be lying. I still experience this often. I used to depend on the validation given by others to tackle this feeling; a patient who significantly improved in my care, or an individual reaching out on social media saying that they feel more motivated to be a paramedic because of the representation of people like myself in the field. However, I soon recognised this as a toxic approach. Of course, praise from others feels incredible but becoming reliant on it rather than realising my self-worth was where I began to falter. Instead of relying on others, I began to validate myself. All the decisions I wanted to implement but did not because of imposter syndrome, I began to question; and all the achievements that I felt were not tangible, I talked myself through.
It takes courage to speak up against another clinician's treatment if you feel it isn't correct or talk about change in a room full of people who have been accustomed to doing something a certain way for years. Remind yourself why you are there, why your method has worth. Attaining the best care for a patient and being part of a workforce that is full of growth may be among the reasons you find yourself accepting your success and pushing yourself forward to achieve more. Every individual in the ambulance service has a unique opinion, and it is up to each of us to make those opinions heard!