Pacing for a marathon

They say ‘time will fly by’… but I never realised how true it is until now. Almost 2 years since I graduated as a paramedic and I cannot quite believe it. I have been reflecting on how I have developed and grown through this NQP period clinically, psychologically and in terms of my work-life balance and will round these thoughts up here

Graduating is a lot like being a student all over again. You're wishing for all the ‘big jobs’ so you can perform the complicated clinical skills and then compare it with all of your peers and colleagues, worrying the whole time that you will get it wrong. However, the independence of not having someone to help you out when you are performing these skills adds a fear factor. I soon learned not to chase the clinical skills and to focus instead on what I could implement for a patient. In some cases, maybe a cannula was needed for example—but in the current state of the ambulance service, we often go through shifts without even touching the drugs bags and I began to see the value of clinical skills beyond what we practised in university. Knowing how to socially prescribe, being aware of what will happen to my patient at hospital, or having more knowledge around their condition rather than treating based on the observations I obtained from them have developed me into a more ‘well-rounded clinician’.