Reaching out to others

As I write this at the start of a new year, it dawns on me that I will soon be a fully qualified paramedic. Being a paramedic has felt a long way off. But soon, it will become a reality for me. The prospect fills me with excitement, anticipation, and trepidation. Questions spin in my mind: Will I be good enough? Will I know what to do? Will I make mistakes? These questions are largely fuelled by a word frequently referenced by both lecturers and paramedics: autonomy.

Though often governed by guidelines, policies and quality targets, paramedics have autonomy—the independence to make clinical decisions. Unlike many other healthcare professions, paramedics regularly have sole responsibility in the decision-making of prehospital patient care. This responsibility can be liberating when clinical choices are familiar and well trodden, but smart decision-making in complex cases, and on a regular basis, can bring about feelings of isolation and an overwhelming sense of responsibility.