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.
In an urgent tier vehicle, our role is to attend lower category calls, including urgent GP referrals, and to support rapid response vehicles. We are not blue-light trained, but we can be used to attend category 1 calls if we are the nearest available resource. This possibility became a reality 1 month into the role, when I attended a paediatric seizure. As we travelled to the job, we were updated and told we would be the first resource to arrive at the scene. As the attending clinician, I was keenly aware of the serious nature of the call and knew that my initial actions could be crucial in providing successful treatment for our young patient. After discussing an action plan with my colleague, I took three deep breaths and entered the house.
Fortunately, I felt in control of the situation throughout, supported by my first 2 years of training in university. I was relieved to be backed by a paramedic crew shortly afterwards, who were highly professional in their management. A few days later, we heard the happy news that the patient had made a full recovery. It was a successful outcome, and I discovered that I could apply my newly-learned clinical skills appropriately in an emergency. I recognised that I didn't need a mentor to monitor every single action I took.
The COVID-19 pandemic has given me an early opportunity to work with some degree of autonomy and I've discovered that some important knowledge can only develop beyond the classroom, in the clinical situation. Over the past few months, I've learned that automatic blood pressure cuffs aren't always reliable, incontinence pads are a must-have, and that trolley beds and gravel drives don't mix. Acquiring these learning experiences is making me a more confident clinician. I enjoy helping new staff who have ‘stepped up to the plate’ in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many have had no prior direct clinical experience, but every one of them has pre-existing skills that benefit the patient and that benefit me too. I value the time I spend with them, as we guide and support each other in this still new and unfamiliar territory. We are all on the steepest of learning curves but with them, I share my most valuable advice—breathe.