Cutting my safety line

The thought of only having 6 weeks left terrifies me to my core—but the excitement has slowly started to creep in after accepting a job offer in June. However, unlike the majority of my peers, my plan from the beginning meant I would be leaving Manchester and moving back home to the south. Although I always knew this, I started to question my decision when the time came in April to start applying for the position of a newly qualified paramedic (NQP). The thought of leaving behind the people who have helped to shape me as a paramedic filled me with apprehension. It was as though I was deciding to cut my own safety line.

Throughout my journey as a student paramedic, I have never opted for the easiest route—and I knew that I could not start my career doing the same. So I cut my remaining safety line and only applied to two ambulance services based in the south. Then the agonising wait began. I was constantly thinking to myself: ‘did I just make a huge mistake?’