From class to placement

At the time of writing this, there are only 8 weeks left of university before we become third years, which sounds scary! We still have plenty of work to be completed before then, including an exam (Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)), assignment and presentation. It is hard managing the workload alongside placement but I find that taking my time and not rushing helps me. The current modules we're studying are ones I have a keen interest in. They also link in nicely with each other, which makes it easier to understand the importance of each one and build upon our learning from the first year. The current modules are based around patient assessment and management, research and pathophysiology.

Recently, we have spent most of our time out on ambulance. I've had the opportunity to perform the new skills we've been taught on real patients, under supervision of the clinician, including cannulation and advanced airway management. It makes you realise how varied real patients are compared to mannequins. It has made me adapt the way I perform these procedures and ultimately meant I have had more questions to ask, all of which has improved the way I practise in order to provide the best patient care. I struggled at first to cannulate older patients who have veins that move around; however, with great mentorship from the paramedics, I am getting to grips with it now after finding a technique that works well for me and minimises patient discomfort. The past 12 months has been tough for us all and many clinicians have changed their practice, myself included, by trying to keep socially distanced with patients as much as possible. Having relatively little time in clinical practice this past year has meant that my approach has adapted quickly since placements restarted in September to ensure that I keep myself, my family and my patients safe—and I'm sure this will also impact how I approach patients in the future. Spending most of the last 12 months in the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), during my supporting role and as bank staff, has helped with this change as it has given me a different insight into the ambulance service and has helped with the way I communicate with patients. After delivering a baby during this time, it was a great experience to help deliver another baby out on the road, this time a healthy baby girl. Despite it being a challenging incident, I felt really privileged to be able to help that family with a special part of their lives and one that I will remember forever. Being offered the vaccine is another confidence boost that we are moving in the right direction and shows the progress we have made since last March.