I am one of 30 students that began the new internal 2-year Paramedic Science degree programme in the East of England. It is available for ambulance technicians and runs in collaboration with the University of Cumbria, who are running this with other ambulance trusts in the UK. The programme began in April 2021 and comprises 41 university contact days and a minimum of 400 supervised hours working as a student paramedic per year. The contact days use blended learning, with half being delivered face-to-face, and the other half delivered via online conferencing. University teaching is broken into short blocks, followed by a period of consolidation; practising new skills and assessment techniques out on the road—which is great for myself as a visual and kinesthetic learner.
Remote learning is delivered online via Microsoft Teams, allowing us to learn from home. It has obvious benefits such as wearing a smart top and pyjama bottoms and muting the sound for all those Amazon deliveries—but also being able to rewatch recorded sessions as needed to cement learning. Initially, it was difficult to build rapport and relationships with other students on large group video calls. However, students are gradually connecting, and I am loving seeing the camaraderie start to develop. Students are beginning to rally together to support one another. Peer support is encouraged by the university and is key to our success on the course.
The university has brought face-to-face training to the trust and saved us a long drive up the A1. In class, we are divided into peer groups of six and cover the practical skills and assessments required for paramedic practice. Being in small (COVID-conscious) groups allows for lots of hands-on practice, the opportunity to ask questions and record our simulations using our university-issued iPads. I have particularly enjoyed the Advanced Life Support cardiac arrest training. At first, it was challenging to use newly acquired skills such as gaining access and giving paramedic drugs while still managing a scene, team, and care for the patient. Although with practice, this is a skill that is coming more naturally to me.
The course began with a steep learning curve, involving lots of new theories, knowledge, and skills. The core lecturers are experienced paramedics who help to relate the challenges of academic learning and bring new theory into practice. I have had to be self-disciplined and manage my time effectively to meet the course demands. The contact days are intense; although typically running 9–5, there is an expectation to prepare for upcoming lessons and complete post-learning activities. This can be tiring when mental bandwidth is already taken up from days of learning. The lessons build on the knowledge we have already learned from working within the trust, though the more I learn, the more I recognise my clinical weaknesses and appreciate the added responsibility of being a paramedic.
Although we are students on a degree programme, we are also full-time employees of a busy trust. We are abstracted for university, though still have to meet our monthly working hours, at times having to complete a run of shifts before or following university days. At times, this can make it difficult to maintain a healthy work-life balance. It has also been quite an adjustment going back into education; I have had to manage my expectations and ego. It is strange going from being a qualified member of staff, confident and competent in your scope of practice to now wearing student epaulettes and becoming the junior on the team again. Uniquely, as an apprentice, we can work on a double-staffed ambulance. If working with a paramedic, we work as students or if paired with a non-registered member of staff, we resume our old role and scope as technicians, which takes a flexible mindset.
Ultimately, I am thoroughly enjoying the course and the opportunity to progress my career as well as my clinical practice. I do feel overwhelmed at times, studying for a degree while working in a busy trust and balancing my personal life. However, with effective time management, hard work and support from tutors, mentors, and peers, I feel confident in achieving my aim of gaining my HCPC registration.