Life as a locum

I have been a paramedic now for 7 years. Originally, I worked in A&E as a support assistant and would see the paramedics coming in and out. It looked like a really fantastic job helping people in their moment of crisis. I wanted to do something that I found rewarding—and it certainly has been. I knew quite early on, that I wanted to develop my career, so I studied further to become an emergency care practitioner, a role I have been in since 2016. Last year, I completed my masters in prescribing to further aid my role, which I am really proud of.

Around the same time as moving up to practitioner level, I was also thinking a lot about the pressures facing me because of work and the impact it was having on my work-life balance. I soon realised that becoming a locum could be the answer I was looking for. The level of flexibility I now have with regard to being able to pick and choose my shifts, annual leave, and also where I work, has made a massive difference to my life.