Few roles come with as much pressure as those within the prehospital care environment—so how do you thrive, rather than crack, under that pressure, how does this affect your performance, and what does this mean for your critically unwell patients?
In a new three-part webinar launching on 3rd June with Putting on your ‘peak performance’ pants – Top tips from our trips, Lisa Cunningham and Gaynor Wareham explore the diverse personalities that make up prehospital care and go over how to form flash teams quickly and effectively for the benefit of patients, as well as which factors can impact clinicians, potentially affecting performance and ultimately patient care.
With Mental Health Awareness Week taking place from 10-16 May, it is equally important to take stock of how prehospital clinicians themselves are impacted on the job and what can be done to manage stress. Lisa, an emergency and prehospital flight doctor, and Gaynor, an advanced paramedic practitioner in critical care, will offer their top stress busters that can be used on scene when pressure is high to optimise performance and wellbeing.
Helicopter rescue doctor, Dr Stephen Hearns, has written on the relationship between performance and pressure, and offers three potential performance states you may find yourself in depending on how you cope with the pressure.
When pressure is low, you may find yourself feeling disengaged with low levels of stimulation and therefore motivation. When pressure is too high, the cognitive demands placed upon you can exceed your cognitive capacity, leading to deterioration—both your own and that of your performance.
In an ideal situation, you have manageable levels of pressure and feel confident about your workload and your own abilities to carry out the required tasks. This is what Hearns would call your performance ‘sweet spot’.
This three-part webinar brought to you by the Journal of Paramedic Practice and supported by Galen will arm attendees with practical information and increased confidence through the experiences and knowledge of colleagues who can relate first-hand to dealing with the high-pressure situations in which you often find yourself. Gain insight into how to maximise your performance and optimise patient care, while benefitting from the camaraderie that arguably has never been more important.
Don’t miss out on putting on your ‘peak performance’ pants in the first of three webinars on 3rd June from 19:00 - 20:00BST. Register now at www.emergencymedicinewebinars.com
If you have additional queries, email nurseledconferences@markallengroup.com
About the Speakers
Lisa Cunningham, Emergency and prehospital flight doctor, Essex and Hertfordshire Air Ambulance Trust (EHAAT)
Lisa is currently finishing her fellowship in prehospital emergency medicine with EHAAT. This summer Lisa will be returning to Ireland to work in emergency medicine and as a prehospital rapid response doctor. In addition to her work at EHAAT, Lisa also sits on the board of directors of Ireland’s only charity air ambulance, ICRR. You can follow Lisa on Instagram @dr_lisa_cunningham
Gaynor Wareham, Advanced paramedic practitioner, critical care, Essex and Herts Ambulance Service/East of England Ambulance Service.
Gaynor has 18 years of prehospital care experience with East of England Ambulance Service. Five years ago, she was seconded to Essex and Herts Ambulance Service. Prior to secondment, Gaynor was a Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) team leader since the commencement of the service in 2009. Gaynor also responds as a volunteer critical care paramedic for BASICS Essex. You can follow Gaynor on Instagram @gaynor.wareham