Progressing as a trainee ACP

Coming into the 10th year of my career in the NHS, my daily routine has changed somewhat. No longer do I have an 8-minute response target or make calls to pre-alert A&E. I have specialised my clinical knowledge to urgent care.

I completed my paramedic practitioner training in the ambulance service achieving a post-grad certificate in advanced practice in minor injury and illness. I soon moved to an urgent treatment centre. The change to a hospital environment was a huge learning curve—not only in terms of managing effective flow of patients through the department, but also handling more than one patient at a time while supporting junior colleagues or students. My role involved taking a comprehensive history, examining patients, ordering investigations, making a diagnosis, planning care, administering treatment or medication via patient group directives, then discharging patients safely. If required, I would refer patients to secondary care, either to orthopaedics, A&E, medicine, surgery or acute paediatric wards. The role was varied and allowed me to gain competence and confidence in advanced skills such as musculoskeletal examinations, wound closure, x-ray interpretation and Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations (IRMER).