Theory into practice

It feels strange to say that I am now a second year student paramedic, especially after such an uncertain and unconventional year. However, we are now allowed back out on the ambulances, which was a great way to end my first year at university! It took a few calls to get used to new procedures regarding personal protective equipment (PPE) and to get back to the level at which I was performing just before the outbreak; however, being in the emergency operations centre (EOC) definitely helped to consolidate my understanding of call categorisation and resource management. Seeing COVID-19 on the frontline was a real eye-opener in terms of how serious an illness it is and its impact on vulnerable groups, especially witnessing the ‘happy hypoxia’ that is linked to it. This is where dangerously low oxygen levels occur with very few symptoms. The patient we attended had no difficulty breathing, was a normal colour, and had no pain anywhere, but had oxygen levels of around 55%. I enjoyed every minute of being back out on the ambulances, putting theory into practice and being face to face with patients—definitely the best aspect of the job!