Case studies : Paramedic: Jedd

Jedd has a paramedic science foundation degree from Coventry University and currently works as a paramedic for the Great Western Ambulance Service.

My foundation degree accredited me with registration with the Health Professions Council (HPC), who regulate and monitor the practice of health professions, including paramedics. You must be registered with the HPC in order to legally practice as a paramedic in the UK.

My course was vocational, specifically designed for becoming a paramedic on successful completion. After gaining my registration I was then able to apply for paramedic posts anywhere in the UK. All posts are subject to successful interview and practical assessments of your paramedic and driving skills.

Every shift starts with a full check of the ambulance to make sure the vehicle is ready and safe to use. You must then check all of your paramedic equipment on the ambulance and ensure all of the drugs, including morphine, are signed-out of station and put onto the ambulance.

You and your crewmate are then ready to start your shift, whatever that may include! You begin by waiting on station or on stand-by at a designated spot in the city until ambulance control sends you to your first patient of the shift. This could be anything from a cardiac arrest or road traffic collision (RTC) to helping an elderly person at home who has fallen over and can’t get up.

It is therefore important that you and your crewmate are prepared for anything and make sure your vehicle and equipment checks are thorough. After establishing what is wrong with the patient and providing the necessary treatment you will then either take your patient to hospital or leave them at home and refer them onto their GP or other healthcare professional.

Shifts are usually busy and can involve attending anywhere between five to twelve patients per shift with one or two meal breaks, depending on the length of your shift. At the end of your shift you head back to station, sign the drugs back in and advise the crew taking over from you whether any equipment needs to be replaced on the ambulance.

The role of a paramedic is constantly evolving to meet changes in treatments and guidelines published by the Government and Department of Health. One recent change includes the use of a new assessment tool to help diagnose strokes.

My ambition is to complete my degree through part-time university courses. I then plan to do my Masters and then a PGCE so that I can head into education and teach university paramedic students.

Every day is different and you are able to help people when they are most in need. You are able to make independent decisions using the skills and knowledge you have learnt to make the right diagnosis and provide the most effective treatments to patients, which is very rewarding. Also, although emergency driving is challenging and takes a lot of concentration it is another fun part of the job.