International Paramedics Day is celebrated annually on 8 July. It is dedicated to celebrating paramedics and first responders around the world and the vital role they play in healthcare.
At EMAS, we’re acknowledging this year’s theme, “The Difference We Make”, by giving our paramedics centre stage to highlight the profound impact they make every single day to our patients across our region.
To kick things off, Tamsin Ryan, a paramedic in Nottinghamshire, shares her own story about what motivates her to make a difference.
Tamsin said: “When people ask what I do for work and I tell them I’m a Paramedic, most respond with ‘wow’ or ‘I couldn’t do your job’.
While many may feel that they could never be a paramedic, Tamsin says the training provided by EMAS has really helped her in her chosen career path. She started with EMAS in 2017 as a Community First Responder, which she says gave her a solid foundation to progress towards becoming a paramedic.
On this point, she adds: “The learning never stops. Experience is a combination of classroom education and exposure on the field.
“Our formal education provides a skeleton and then it’s very much up to us to put the muscles and flesh on those bones.
“Our clinical training helps us understand the patient presentation and formulate the best plan of care for them, but you must be open to continual learning.”
Tamsin explores how she makes a difference every day in her role as a paramedic.
She said: “A vast majority of our role is communicating with people, empathy, and pattern recognition – with a bit of medical stuff on top.
“It’s not just the dramatic lifesaving stuff, sometimes it’s those little bits of care and kindness.
“I always get goosebumps when I meet, or get a thank you from a cardiac arrest survivor. You must cherish the fact that someone has more time here because you played your part in the chain of survival.
“You can’t save everyone or solve all problems, but I always aim to leave people in a better position than when they called us for help.”
On being asked what makes Tamsin proud to be a paramedic for East Midlands Ambulance Service, she added: “It’s a profession that has such a positive reputation and one that people recognise.
“I love having a role where I get to help others and people are usually pleased to see me when I arrive.
“Being present at the start or end of someone’s life, or any of their worst days in between, puts us in an amazingly privileged position. People call us for help, invite us into their homes and trust us to do our best for them.
“If you ever need a reminder that you have an awesome job, just watch how kids wave at you excitedly when you drive past them on blue lights!
“I think my own children are super proud when they tell their friends or teachers that their ‘Mummy is a Paramedic’.”