Follow nine University of Northampton Paramedic Students as they embark on their first work placements with East Midlands Ambulance Service mentors
Monday, 24 February, 2014
“Eight minutes to get to the scene, 12 minutes to save a life”
A BBC Three award-winning production team who were behind the ‘Junior Doctors:- your life in their hands’ have worked with The University of Northampton and East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) to produce a brand new series, ‘Junior Paramedics.’
The series, Junior Paramedics follows nine University of Northampton Paramedic Science Students, documenting their relationships with their mentors as they embark on their first work placement for their Foundation Degree Course and learn what life is really like on the front line.
In the first episode the students move away from their home comforts to the University of Northampton and after just eight weeks in the classroom, meet their mentors and start their placements. The mentors, from EMAS play a huge part in the student’s development, supporting them as they respond to emergency 999 calls, assessing their skills and competence to grade their performance. The nine student paramedics begin to work gruelling 12-hour shifts and start responding to real life emergencies throughout Northamptonshire and Leicestershire.
Junior Paramedic, Bryn Griffiths said: “Getting your first call from ambulance control is really nerve wracking; you never know what situation you are going to be responding to. When faced with my first patient the pressure was on, as I had to put my skills from the classroom into practice on a real person.
“On the way to jobs Charlotte was really supportive and talked me through the situations we were about to face. My academic knowledge was always being tested with every new patient and new environment.”
Charlotte Lewis, paramedic mentor said: “Being a mentor is really rewarding, you are able to share your knowledge and experiences with the student and watch as they grow and develop. It’s all about providing support and assisting the student as they learn what life is really like on the front line.”
Bob Willis, Subject Lead for Paramedic Science said: “Student Paramedics are out on their first clinical placement eight weeks into their course at the University of Northampton; this allows the students to translate the academic elements they have learned so far in to practice early on during their studies. This is the first placement experience which, along with shared learning with other Healthcare Professionals across a range of specialist and general clinical areas, enhance the students' experience and develops the skills set they need as they enter the profession.”
The trailer can be viewed on youtube: http://youtu.be/sYO3nfHjGQ0
