u/Friendly_Carry6551

Anyone ever been part of or set up a journal club within work? I was part of one at uni and really enjoyed it, now I’m seeing an opportunity for something similar at work. Feel like having a chill space where people who are interested in research can discuss it, and those wanting to learn more can better understand it would be helpful all round.

A colleague and I are in the process of setting one up now we both work at a ‘super station’ with substantial staff numbers under one roof and any tips or experiences from people who’ve done similar would be appreciated!

Any experiences

For a bit of genuine positivity (which I think we can all do with these days) - Paramedics and Student Paramedics, what’s one thing you really enjoy / love about being a paramedic?

Been some real in interesting discussion lately about some student matters and as per (not necessarily in a bad way) it’s interesting how practices and perspectives differ across the country. Got me thinking about what the current picture is like around training and formal education for practice educators so: if you’re a practice educator for pre-reg paramedic trainees then what level of training for it do you have?

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Mine happened when I was a first-year student nurse.
I’d been asked to do a set of observations for my mentor. Most of the observations on one patient looked fairly unremarkable, but their respiratory rate was 35. I remember thinking, “That can’t be right.”
I left the room, found somewhere quiet, and counted it again. Still 35.
I went to find my mentor, who was a Band 6, and she was chatting with a doctor about something non-clinical. I interrupted and explained the observations. To my surprise, they both laughed and said it wasn’t possible.
I insisted I’d checked it twice. The doctor told me to go back and repeat it. I stood my ground and said I already had.
With a sigh, he eventually came to see the patient himself.
A few moments later, I heard the words:
“Sh*t, she’s right.”
Everything changed instantly. Bloods were taken, an ABG was done, and suddenly there was a lot of urgency around this patient. I honestly can’t remember all the clinical details now—it was years ago and my student brain was struggling to process everything that was happening. I vaguely remember the patient having oral cancer, and I remember hearing people talking about potassium. For some reason, dialysis sticks in my mind too, although I can’t remember whether they were already a renal patient or not.
What I do remember is how quickly the atmosphere changed from people laughing at my concern to everyone moving at full speed.
The patient did come back to the ward later and was okay, which was the important thing.
What has always stuck with me is that I never got an apology for being dismissed, and I never got a “well done” for spotting that something wasn’t right.
But in a strange way, I’m grateful for the lesson. It taught me early on that if you’re concerned about a patient, trust your assessment and don’t be afraid to hold your ground—even when you’re the most junior person in the room.

I’d love to hear other people’s stories.

EDIT: thank you very much everyone for sharing. I wish I could reply to every single one.

Tasmanian paramedics are currently striking, with IA taking the form of a blanket conveyance of everyone who calls to ED, regardless of clinical need. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1AqZaCShFm/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Curious to know what people’s view are on this. In my mind strikes are always going to cause some form of Pt disruption, in the case locally when we were only responding to Cat 1’s - some mis-triaged sick Pt’s slipped through the net.

By taking literally *everyone* who calls to ED that’s not happening, and it’s a very stark demonstration of how much see and treat, ED avoidance and clinical reasoning is used day to day in generalist Paramedicine. You’ve then got pressure on government not just from the ambulance trust to end the strike but also the hospital trust. Ethically I worry about the arguably inevitable harm that blanket conveyance will bring, but as a strike tactic I really respect it and wonder if it would work well here in the UK?

I just got bollocked for sending out an advice to a client with a bunch of track changes unresolved.

Can you all make me feel a bit better and share the disasters you’ve all had?