Paramedics gain vital experience in local secondary care settings

Paramedic learners from the University of Huddersfield have gained valuable experience on two-week placements in secondary care settings at local hospitals.

The students were supported by clinical education teams at Mid Yorkshire Teaching Hospitals and Calderdale and Huddersfield Foundation Trust.

Showing the paramedic learners the typical pathways of care that their ambulance patients would experience after they have arrived in hospital is a vital part of training, "so that the learners can understand their patients experiences and the roles that their colleagues in the wider multidisciplinary teams undertake," said paramedics’ placement officer Emily Breen.

Staff in these clinical areas received briefings and guides to the students’ learning outcomes from Emily Buchanan, a paramedic academic, along with the organisation’s clinical education teams to make the experiences as supportive as possible for all involved.

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Feedback from the staff and students reported that the initiative was a positive experience, helping both the students and clinical staff in understanding each other’s roles with the students being perfect representatives of the university and their profession.

“All placement officers took the time to involve me,” one of the students said. “I would recommend students go with an open mind and take what learning points they can from the experience.

“The labour ward, same day emergency care, cardiology and theatre placements were all very welcoming. The clinicians I shadowed were very informative and keen to pass on experience and knowledge.”

Bethan Hebbard, Head of Practice Education for Allied Healthcare Professionals, added, “I would like to thank everyone involved for their efforts in supporting and embracing this placement and its future development. Quality placements in secondary settings are key to paramedic science curriculum and to achieving our goal of meeting paramedic workforce demand.”