After coming across the College of Paramedics advertisement regarding an opportunity to attend a four-day wellbeing event for those members finding life tough and feeling that their mental health is being impacted, I knew I had to look into this.  I’ve been a paramedic for 18 years, primarily a front-line clinician, and I think we’ll all agree that the work of the ambulance service is almost unrecognisable from, say, 10 years ago. 

For myself, I first noticed negative effects on my wellbeing  during the pandemic; this was admittedly an extremely challenging time for the NHS but even more so for those directly working the frontline.  Most days at work involved providing care in a way we had never done before and in the most challenging environments; I still vividly remember breaking down in a patient’s house after being shouted at by a family demanding their relative be taken to hospital when, given the guidelines we were working within, this simply wasn’t possible.  This whole period was isolating, frightening and made me question my professional identify and even if the profession was still for me.  From the pandemic to now I have continued to experience ups and downs in my wellbeing, often managing the difficult times with support from my friends, who for the most are also paramedics but never sought any further help. 

On reflection I can identify several reasons why I didn’t seek further support; including the apparent stigma of admitting that I needed help, worrying that I wouldn’t be able to fit any support into my already busy work and home life and also the ongoing thought that I would feel better after my days off, but the reality was that the bad days were now beginning to out-weigh the good days. 

I’ve previously struggled with the acceptance of needing any support and the associated emotional vulnerability I felt this would bring, but after finally recognising that I ticked almost every burnout symptom documented, I began to seek help.  What drew me to the College’s initiative was the fact that it was based around peer support and seemed to offer a psychological safe environment for paramedics to come together and openly share the struggles they were feeling.  I admit I arrived at the event feeling anxious and somewhat emotional at the thought of finally addressing my wellbeing needs; however, these concerns were quickly alleviated due to my fellow peers also feeling the same and the professionalism of the coaches facilitating the event. 

Over the next four days, participants were invited (with no insistence) to engage in a variety of group and individual activities that aimed to explore the struggles individuals were facing, both professionally and personally, and provided guidance on how to help improve wellbeing.  The event facilitators had a fantastic understanding of the issues surrounding the pressures of the professions and at times this being unmanageable and more importantly for myself the detrimental effect that burnout can have on an individual.  The event provided the perfect balance of time in the outdoors, coaching, mindfulness, peer support and exceptional food; all the key ingredients for helping to maintain a positive wellbeing. 

From the initial welcome to the emotional goodbye, the event provided myself with a safe space to talk openly about my struggles with people that truly understood the impact that the role of a paramedic can have on an individual and how this at times feels a lot more negative than positive.  I came away from the event accepting that my wellbeing is likely to always fluctuate but more importantly knowing that I do have the resources to help support myself; the future is definitely looking a lot brighter. 

 I would urge any fellow members to take time to regularly check in with in their own (and where possible their colleagues’) wellbeing, and for those thinking they would benefit from some extra support then please look at the resources provided the College of Paramedics, Mind Over Mountains, TASC, Doctors in Distress and many other organisations. The paramedic profession is highly rewarding but also exposes individuals to some of the most challenging and harrowing aspects of life and the risks associated with this must not be underestimated; the need to prioritise the wellbeing of healthcare staff is a must and it’s amazing to see the College of Paramedics ongoing support with this. 

More events are scheduled regularly, and for anyone thinking about applying for a place, I would highly recommend it. These events are part of College’s Rejuvenate. Thrive. Breathe. (RTB) paramedic wellness programme, facilitated by Mind Over Mountains. 

Mind Over Mountains offers a number of events across the country that provide 
professional mental wellbeing support in an unpressured setting, whilst walking together in nature. There’s a mix of 1-2-1 time and relaxed group mindfulness sessions which give you time and space to breathe, refresh and be listened to by out qualified coaches and counsellors. There are no time constraints and no judgement – just small, friendly groups of likeminded people walking together in beautiful settings.