No we are trained reptedly I just happen to be the yougest most are 16. And trained at the emergency first responder level. I just started last mid year.
Do you happen to be a St John's Volly?
Look mate, I agree 100% with firetender. 14 or not, I didn't read anything that suggested to me that you panicked. Could you explain how you actually feel you panicked and buggered things up because of it?
Anyway, anxiety on the job is perfectly normal for new comers in any job let alone pre-hospital care. I'm 23, I've finished my paramedic degree and I'm a year into the job and just about to take my qualification exams. I consider myself confident and competent but I'm still very new. I frequently still feel nervous at jobs. Its nothing to be worried about. There are numerous coping strategies:
a. I tell all my volly students in regards to CPR (but any job really):take a deep breath before you go into/on your way to the job. I mean
actually take several big deep breaths +/- eyes closed. It does help.
b. When you're training/studying, run through scenarios in your head. Lots of them. Not just what the text book says and what you have to do to pass exams. I mean actually speak out loud like you're 6 and pretending you're an army man fighting the nazis. Role play the actual words and actions in real time in as many situations as you can think of. Watching house and they're breaking the news about a death from super lupus? Figure out how
you would do that (try not to just copy them obviously). Sitting on the bus and you see and old bloke? Imagine if he had a seizure. What would you do? Again, not just "Clear the area of hazards, put them on their side and call 000". I mean would you move forward immediately? Would it be fast or slow? What would be your first priority? What if someone else also tried to help? Who would you ask for help? Would you stop the bus at the next stop? Would you move him off the bus or leave him there? Do it until you're happy. It can fill you with confidence, but its not a golden bullet. It could alternatively just fill you with more anxiety, but its a technique associated with the idea of positive visualisation that has worked well for me and many other students I know.
c. On the scene, esp when you feel nervous, try speaking acting and thinking slower than what you feel is required of the scene. Invariably, you don't need to be doing things or speaking as quickly as you think you do.
If you take a moment to be self aware, slow your rate of speech and movement down a little, you might find everything works a little better and people are in fact calmed by your 'slow and steady wins the race' approach. Then take a moment to sum things up in your head. Its not an episode of ER. You don't need to (and shouldn't be) running, yelling or moving any faster than anyone else while they're at work. It is in fact important that you don't. As I say.... tortoise and the hare...who won?
PM me if you wanna chat about it. I teach first aid and first responder vollies, some of whom are quite young and I'm very interested in how you teach people who are not professionally involved in medical emergencies, and often young and inexperienced, how to be calm and rational in these situations.
Its something that is sorely lacking in the courses/classes and I'd like to hear more about your particular experiences.
