No one could have guessed that one of the greatest challenges involved in becoming a Paramedic in Australia would come from the patients they are treating.
Every paramedic is aware of the many dangerous situations that they will inevitably find themselves in when attending to emergencies of all kinds. Paramedics are trained to respond with courage and compassion, even when there is a danger or risk associated with providing the medical care that their patients need. Many would say that personal risk and danger is part and parcel of becoming a paramedic in NSW.
Recent events, however, have raised the alarm within this highly respected emergency medical industry. Within the space of 24 hours 3 paramedics were allegedly assaulted while trying to carry out their duties.
In response to this recent spate of paramedic assaults the NSW ambulance chief Ray Creen has gone on record saying, “Our paramedics are being punched, spat on, physically threatened and terrorised… It is unconscionable that they are heading out with a view to rendering medical assistance and ending up requiring treatment themselves.”
It is crazing to think that becoming a paramedic in NSW now carries the risk of being attacked or assaulted by the very people you are venturing out to help.
One of the incidents include a paramedic that was allegedly punched in the face by a patient: a 50-year-old man. The NSW paramedic was then taken to Ryde Hospital to be treated.
Another situation involved two paramedics that were threatened by a 33-year-old man who attempted to punch them as they treated him at a home in Dee Why.
In Campbelltown a male paramedic was punched in the abdomen by a man trying to break into an ambulance. And the incidents seem to be getting more bizzare and worrisome as they surface; with reports of patients threatening paramedics while wielding screwdrivers and also flicking blood at them.
This is not the kind of news that the Ambulance Service of NSW wants to be associated with becoming a paramedic in NSW, and NSW ambulance chief Ray Creen has voiced his commitment to ensure that this kind of behavior towards paramedics is not tolerated and ceases.
This is certainly proof that becoming a paramedic in NSW is not for the faint-hearted. Despite the many volatile and dangerous circumstances our paramedics face, they are trained to handle them with professionalism.
If you would like to know more about getting the best paramedic training from the industries leading paramedic instructors, contact the Australian Paramedical College today on (07) 5520 2522.
Becoming a paramedic in NSW may not be for everyone, but one thing is certain – it certainly takes an exceptional individual to join their respected and fearless profession.
[sc:FooterBanner1 ]