The Next Step

I can only hide behind being a ‘proby’ for so long. The first year has gone so quickly and reality set in quickly. It would soon be time to take the next step in my career. At this stage I also had to wrangle with the possibility of being sent rural. I got lucky though and was assigned to Parramatta. This information was dispensed on our first day back at the school. I was very grateful to stay in Sydney, to get a station 15 minutes from home was a bonus.

There were the expected anxieties amongst the class about the day one exam. I was confident as I had a full week of solid study prior to the exam. If I didn’t know it by then I would never know it. Others weren’t as confident. These people had to be avoided as they insisted on expressing their lack of confidence. I wasn’t going to let them wreck my confidence. Most of them ended up passing well anyway.

Everybody seemed more relaxed when practicing new assessable skills. Most of these skills would have been performed on road under the supervision of training officers. It was also reassuring to learn that the ‘as per skill’ element was relaxed and the main goal of the skill became the focus. Being able to practice cardiac arrest drills and splinting unsupervised was a great plus.

New theory had to be taken on board very quickly as it would become examinable within days. A familiarity with the lecturers helped with becoming sponges to new knowledge.

We had finally made it, no longer ‘probys’, but now there is nowhere to hide. It will be an interesting couple of years.

General Ambulance Rules

1. If you could be bothered to call an ambulance at 3am you should be bothered to be transported. I don’t care how trivial it might be, more than likely we got out of bed for this call out
2. If the patient can tell you that they are short of breath in one full sentence then they more than likely not short of breath
3. If the patient complains of neck pain they shouldn’t complain of discomfort when a hard collar is applied, it’s just something we have to do
4. If the patient does something they know makes them sick then they shouldn’t expect much sympathy from Ambulance and Triage
5. If you feign unconsciousness you give us free reign to inflict pain to wake you up
6. Don’t be surprised when Towies beat us to motor vehicle accidents
7. Don’t call for an Ambulance then dislike being asked so many questions about your condition. If we didn’t ask we would not be doing our job properly
8. Don’t call us and then apologise for calling us once on scene
9. Your general practitioner can actually do more for you when it comes to trivial matters
10. If you're in police custody don't tell us your "I'm innocent" sob story. We're not interested and we'll only side with the police anyway.
    

Life Stopped, I’m Back

Almost had a month of no posts, can’t have that. It’s been a busy couple of months doing training for the Ambulance Service. So how has it been?

Process to get in
They make it hard with a big psych test followed by interviews, medical test, physical test and a whole heap of checks. Plus in your own time you need to get an LR or above licence.

First impressions
Felt like the first day of school all over again. Not really knowing anyone. Luckily I saw someone I had met during the interview process. It was handy to know at least one person just to settle the nerves a bit and break the ice with others.

Theory overload
The theoretical aspect of the course started slowly as we got all the official stuff out of the way. Come the third week and it was on. We really had to stay on top of it by being organised in our materials and our studying content.

Study
Speaking of study, I have never been the best studier. I can’t sit in a quiet room and read stuff. So having the radio on in the background worked for me. I usually had about 2-3 hrs every night so having a plan of attack was useful, 1 hr of something then a break and move onto something different.

Prac pressure
All the practical skills that were assessable were relatively easy. Performing in front of an educator proved difficult though. We weren’t up to the stage of fully back ourselves so that when an educator asked if there’s something else you would do there were some that racked their brains for further processes when a simple “I’m done” would suffice.

Exams
One thing that usually make people panic and feel like they don’t know enough to pass. Everyone had studied hard though and underestimated themselves.

Relief
I got that pass mark and handed the exam back straight away not to be seen again. Part of me wanted to go through it to see where I went wrong but it had been a tough week involving lack of sleep and high anxiety over receiving the marks back in the first place. The final exam especially had some dubious question on things we believe wasn't even covered in lectures. Everyone was a little on edge.

The Real Deal
Scary thing was that passing the final exam meant that we are all systems go to start for real on the road. For me that meant a Friday afternoon finish in class and a Saturday morning start. Probably would have preferred a day off in between but it is probably a good thing to get stuck in straight away, and not just because I have Christmas off. Knowing me I would have mulled over everything and over analysed so that when it came time to work I would have been a nervous wreck.

Life Long Friends
Not surprisingly, being stuck in an insulated environment for 8 weeks you get to make some good friends. Those that lived on campus especially were able create a firm bond.

OK!!! Maybe It Is Getting To Me

I have received a lot of rejection letters for teaching jobs for which I have applied. They have all been kept so that when I finally get a job I can see how far I’ve come.

But it is all getting a bit much as I consider whether I was meant to do teaching in the first place. There are moments when I think I am on track with God’s plan but right now I have my doubts that I am anywhere near.

Consider these moments:

• Being accepted by all three Uni’s when I thought I was surely off to Bathurst for my grad dip ed
• Being one of very few in my dip ed class to go straight into a teaching job

Then contrast with:

• Being sent to the edge during my first year of teaching, so far that I almost gave the profession away completely
• Being so close for some jobs yet being so far away

So how do you know what is God’s plan for you?

One Year On

I have now been working with the Ambulance Service NSW for just over a year as a Patient Transport Officer. It was my first major career change since starting out as a PE Teacher in secondary schools. It was not a career change that showed much foresight, as I was never sure whether I wanted to take the only chance for advancement and apply to become a Level 1 Ambulance Officer. That hesitation says to me that I shouldn’t take that step as it is one of those occupations that you need to be passionate about. No use trying it out just to see what it would be like, as lives are at stake.


Over the year I have learnt a lot. Mainly about hospital and nursing home locations and also how they work. I also get to know many nurses personally, especially at our regular stops such as Westmead discharge lounge.

I joke around with mum that I know the best nursing homes for her to be put in if that time should come. Of course I wouldn’t want it to come as even the best nursing homes can be very depressing places.

So where to now if I’m not going to AO's? Well I felt that I was being led back into teaching. However finding PE teaching jobs in Sydney is continually hard and the market is still very competitive. I may have to be satisfied with my lot as a PTO for an extended period. Unless another twist and turn comes along to take me on another journey.

Retraining Options

Recently I received a letter from the Department of Education (DET) inviting me to retrain in other key learning areas (KLA’s). It included the above slogan as motivation. I surprised myself when I even thought it might be something worth considering in the near future. I have even kept the postcard that was sent along with the letter. It is no glaringly obvious on my corkboard as a reminder. It’s a big step as if you were to ask me at the same time last year if I’d be interested in retraining I would have shot you on site (so to speak). I was so vehemently against teaching again whilst trying not to rule it out as an option. Now it is definitely on the radar of serious options if circumstances allow. Some big decisions might need to be made very soon. No doubting that I will blog about them if and when they are made.

God’s Plan or Purely Coincidence

I’ve never been a fan of the term “calling” as in "receiving your calling from God." I do believe that God has a plan for us. Whether this is any different from receiving a calling I don’t know. Perhaps it’s the same thing with a different name.

Ever since I started as a Patient Transport Officer I have been wrestling with the idea of applying to be a Level 1 Ambulance Officer (A/O). In the past month I have had the application printed on my desk waiting to be filled out. I realised that the closing date for applications March 16 so it was time to get serious or completely forget about it and look for other directions.

I finished filling it out on Monday and sent it Wednesday through internal mail. But ever since I got serious about the application something weird has been going on. For six months I have been in this job and for the most part it has been uneventful, which could be thought of as a good thing, but it can get monotonous. All until the last fortnight. We were called to not 1, not 2 but 3 assist loads for emergency cases. Here are some general details:

1. Man complaining of breathing problems. The house was a mess with clothes, cigarette butts, cans of vodka and rubbish everywhere. To top it all off he had defecated where he was lying. He was a big man and needed six of us to carry him outside onto a stretcher. For some reason this scene didn’t disgust me as much as I thought it would, I didn’t understand why.
2. Woman had fallen over and injured herself. Once again needed six of us to get her outside onto a stretcher.
3. Paint fumes were somehow distributed through the air conditioning of an office building. We were called in to potentially take multiple casualties to hospital. We ended up taking three walking patients to Blacktown Hospital where I had to do my first ever handover with a triage nurse. Meanwhile I had to get 3 sets of details for our paperwork. My partner sat back and watched for this process. I think he did it deliberately as he knew I had just submitted my application to be an A/O.

I was on such a high after these cases. I had a new found confidence of yes I can handle these situations and I may be good at this job after all. Only time will tell. It will probably take till the end of the year before I know anything.

NYE 06

For the first time ever I had to work on New Year’s Eve. I was positioned at Young Street in Circular Quay. It was something completely different from what I’m used to seeing on NYE. Here are some comments on what occurred.

The Parade
I’ve come to the conclusion that when girls get dollied up and head into the city they don’t walk, they parade around. In effect they are demanding attention, and they usually get it. I’m assuming they love the attention that they are getting but they wouldn’t let those looking know that of course.

The Drunkenness
Unfortunately there are plenty of people who believe a good time can’t be had without alcohol. Even more unfortunate is that a lot of these people don’t know how to control themselves. It is sad to see people bringing in the new year by vomiting into a plastic bag, laying down usually passed out with a drip in their arm. At Sydney hospital they had a room set out for these people where mattresses were laid out on the floor. The staff there labelled it the “Vomitarium.” One such patient that we took in is probably still wondering where he is and what he did for NYE.

The Tourists
Some visitors to this country get an unexpected change in their travel plans by getting a trip to one of Sydney’s finest health facilities. I transported one patient from Denmark and one from England. It was fun to talk to them about Australia and what their travel plans were. We were waiting at Sydney hospital for a while with a lady from Britain. We chatted for about half an hour (on & off) about things such as her son, London tourist icons, her late husbands cancer, even the British health care system. I enjoyed this even though she was a complete stranger.

The Fireworks
I missed the 9pm fireworks because that was when the aforementioned drunk patient decided to keel over in Macquarie Street. Fortunately I was able to see the 12am fireworks. We had a pretty good vantage point where we were stationed.


The Pretty Lights
I’m referring to the pretty blue and red lights on top of our vehicle that we never get to use. Well I finally got to use them for when we were in crowded situations. Most people were good at getting out of the way. Others who weren’t in control of their senses didn’t really know we were there.

Being Sent Back West
One minute we were being assigned to the station near the Imax theatre. The next minute we were being sent back west to clear out Mt Druitt Hospital Emergency Dept. Five patients were going to Blacktown Hospital so they sent 3 vehicles at the same time and it was done very efficiently. It was definitely a relief to get out of the city.

Time For Change

Last week I made a very big and tough decision that perhaps I should have made ages ago:

1. I withdrew my application for permanent employment to teach with DET, and as a flow on effect,
2. I told the Teachers Federation that I would no longer require their services (never did really)
3. I also told NSW Institute of Teachers that I don’t want to pay $20 admin fee during what they call a “leave of absence” when I won’t be teaching

All that felt quite liberating.

Of course this all means that I have become a statistic. Every new teacher has probably heard the spiel about 1 in 3 new teachers not making it past their first year. Well I’m that 1. In fact I almost didn’t make it to the end of my first year, I’m not sure if they have a statistic for that.

I had to really think about: Was it just this school or govt schools in general? If I just got a job at a better school would it make a difference? But then it’s hard to impress at an interview with that as your mindset.

I’m usually about options and having as many options available as possible, so being rid of the teaching option might seem like a strange move to make. But teaching was increasingly looking like being a bad option. It is a bit disappointing as I spent 5 years at Uni specifically to get into the profession of teaching only to have it send me to a particularly low point in my life. A low that I wish not to replicate ever again.

This action is a result of a recent contemplation regarding my teaching future. My former Deputy Principal from Greystanes High School got the Principal’s job at Westfield Sports High. This sparked my interest as I am well known to him and I thought he might be able to get me a job at there. As usual though mum gives me the harsh reality of what would be required as far as preparation, lesson planning, reports etc, and I’m brought down to earth with a thud. A much needed thud.

Memoirs of a Generalist

I have this problem when it comes to what I am going to do with myself as far as an occupation is concerned. I have already been involved in two occupations post Uni. I have also been involved and/ or interested in other occupations during school.

Journalism – I did a journalism subject in Primary School as part of the Holroyd Achievers program (with a young K Corless – unbeknownst to me at the time). I enjoy writing, this blog is proof of that and I think I could be good at it. Especially if this writing involves AFL. But jobs in this field are very competitive and you have to be very driven.

Physiotherapy – I did work experience with a physiotherapist. I thought it was what I wanted to do. Then I was told I would have to do two science subjects in Year 11/12, and then get 90+ UAI, which just wasn’t going to happen. On top of that the course is very theory oriented before you get to do any practical application. I can use my current Undergrad degree to get into a M Physio but I’m kind of glad to see the back of my Uni days, especially the studying aspect.

TV Production / Camera Operator– My introduction into movie making via iMovie sparked this interest in a possible career. But it’s not really a passion, otherwise I think I would have a camera in my hand 24/7.

Sports Administration – I was almost going to get into something relating to this at Uni. I had received an early acceptance from UWS to do a B Business Admin, with the hope of using this to get into Sports Admin. Then I realised I wouldn’t enjoy being behind a desk all day.

PE Teaching – I was certain this was what I wanted to do for the long term. I liked sport, I enjoy and know a lot about the theory side and apparently I was good at dealing with teens. One year later I wondered whether I was good at all. Five years at Uni for this? Granted I was at a “not so good” school, but there were no other jobs on offer. I had a total of two interviews from private schools from about 20 – 30 to which I had applied. One job on offer had 80+ applicants. How can a newby compete with that?

Sports Coaching – This was done in primary schools on a casual basis. If I was offered a salary then I would probably still be doing this. Instead it was hourly rates. I enjoyed only having a class for 30 – 60 mins and then bringing in new batch for the same lesson. By the 5th lesson you’ve pretty much got it down.

Patient Transport – enjoy being on the road and seeing behind the scenes of hospitals. It also offers one of my favourite traits, the ability to leave the work behind once you have finished. Nothing extra to do, nothing to take home to prepare for the next day or week. You show up, do your work and go home. There is also little stress as we are able to do the jobs in our time, no need for rushing. That being said I don’t think I can do this long term. I am a creature of routine but eventually I get sick of one routine and need something new.

Ambulance Officer – In many ways I can’t see myself taking the obvious next step from being a PTO. I have already said I don’t like being in a rush. Being an Ambulance officer involves a lot of rushing around (in a controlled manner) and thinking on your feet. This possibly brings with it a bit of stress. Also I don’t think I could stomach the emergency scenes I may attend to and administering the IV drugs I will have to give.

So it appears that I’m good at a lot of things, but excel in nothing.

Amongst all this though Philippians 4:6 keeps ringing in my head.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God

The Real Job of Teaching

I received the following in an email. Initially I thought it was going to be another junky jokey email. However, this will ring true for anyone who has stepped in front of a class.

After being interviewed by the school administration, the eager teaching prospect said:

"Let me see if I've got this right. You want me to go into that room with all those kids, and fill their every waking moment with a love for learning, and I'm supposed to instill a sense of pride in their ethnicity, modify their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse and even censor their T-shirt messages and dress habits.

You want me to wage a war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, check their backpacks for weapons of mass destruction, and raise their self esteem. You want me to teach them patriotism, good citizenship, sportsmanship, fair play, how to register to vote, how to balance a checkbook, and how to apply for a job.

I am to check their heads for lice, maintain a safe environment, recognize signs of anti-social behavior, make sure all students pass the state exams, even those who don't come to school regularly or complete any of their assignments.

Plus, I am to make sure that all of the students with handicaps get an equal education regardless of the extent of their mental or physical handicap. I am to communicate regularly with the parents by letter, telephone, newsletter and report card.

All of this I am to do with just a piece of chalk, a computer, a few books, a bulletin board, a big smile AND on a starting salary that qualifies my family for food stamps! You want me to do all of this and then you tell me...

I CAN'T PRAY?"

So Many Options

One good thing I have found early on from working as a Patient Transport Officer is that I get an insiders view to the best Nursing Homes in the area. So when mum and dad get old and frail they will be well looked after. Our Lady of Consolation at Rooty Hill is by far the best I have seen so far.

Boys & Their Toys

Boys play with Tonka trucks, girls with Barbie Dolls. As trainee Ambo’s we get to play with oxygen tanks, resus manikins, stretchers and bandages amongst other things. We have been given free license to play with these things, as it is the best way to learn. Some people thrive on the theory side of things but that will only get you so far when it comes time to actually treat someone in an emergency situation. Even though we are officially just Patient Transport Officers (PTO's) we have to be ready to respond to emergency calls, anything is possible.

Most of the first week consisted of all that stuff that we had to hear, as opposed to the stuff we have to know. For example we met a representative from the Health Services Union (HSU), the SGE Credit Union, First State Super and the Australian College of Ambulance Professionals (ACAP).

The HSU rep unsurprisingly went on to tell us how much they are doing for us. But I still struggle to see how much I will actually get out of my $400 + membership fee. I think I will get more out of my ACAP membership and that is only about $150.

Highlights thus far have been seeing inside a PTO van for the first time, meeting current PTO’s and playing around with the oxi-resus unit.

Next week sees a ride-along with a couple of real PTO’s for a day, a tag team drive in a PTO van down to the south coast, and let’s not forget my first pay cheque.

Open Daze

I attended the Sydney Uni Open Day today (Sat 26th) and made a couple of interesting observations while checking out details for a Physiotherapy course that they offer:

1. I am always on time if not early. So when I saw that there was a lecture on Physiotherapy course at 10 am I aimed to get there early. I got there at 9.50am mainly because it was cold and I forgot a jacket, also because I had nothing else there that I needed to see. Prospective students were still walking in at 10.20 and the lecturer was done at 10.30. Are these school leavers really serious about going to Uni because this is one hard course.
2. Most people reading this knows what the term "full time" means. But when it refers to Uni, full time usually means a small part of nearly every day of the week. Full time in a Physio course means 8am - 5pm pretty much every weekday. To that the reaction from the majority of the room was a jaw dropping "Woh!!" Whereas I was thinking it was about time there was an actual "full time" course, welcome to the real world school leavers. I think Uni graduates would be all alot more prductive if more courses were really full time.
   
3. Lastly, I knew I could always rely on the student union to be the only people coming up to me to give me information about themselves (and give a few chupachups).

Quest for a job

Not just any job but the job that will keep me satisfied for many years. Is it just wishful thinking?? I spent 5 years at university to get into what I thought was going to be the career job for me. Now, when I am asked in an interview, “Why do you want to be a teacher?” My mind shrivels up and is void of all thoughts to answer that questiontruthfully. I was able to come up with something better than, “I don’t know” just so I didn’t look like a complete dill, but it certainly didn’t come from the heart. You wouldn’t be surprised that I didn’t get the job from that interview.

I have recently been accepted as a trainee Patient Transport Officer (PTO) with the Ambulance Service of NSW. I’m proud of this as the process is very involved and competitive. However in the back of my mind I can’t help thinking about whether I can make a career out of it, because at the moment I’m not sure whether I can be a full on paramedic, the obvious continuation from PTO. I usually turn away at most things involving large amounts blood, which is what a paramedic might see frequently.