In Conversation with Paramedic, Olivia Johnson ('18)

Olivia generously shared her journey into this challenging and rewarding profession, offering thoughtful and inspiring insight into the experiences that have shaped her career. Through her responses to a series of questions, Olivia's resilience, determination and compassion shine through. She is an impressive young woman, and I am delighted to share her story with our Old Girl community.

1. Why did you pursue this career? What interested or drew you to this industry? Has it been what you expected it to be? 

I actually have a pretty boring answer to this question, I decided I wanted to be a paramedic in primary school, and for whatever reason, the idea just stuck. I did try another degree, but quickly realised it wasn’t for me, and I kept coming back to paramedicine. There wasn’t one particular thing that drew me to the profession. I genuinely love helping and meeting people. Unfortunately, sometimes I meet people under difficult or unimaginable circumstances, but I think there is something really special about being trusted to be part of someone’s most vulnerable moments. I love the variety of the job as no two days are the same, and the role takes you to so many different places and introduces you to so many different people and situations. It is not quite what my primary school self-imagined. However, throughout university, we completed clinical placements which definitely showed us the realities of the job and help set realistic expectations. I’ve never really been someone who could picture myself in a traditional nine-to-five office job, so being a paramedic has felt like the perfect fit. I genuinely love what I do, and I feel very fortunate that the career I dreamed about as a kid has turned out to be something I love in reality 

2. How did you get to where you are today? How challenging was it to pursue your career and what were the study requirements like?

My pathway into paramedicine started at university in another degree which I didn’t really enjoy, and I kept thinking about being a paramedic. I decided to stay in my first degree so I could use my GPA to apply for paramedicine. Truth be told, I definitely wasn’t an A-grade student throughout high school and didn’t have the OP to apply straight into paramedicine, so I used my GPA from my first year of university. I transferred into a dual degree of paramedic science and nursing which is four years; however, there is also a single degree which is three years. The degree combines clinical placements, practical and theoretical units.

I think the most challenging part about the degree was managing full-time university study requirements and full-time clinical placements as well as trying to have a social life, work and everything else. The university I went to did three six-week blocks of on-road placement alongside theoretical requirements. Placement was also considered an assessment and totalled over 700 hours. I also did an additional 700 hours for nursing in various hospital settings. Once you graduate (just when you think it is over!) you apply for jobs, and each state has different requirements. However, most of them require you to do a graduate program. This is different from university as you are now employed full-time, but the graduate program provides a structured and supported environment to help you transition from university to full-time work. There are a few assessments, but the main focus is developing your clinical skills, confidence and decision-making. 

3. What does the role of paramedic entail? What does the day-to-day work look like in this role?

I work in metropolitan Sydney, and every day is different. We work 12-hour shifts across days, afternoons and nights.

We generally start our shift at our home station, where we check an ambulance and then sign on. After that, the day can take us anywhere. Emergency calls are received by call takers, categorised according to priority and then dispatched to crews. Throughout a shift, we can attend several jobs, ranging from general medical presentations to falls to car accidents and everything in between.

Paramedicine has definitely evolved towards community-based care. Not every patient needs to go to hospital, and part of our role is assessing what care is most appropriate for the patient. Sometimes that means treating a patient at home, providing advice or referring them to their GP or another healthcare service. Some shifts we might not use our lights and sirens at all, and there are jobs where we might not even need to get equipment out of the ambulance. Other days can be much more demanding clinically.

I think that’s what makes the role so unique you never really know what will happen. Nothing is guaranteed, not even finishing on time! It can make the job unpredictable and challenging, but that variety is also what keeps it interesting. You are constantly meeting different people, managing different situations and learning something new.

4. Do you have any advice for any other Old Girls who may be interested in pursuing a career like yours?

I think if it’s something you’ve genuinely considered pursuing, then give it a go! The degree and the nature of the job will give you a pretty good idea early on as to whether it’s the right career for you. For me, the hardest part was taking that first step and actually starting the degree. Talk to people in the profession and do your research into what being a paramedic actually involves, because it’s not always what you see on TV. Seek out opportunities to gain exposure, whether that’s through volunteering, work experience or simply asking lots of questions. The more exposure and experience you can get, the better understanding you’ll have of the realities of the role

If you do decide it’s the career for you, my biggest piece of advice is to always look after yourself. Make time for hobbies, relationships and things you enjoy outside of work. It’s an incredibly rewarding career, but it can also be challenging.

By Norma Tucker (’66, nee Wight)