Update

[Timmy]

Just a quick update on life because I've been quiet sedate on the EMS forum scene for some time!

I graduate as an RN in less than two months! It's quiet exciting, we have 3 exams left and 6 assignments. The two major exams (pharmacology and anatomy) which I struggled with have passed so it's smooth sailing from here on in!

I can't wait to finish, I'm sick to death with all the politics, harassment and belittling my hospital has portrayed to the 2 students they employ. For anyone who doesn't know, I've been part of a trail program to attract nurses to rural areas. The local hospital employs us for 24 hours a week and we spend 16 hours in class (all paid for) with full week blocks of class at staggered intervals through out the 2 years. Both myself and the other student have had to make contact with the union 9 times which resulted in the hospital being investigated. We've been subjected to working overtime with no pay, our pay rates didn't match the award rates, we've been used as part of the clinical skills mix and multiple other problems, some of which have not yet been resolved.

I almost resigned from the program because on my community health rotation I headed up a program (with the help of the community health nurse) aimed at rural youth in this area. Were in a major drought here and farming is a pretty rough lifestyle choice at the moment. Suicide and morbidity problems in the farming environment are high. There's government supported programs which aim at giving money to some farmers but there was nothing aimed at youth. I did some research, managed to secure some funding and we started a program which encumbered doing welfare checks on some at risk youth, suicide prevention and mental health awareness, making sure they were ok at school and had the right stationary ect, getting them involved with local sporting clubs all this aimed at increasing social needs by providing some funding and support to make it possible. The hospital decided to pull our funding and direct it to other resources (aka, there flash executive cars and stupid things like this!) this meant the termination of the program which resulted in a youth suicide! I was so angry and lost all faith in the healthcare system.

Anyway, not to beat the drum and carry on to much but they could have tried to make our experience a little more pleasant. My contract with them ends in October and this is when I plan to leave that horrible place! I've applied for a job in a major hospital 45mins from my town as an acute care nurse. It's a rural trauma and major referral centre for this area which beats a crappy rural hospital with 30 acute beds, 4 ED beds and a sour, burnt out nursing contingent. The job is only nurse bank working across acute medical and emergency but I'm starting my Front Line Emergency Care Course at the end of this year so I'm hoping that will lead to permanent shifts in the ED.

Finally they opened a paramedic course in a rural town here! (2 hours from my town) Its a bachelor of health science and master of paramedic practise which I had no hesitation in applying for as soon as applications opened! So, figures crossed I get in. I'm a little nervous and was apprehensive about apply for a masters program but why not, you never know until you try I guess. I'm also doing a Diploma of Management and Diploma of Training and Assessment via distance education, which is a little dry and not related to healthcare but will open a few opportunity down the track in management and teaching.

Anyway, mini essay over. I hope to contribute a tad more to the forums! See ya'll around.

[Richard B the EMT]

Wow. All that, and that major wildfire fighting, too. You've been busy!

[Lone Star]

Timmy,

Now you can take a couple deep breaths and rest your little fingers for a while!

Good luck on getting into the paramedicine program. I've got one more quarter to do for my EMT-I, then I need to decide whether to move directly into the paramedics program, or do the core classes toward my Associates Degree. Either way, I WILL get that degree!