Berwyn Jones (Advanced Paramedic Practitioner)
The role
I work within the Advanced Paramedic Practitioner Pacesetter project, where I rotate into Primary Care, Clinical Contact Centre and on the road each week. When working in Primary Care I am based in Arfon Cluster, where I see a variety of patients in the clinic and home visits. As we are now into Phase II of this project I wanted to share my experience of starting this role, and my experiences within the first 3 months.
Starting in Primary Care
I already had experience in the CCC & on the road as I have been a Paramedic for 11 years, the Primary Care element was completely new to me, and I was excited to start this part of the rotation.
The practices in Arfon Cluster were extremely supportive, and quickly I felt like a valued member of the Cluster team.
My first 2 weeks involved a high-quality clinical induction. On my first day I was welcomed to the team and I had a one-to-one session with the administrative lead at the surgery to introduce me to the EMIS software systems and to set up all the relevant login passwords. Clinically, I had the opportunity to sit in with several different GPs undertaking patient consultations as well as other clinicians in the surgery such as audiology, practice nurses, nurse practitioners, child health services etc.
The layout of my day was then structured to undertake a morning surgery followed with home visiting in the afternoon. Reception staff were able to fill my morning slots with appropriate patients, with a focus on same day acute presentations. During the morning surgery I was allocated a supervising mentor, who I was able to access for support and guidance, it was very much an open-door policy, which was extremely helpful within my first couple of weeks.
Having access to senior clinical advice was invaluable and at no point did I feel I was making clinical decisions in isolation, there was always someone to discuss patients and any concerns with.
I must admit that I struggled with my 20 minute time slots to see patients, I was aware of the fast paced nature of General Practice, but it took some getting used to! Over time this has really improved, with mentorship and training from the Practice, I was able to focus my consultation skills to improve my time keeping.
What I have valued most about my first few weeks is the extensive supervision and mentorship I have received. With a unique blend of evidence-based practice, professional standards, and ethical practice. I particularly found the sharing of relevant experiences about own practice to be helpful to connect theory and practice. The clinical supervision provided helped me achieve, sustain and continue to develop high-quality practice which is evident in my confidence and autonomy as a clinician moving forward.
I was also the first Prescriber on the Pacesetter Project. Undertaking the non-prescribing module has provided me with the skills and knowledge needed to be responsible and accountable for the assessment of patients with acute and chronic conditions and for decisions about the clinical management required including prescribing. I can see I have been able to reduce the number of patients transported to hospital, as I have been able to manage them safely in the community.
I’ve now been working within the Pacesetter project for 18+ months, and really value the support and training I have received in the first few weeks, as it gave me a real understanding and grounding in Primary Care, which has influenced my practice within the other two parts of the rotation.