Wellbeing
Mental health
The student journey and the career you have chosen can put a strain on your mental health. With full time study, keeping on top of assignments and the requirement to meet the demands of shift patterns they can all have an impact. Reaching out and being open is so vital to your wellbeing as is being aware of how your peers around you are doing. IT IS OK TO NOT BE OK!
A chat with your peers is sometimes enough to just vent a little of how you are feeling and to have that comradery of knowing you are in it together and often have the same worries or concerns. However, if you are finding that you are having feelings of isolation, stress, hopelessness or depression then you should reach out to specialised services. Many of these are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. These can be found online, telephone or text services. Your university may also have their own services available to you and often the Students Union can also assist in directing you to the appropriate area.
If at any point you find that you or someone you know are feeling like you may harm yourself or are having suicidal thoughts please dial 999 for immediate help.
TASC (The Ambulance Staff Charity)
TASC is a wellbeing hub for ambulance staff. There is a 24-hour support line for anyone in crisis 0300 373 0898.
For non-urgent assistance, you can contact TASC by phone on 02477987922 or by email: support@theasc.org.uk.
Mental health stigma
Mental health, just like our physical health, uniquely affects us all. Although challenges to mental health are experienced by a quarter of the population at some point in their lives (WHO, 2023), significant stigma still remains around talking about our mental health difficulties and reaching out for support.
Research tells us that for those who work in healthcare, this stigma is generally more widespread. For paramedics, this can amount to worry and anxiety for fear of judgement at disclosing mental health difficulties and concern as to how this may impact their career, job chances etc.
However, much work has been undertaken to address this within organisations such as the ambulance service and there is more understanding of staff mental health issues and support available nowadays.
As a healthcare professional, it’s important to hold in mind our humanness, and that in providing compassionate care, sometimes in difficult circumstances, as well as dealing with other aspects of the role such as shift work, has the potential to impact us in different ways. Therefore, each and every one of us has a part to play in challenging mental health stigma and to promote a supportive environment where we all feel able to share when our mental health has taken a knock, and to feel that we will be supported when we need it.
Helpful tips for challenging stigma include:
Being aware of our emotional responses, practicing self-care and proactively seeking support is at the heart of practicing as a healthcare professional.
Transition shock
Often leaving the safe and familiar environment of the university can be very challenging as you embark upon your next chapter as a registrant. It can be normal to feel overwhelmed and apprehensive as you start to practice autonomously.
You are not alone! During this time of transition, self-care and self-compassion strategies are so important to nurture your identity outside of work. Try to share how you are feeling with colleagues, preceptors, and team managers to share your experiences as this will help you navigate the uncertainty and build confidence in your practice and resilience.
Burnout
When intense stress reaches long-term impact, we can reach the point of complete physical and mental exhaustion, so much so that we can become quite disillusioned with our work, study, and life in general. Burnout is characterised in terms of feeling absolutely drained, as though there is nothing left in the tank, feeling negative, nonplussed about, or detached from work and/or study, feeling that tasks are difficult to accomplish, and/or that personal job performance has declined.
Whilst research shows that longer serving paramedics are more likely to experience burnout when compared with those with less service, it is something to bear in mind as you enter practice as you may be able to help others in recognising burnout in themselves.
Examples of situations that could be attributable to burnout in paramedics include shift working and long shifts, long periods of limited activity – such as queuing with patients, and experiencing abuse of staff or of the healthcare services.
Compassion fatigue
Compassion fatigue can occur when we have prolonged exposure to emotive situations that demand compassionate responses. Compassion fatigue is usually specific to health and social care environments and take place in addition to burnout, which although similar, is applicable to a variety of work environments and is usually related to the operational demands e.g. shift work and work volume and results in mental and physical exhaustion.
Compassion fatigue and burnout will be unique to each paramedic, but some signs may include:
- Feelings of irritation or frustration
- Feeling exhausted
- Feeling guilty or overwhelmed
- Lack of motivation for the role
- Difficulty with concentration and decision making
- Changes to sleep and appetite
- Physical signs e.g. headaches and nausea
Strategies that may help with support and prevention of compassion fatigue and burnout include:
- Making time and space for you outside of work
- Trying to maximise sleep and eating a balanced diet
- Taking your breaks where you can
- Connecting with colleagues and friends
- Talking to someone you trust
Collaboration with the Mind Blue Light Programme (although central funding for this has now ended, legacy work ongoing and we are still linked with Mind through Time to Change pledge) to raise awareness of the mental health challenges of blue light work and work to reduce the associated stigma.
Need to think about this aspect of being a paramedic as much as keeping physically well, have strategies to keep yourself well, identify any personal triggers and know where and how to seek help if needed.
Other mental health support links:
Where to find Information about how your University can support you
Download the PDF below to view the HEI Contacts. Please note the nature of this information is subject to change. Please check your contact details locally.