Paramedic Week: Celebrating the commitment of Quebec paramedics
On behalf of all the paramedics in the province and the flight paramedics at Airmedic, it’s our pleasure to wish you all a happy Paramedic Week 2023.
All paramedics already have a highly developed sense of resourcefulness. Indeed, this dynamic profession demands great flexibility, since the scope of practice is so broad. However, to be a flight paramedic, you have to raise the bar a notch. We often work in unorganized, remote and isolated areas. On site, we have to provide care in partnership with our nursing colleagues, to meet the patient’s needs, whatever the circumstances. What’s more, our province’s harsh climatic conditions frequently add an extra challenge.
Essential teamwork for patients
Working in partnership with pilots, central coordination, ground staff, managers and on-call physicians ensures the best outcome for the patient. Paramedics’ knowledge of pre-hospital care differs greatly from hospital care. Our role is to :
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manage the scene and ensure the safety of those involved;
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rapidly target priority interventions ;
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establish a helping rapport or medical assessment depending on the urgency ;
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respect care corridors to deliver the stable patient to the proper hospital.
It’s this expertise that represents our real added value.
It’s vital to be familiar with our working environment. The helicopter becomes our stabilization room. We need to know exactly where every piece of medical equipment is, so we can intervene quickly. In addition, all aspects of safety, both on the ground and in the air, are an integral part of our daily work. A good flight paramedic is involved in the training process to master the jargon specific to aviation.
A unique and rewarding profession
Being part of an aeromedical evacuation crew is a privilege. Day after day, we offer our professionalism to ensure that patients receive the best care, anywhere in the province.
Our role also involves supporting professionals in and out of hospital. Scene management, stress management, leadership and providing solutions for evacuations are just some of the roles that enable us to demonstrate the importance of our expertise in the hostile environments of airborne missions.
Training the next generation and developing the profession
In Quebec, the flight paramedic profession remains underdeveloped. That’s why it’s important for us to continue to train ourselves through in-house training courses that we share with nurses and respiratory therapists, but also to promote learning and discovery of this profession through the creation of training courses. That’s why, in collaboration with our partners at Airmedic and the expertise we’ve developed over the years in other provinces and countries, we continue to train and prepare the next generation of this ever-growing profession.
In this Paramedic Week, we’d like to thank all our colleagues, healthcare professionals, managers and collaborators who, through their trust, offer us the privilege of being part of this small handful of paramedics flying in Quebec. A huge THANK YOU.
Happy Paramedic Week to all!
Jennifer Morrison and Émilien Campos.
