As a group of students prepares to graduate from the Paramedic Academy in Kelowna, they are being tested one last time.
The students are taking part in emergency simulations that resemble real-life situations as much as possible.
The staged scenarios are designed to prepare the up-and-coming first responders for all kinds of medical emergencies.
“Training yourself to be freaking out on the inside but completely calm on the outside,” graduating student Nicole Campbell said. “You have to portray confidence and calm to your patients so that they feel confident and calm.”
Lead Instructor Colin Zoobkoff says it takes a special character to become a paramedic with empathy topping the list of traits.
“A lot of the students that come here think it is for the excitement and skill set and for this job they see on television and as they go through the program, they realize while there is a little bit of that component, the majority of this is helping someone in their time of need,” Zoobkoff said.
After graduating, the students do a three month practicum responding to actual emergencies alongside other paramedics before applying for their licence.
The primary care paramedic program is offered by the Justice Institute of British Columbia.
Comments