Megan Bragg, 4 May, 2023
Paramedic science student Megan Bragg wanted to experience working with different communities and patients.
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I chose to study paramedic science because I wanted a career where I was in the community, interacting with and helping people from all walks of life.
Last year, I travelled to Townsville for three weeks for my first placement. It was definitely a highlight of my course so far. I was so surprised by how much I grew in confidence. I went from wanting to confidently take a set of vital signs in my first week, to taking full patient histories, conducting assessments and doing patient handovers at hospital in my second week, to running cases and helping put together management plans in my third week.
It was challenging at times, but so rewarding. I was able to consolidate everything I’d learnt in first year and get a taste of the role. I left Townsville feeling so excited to get into my second-year of study, and to develop the knowledge and skills I gained.
How did your studies at uni prepare you for placement?
One of the experiences in class that really stands out was the first time I acted out a scenario from start to finish, with all the equipment that paramedics carry on road. It felt so real, and it was so empowering to know that I could piece everything that I had learnt together to assess and treat a patient.
We also study subjects like Disease Processes—which consolidated everything I’d learnt in Anatomy and Physiology. The content has helped me so much on placement and in all my subjects since.
Another of my favourite topics in the course has been learning about and interpreting electrocardiograms (ECGs). It’s a graph that shows the electrical signal from the heart and we use it to check for different heart conditions in patients. Reading ECGs is such a crucial skill for paramedics to be able to do well, and when I started to understand them, it felt like such an achievement.
Why did you choose to travel for placement?
I wanted to travel outside Brisbane for placement to gain experience of working somewhere different. I have lived and worked in Brisbane all my life, and I know that a career as a paramedic could take me anywhere in Queensland, and beyond. I wanted a taste of what being a paramedic in Townsville would be like, and the opportunity to work with different patient demographics, with different kinds of resources. I was also keen to develop my independence and confidence.
How do you find places to stay while on placement?
I did some research and found that in many regional and rural towns have cheap, accessible student accommodation options to try and entice students to do their placements there. I was lucky enough to stay with family in Townsville, however, my next placement is in Warwick and I’m keen to experience the student accommodation options there.
What are you looking forward to on your next practical experience?
I’m really excited for my placement in Warwick—it’s a fair bit closer to home than Townsville, but it’s a lot smaller. Its health resources, facilities, and structure are completely different again. I’m looking forward to experiencing life in a smaller town, working with new demographic of patients, and seeing how factors such as location, population and resources shape health services in regional towns.
Advice for students going on placement
My biggest piece of advice would be to set yourself goals at the beginning of placement—have a think about the skills that you want to work on during your prac, and have them ready to discuss with your mentors on your first day. Whether it’s knowing where everything is in the ambulance or completing a patient handover at hospital. This will help guide your experience and will open a conversation between you and your mentors about what you feel confident in, what you want to focus on, and what you hope to get out of your placement.
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