By JONATHON HOWARD
TWO fresh graduate paramedics are learning the realities of saving lives in Noosa this year and they’ve embraced the challenge with gusto.
Airlie Paynter and Linder Van Hulssen joined the Noosa Ambulance team in March as part of a year of supervised placement.
Both women have been learning the ropes under the mentorship of more experienced paramedics.
“We have already seen a pretty good mix of the kind of jobs paramedics do every day,” Ms Paynter, 26, said.
Both of the newcomers completed university placements at various ambulance stations prior to their graduation and subsequent employment with QAS.
Ms Van Hulssen, who balances her work life with a two-year-old son, said she was eager to learn as much as she could in order to make a difference in people’s lives.
Ms Paynter said she became a paramedic after she was inspired by her mother’s work as a midwife.
“This might sound like a cliche, but I really just want to help people,” Ms Paynter said.
“I think I am learning something from each job I go to – there’s always something new.”
Ms Van Hulssen was previously a vet nurse and decided to become a paramedic because of her passion for medicine and the opportunity to help people.
“Noosa’s the best station on the coast and I’m thrilled to be here and to be making a difference in people’s lives,” she said.
Noosa Ambulance Station officer in charge Ashleigh Westerman said the station welcomed its new recruits.
“Throughout the year, they will complete on-road training and various clinical examinations under the expert guidance of senior mentors,” he said.
Mr Westerman said the demands placed on paramedics were extremely high, but keeping positive and remaining focused on patients remained the priority.
“We hope to give our students the right training to not only cope with the daily operations of life on the road, but also to keep a positive outlook and remaining patient focused.”
