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whitewriterI realised why I stuck around with SJA for all these years.
That reason, is the Sydney Royal Easter show (SRES) (free entry, interesting people, good food, crazy happenings).
Also, it looks good on your resume- they gave me a lot when I was a student in terms of experience and references - and I want to give back to my community.
Unlike my parents who never did community anything (in their jaded migrant ways) - I would have loved to have been a cadet as an 8 year old. I knew about them in my teens but didn't really "get" what they were all about - until I hit uni. I was super flaky for the first two years but when I committed to doing it properly and aiming to get my ten years service award. I committed hard core.
That 10th year is this year. Did SJA keep proper records of 2010-2014? Shockingly, no.
But I kept my own very specific written records of those years. I listed every duty, location and length of time each year at the back of my diary and ensured I hit the minimum hours to be considered efficient.
So on the background of me having to put in a stat dec to prove my 10 years of service, I gave up another 3 days of paid work (approximately $750 AUD after taxes) or 3 days of relaxation to attend the SRES.
This year, was the first SRES they put me onto transport and I had a ball. So much so that I signed onto a 3rd day after the 2nd.
Wednesday
Mervin gave me a 10 min crash course on how to ride a buggy then threw me the keys and decided I was driver that day.
It was a shitmagnet of a day.
We went to visit a post- ya know, just to say hi- and when we turned up they're like oh and they've just gone to a patient around the corner in the dog show ring. A man has fainted.
So we get there. The first aiders had just arrived and when they saw us (Paramedic and nurse transport duo) they immediately gave us to treat. I was like, well, do you actually need us? Whats your assessment of the situation -
just cause we are here doesn't mean you can't handle it. We only just came to make sure your all good. Not because we think we're needed.
(This - we should be given all clinical work since we're "better than" xyz is an odd feeling I grapple with more in SJA). So I do a set of obs.
His pulse is 40.
He, looks about 70.
We offer to do a 12 lead ECG for him back at the medical center - he's not keen to leave his dog, so I offer to do it in the corner if he doesn't mind to expose his chest for us. He obliges. The printout doesn't look great. I see possible ST depression, maybe some William Morrow action going on.
MR low pulse admits he doesn't feel great.
We take him back to the medical centre.
There are a few other transports and reviews.
In the last hour of our shift, we get called to the sheep shed in search of a 21 yr old male with severe abdominal pain.
He's nowhere in sight.
We get more intel that he's at Bodeam's grill which is about 200m from the sheep shed (nowhere near it, basically). Mervin realises where Bodeam's grill and he drives us.
When we arrive - the comms is asking for a sitrep hard. All I see is a young male, conscious, breathing and the paramedic has put a canula in which looks like its half falling out. He's given morphine and he wants flushes with 10ml syringes but he has none.
Well. I have some. Then there's ondansteron too.
The young boy, is screaming the house down.
HE has a hospital arm band on, and it comes out he's had recent surgery. Apparently he has bandages on his abdomen. I didn't see those because I was too busy priming a line into a pump set.
Actual paramedics(not SJA volunteer ones) soon show up - and we help load him from our crappy manual stryker stretcher to their motorised one.
The day ends with the commissioner calling us into a debrief as to what happened in the situation and why there was so little communication from the scene over the radio back to comms.
I changed clothes and walked around the show for a couple of hours. -- looking at all the arts and crafts exhibits and all the items that won awards.
I had way too much food - fairy floss, and award winning pie and finally got to have a Country Women's Association (CWA) scone! I get so many questions about where to find the CWA stall and I defiantly know the answer. I took a scone and a lamington home because it just became all too much.
I didn't get to eat it until Saturday night and was ridiculously surprised that the scone only required 15 sec in the microwave and it was fantastic.
Thursday
I was with a newbie this time - another paramedic grad who was working for a private company because once again; they couldn't get a position with NSW Ambulance.
The day was pretty quiet, we roamed around.
The crowd was small, and by small I mean 40,000.
The max number is 62,000 (due to covid). The pre-covid max is 120,000
Apparently even overseas visitors come to SRES. -- tour busses drop people off at the gate! I find that so interesting. They do have a lot of displays of Australian farm life. Sheep sheering competitions. Wood chopping competitions. Dog, sheep, cattle, etc. competitions. Farm displays of regional produce.
I think we ended up doing only one transport.
The only negative were all the paramedic graduates lamenting how hard it is to get a job with the public ambulance service after doing their paramedicine degree.
I fell for the idea of a show bag and bought the Office one.
I also fell for the poor staffing at SRES - and stayed until 19:30. Which meant we didn't get dinner vouchers because we were covering everyone else's dinner.
However one of the nearby stalls gave away their pastries at the end of the day so I got a free vego pie.
Friday
This time I was placed with another long term SJA member, someone I actually knew -- James--- and whilst he's a graduate, he's one with a job related to his studies- in the police force.
We had a good time catching up. He told me all about the police, what they do.
It astounded me how little training they get with regards to their weapons. They get half a day of practice prior to a yearly test.
-- if they wanted to do more; that would be on their own steam to join a shooting club and have their own weapons and attend their own training.
Their roster is also interesting. 4 days on straight: and only 2 nights a month.
SO far he likes it.
I tried to give him a cautionary tale about the pt who had PTSD from the Redfern Riots that will take me a long time to forget. I don't think he quite got it. I don't think anyone understands PTSD until they are confronted by it face to face.
We transported someone who should have been a code 23 down from outside the Dome to ACMC. The trigger was his temperature (38 degrees). He felt faint, and when BERT got there - they found his Sats at 87%. They put him on 15Ls. We got there. I saw he was febrile. recent Hx. = covid Vaccine yesterday (astra zenica) overall Hx = seizures and non-verbal (permanent GCS 11). E4V1M6. Did I ask any of the covid questions? No. Did anyone else at the scene pick it up?... also a no. Could he have answered? no. He didn't seem to be in respiratory distress but then again Sats of 87 (apparently). I contemplated taking him off the oxygen to see if the Sats was really that low. -- to question the initial assessment. But I decided to trust my colleagues.
Once again, when they see your epilets say "registered nurse" on them, they just figure you'll take over and sort it all out. That you don't make mistakes (not true) that you'll call out any mistakes (sure, if I realise them). Anyhow. So.
Turns out he gets "turns" and his Sats magically recovered when we get to ACMC. His temp is 37.6 now (raised but not 38 degrees). They decide its a vaccine reaction.
You'd think they'd temp check people on entry- but they don't.
By the end of the 3rd day riding around in the buggy in the sun and the rain (there's a little roof on it, which was great when it rained - everyone scattered and we'd just huddle in the buggy)-- I was more than a little tired.
I spent $90 on CWA tea towels. 2 for me, and 4 for gifts.
The day ended with us being called for multiple clinical reviews - one to an 8 yr old that had fainted for "about a minute" as per her parents report - but had since woken after they poured water on her face.
Her observations looked okay.
She hadn't had much to eat or drink today. They were waiting in lines in the sun, at the time she fainted. Her temp was raised, but after 30 mins in the airconditioned first aid demountable- it had come down. She had only peed once all day. I talked to the parents and her about fluid intake, and about keeping her pee like "lemonaide" and not like "fanta" I asked if she felt better (she did) explained they should go get food, and stay in the shade - and to come back if it happened again. They were happy with this. Why the first aiders couldn't trust their own initial conclusion (dehydration/heat stress) - plus, there isn't a whole lot more we can do - I gave her an ice pack to keep her cool - but at the end of the day with that case, I hoped I made the right decision. The kid looked absolutely fine to me. The red flag was the only peed once all day (it was 15:30). I don't work in paeds. I also got pulled into splinting a "broken finger" because the first aider thought it was out of their "Scope of practice" -its just a pack and support scenario. We don't carry cardboard splints anymore - so I "splinted" the fingers together (honestly, It's been that long since I did a refresher on fracture first aid so I hoped I did it right) - gave her an ice pack - and advised her to go get an x-ray because, well we're first aid not fix it aid.
A first aider could have done that .... but anyway. Another example of when I arrive to a job; people just let me do it because they think I'd do whatever it is: better.
Being on transport meant that I was kept out of feet of the ancient M. Vincent.
SJA takes me out of my comfort zone.
People don't realise that when you specialise in nursing; you really do specialise. I don't assess 8 yr old children in my day job. I'm used to my trolley, and my equipment and my bedspace. But at SRES - you are expected to assess (and potentially refer) anything. Keeps me on my toes.
Hope that kid was okay and that my assessment was correct. On my way home I thought of other reasons why she might have fainted. VSD came to mind. You'd think by 8 yrs of age it would have been picked up already...
That reason, is the Sydney Royal Easter show (SRES) (free entry, interesting people, good food, crazy happenings).
Also, it looks good on your resume- they gave me a lot when I was a student in terms of experience and references - and I want to give back to my community.
Unlike my parents who never did community anything (in their jaded migrant ways) - I would have loved to have been a cadet as an 8 year old. I knew about them in my teens but didn't really "get" what they were all about - until I hit uni. I was super flaky for the first two years but when I committed to doing it properly and aiming to get my ten years service award. I committed hard core.
That 10th year is this year. Did SJA keep proper records of 2010-2014? Shockingly, no.
But I kept my own very specific written records of those years. I listed every duty, location and length of time each year at the back of my diary and ensured I hit the minimum hours to be considered efficient.
So on the background of me having to put in a stat dec to prove my 10 years of service, I gave up another 3 days of paid work (approximately $750 AUD after taxes) or 3 days of relaxation to attend the SRES.
This year, was the first SRES they put me onto transport and I had a ball. So much so that I signed onto a 3rd day after the 2nd.
Wednesday
Mervin gave me a 10 min crash course on how to ride a buggy then threw me the keys and decided I was driver that day.
It was a shitmagnet of a day.
We went to visit a post- ya know, just to say hi- and when we turned up they're like oh and they've just gone to a patient around the corner in the dog show ring. A man has fainted.
So we get there. The first aiders had just arrived and when they saw us (Paramedic and nurse transport duo) they immediately gave us to treat. I was like, well, do you actually need us? Whats your assessment of the situation -
just cause we are here doesn't mean you can't handle it. We only just came to make sure your all good. Not because we think we're needed.
(This - we should be given all clinical work since we're "better than" xyz is an odd feeling I grapple with more in SJA). So I do a set of obs.
His pulse is 40.
He, looks about 70.
We offer to do a 12 lead ECG for him back at the medical center - he's not keen to leave his dog, so I offer to do it in the corner if he doesn't mind to expose his chest for us. He obliges. The printout doesn't look great. I see possible ST depression, maybe some William Morrow action going on.
MR low pulse admits he doesn't feel great.
We take him back to the medical centre.
There are a few other transports and reviews.
In the last hour of our shift, we get called to the sheep shed in search of a 21 yr old male with severe abdominal pain.
He's nowhere in sight.
We get more intel that he's at Bodeam's grill which is about 200m from the sheep shed (nowhere near it, basically). Mervin realises where Bodeam's grill and he drives us.
When we arrive - the comms is asking for a sitrep hard. All I see is a young male, conscious, breathing and the paramedic has put a canula in which looks like its half falling out. He's given morphine and he wants flushes with 10ml syringes but he has none.
Well. I have some. Then there's ondansteron too.
The young boy, is screaming the house down.
HE has a hospital arm band on, and it comes out he's had recent surgery. Apparently he has bandages on his abdomen. I didn't see those because I was too busy priming a line into a pump set.
Actual paramedics(not SJA volunteer ones) soon show up - and we help load him from our crappy manual stryker stretcher to their motorised one.
The day ends with the commissioner calling us into a debrief as to what happened in the situation and why there was so little communication from the scene over the radio back to comms.
I changed clothes and walked around the show for a couple of hours. -- looking at all the arts and crafts exhibits and all the items that won awards.
I had way too much food - fairy floss, and award winning pie and finally got to have a Country Women's Association (CWA) scone! I get so many questions about where to find the CWA stall and I defiantly know the answer. I took a scone and a lamington home because it just became all too much.
I didn't get to eat it until Saturday night and was ridiculously surprised that the scone only required 15 sec in the microwave and it was fantastic.
Thursday
I was with a newbie this time - another paramedic grad who was working for a private company because once again; they couldn't get a position with NSW Ambulance.
The day was pretty quiet, we roamed around.
The crowd was small, and by small I mean 40,000.
The max number is 62,000 (due to covid). The pre-covid max is 120,000
Apparently even overseas visitors come to SRES. -- tour busses drop people off at the gate! I find that so interesting. They do have a lot of displays of Australian farm life. Sheep sheering competitions. Wood chopping competitions. Dog, sheep, cattle, etc. competitions. Farm displays of regional produce.
I think we ended up doing only one transport.
The only negative were all the paramedic graduates lamenting how hard it is to get a job with the public ambulance service after doing their paramedicine degree.
I fell for the idea of a show bag and bought the Office one.
I also fell for the poor staffing at SRES - and stayed until 19:30. Which meant we didn't get dinner vouchers because we were covering everyone else's dinner.
However one of the nearby stalls gave away their pastries at the end of the day so I got a free vego pie.
Friday
This time I was placed with another long term SJA member, someone I actually knew -- James--- and whilst he's a graduate, he's one with a job related to his studies- in the police force.
We had a good time catching up. He told me all about the police, what they do.
It astounded me how little training they get with regards to their weapons. They get half a day of practice prior to a yearly test.
-- if they wanted to do more; that would be on their own steam to join a shooting club and have their own weapons and attend their own training.
Their roster is also interesting. 4 days on straight: and only 2 nights a month.
SO far he likes it.
I tried to give him a cautionary tale about the pt who had PTSD from the Redfern Riots that will take me a long time to forget. I don't think he quite got it. I don't think anyone understands PTSD until they are confronted by it face to face.
We transported someone who should have been a code 23 down from outside the Dome to ACMC. The trigger was his temperature (38 degrees). He felt faint, and when BERT got there - they found his Sats at 87%. They put him on 15Ls. We got there. I saw he was febrile. recent Hx. = covid Vaccine yesterday (astra zenica) overall Hx = seizures and non-verbal (permanent GCS 11). E4V1M6. Did I ask any of the covid questions? No. Did anyone else at the scene pick it up?... also a no. Could he have answered? no. He didn't seem to be in respiratory distress but then again Sats of 87 (apparently). I contemplated taking him off the oxygen to see if the Sats was really that low. -- to question the initial assessment. But I decided to trust my colleagues.
Once again, when they see your epilets say "registered nurse" on them, they just figure you'll take over and sort it all out. That you don't make mistakes (not true) that you'll call out any mistakes (sure, if I realise them). Anyhow. So.
Turns out he gets "turns" and his Sats magically recovered when we get to ACMC. His temp is 37.6 now (raised but not 38 degrees). They decide its a vaccine reaction.
You'd think they'd temp check people on entry- but they don't.
By the end of the 3rd day riding around in the buggy in the sun and the rain (there's a little roof on it, which was great when it rained - everyone scattered and we'd just huddle in the buggy)-- I was more than a little tired.
I spent $90 on CWA tea towels. 2 for me, and 4 for gifts.
The day ended with us being called for multiple clinical reviews - one to an 8 yr old that had fainted for "about a minute" as per her parents report - but had since woken after they poured water on her face.
Her observations looked okay.
She hadn't had much to eat or drink today. They were waiting in lines in the sun, at the time she fainted. Her temp was raised, but after 30 mins in the airconditioned first aid demountable- it had come down. She had only peed once all day. I talked to the parents and her about fluid intake, and about keeping her pee like "lemonaide" and not like "fanta" I asked if she felt better (she did) explained they should go get food, and stay in the shade - and to come back if it happened again. They were happy with this. Why the first aiders couldn't trust their own initial conclusion (dehydration/heat stress) - plus, there isn't a whole lot more we can do - I gave her an ice pack to keep her cool - but at the end of the day with that case, I hoped I made the right decision. The kid looked absolutely fine to me. The red flag was the only peed once all day (it was 15:30). I don't work in paeds. I also got pulled into splinting a "broken finger" because the first aider thought it was out of their "Scope of practice" -its just a pack and support scenario. We don't carry cardboard splints anymore - so I "splinted" the fingers together (honestly, It's been that long since I did a refresher on fracture first aid so I hoped I did it right) - gave her an ice pack - and advised her to go get an x-ray because, well we're first aid not fix it aid.
A first aider could have done that .... but anyway. Another example of when I arrive to a job; people just let me do it because they think I'd do whatever it is: better.
Being on transport meant that I was kept out of feet of the ancient M. Vincent.
SJA takes me out of my comfort zone.
People don't realise that when you specialise in nursing; you really do specialise. I don't assess 8 yr old children in my day job. I'm used to my trolley, and my equipment and my bedspace. But at SRES - you are expected to assess (and potentially refer) anything. Keeps me on my toes.
Hope that kid was okay and that my assessment was correct. On my way home I thought of other reasons why she might have fainted. VSD came to mind. You'd think by 8 yrs of age it would have been picked up already...
