Inspirational Story

Name: Jonny Bush

Role: Specialist Paramedic in Critical Care proudly working with the Yorkshire Hazardous Area Response Team (HART)

Pronouns: He/Him

Where did your career as a Paramedic begin?

I began my career as a Newly Qualified Paramedic (NQP) working in Sheffield after I graduated from Teesside University.

During my time at Teesside we had a visit from North East Ambulance Services HART and one of my lecturers had previously worked within HART. This influence early in my career cemented my ambition that a future in HART was all that I wanted.

What steps did you take to start working in HART?

Once I had completed my NQP period and gained the required experience as an operational Paramedic needed to apply for HART, I applied for a role and was thrilled to successfully secure a place on Yorkshires team.

The right of passage for all HART staff then followed, with months of residential courses delivered by experts in many fields and the pressure of exams and practical assessments for each one of them mounting up until finally I qualified as a HART Paramedic – a career ambition I could have only dreamed of up until now.

What was your experience once you started working in HART?

I then spent two years learning from the many seasoned HART Paramedics in the unit, attending incidents and regular training whilst all the time slowly gaining confidence in my newfound role and relishing in the opportunity to deliver high quality patient focused Paramedic care in the most unusual of environments.

Following a re-structure within Yorkshire HART, the opportunity to become a Critical Care Paramedic arose and I was pleased to be successful in gaining a position as a HART Specialist Paramedic in Critical Care.

What does the role of Specialist Paramedic in Critical Care involve?

We have one Critical Care Paramedic for each of our seven teams.

This exciting rotational role sees us working within the core HART response, on Critical Care rapid response cars, and working on our trust’s specialist Critical Care Desk where we provide specialist advice to staff, interrogate calls and dispatch Yorkshires Critical Care Paramedics.

Within HART we are also responsible for our teams clinical education needs, clinical audit and delivering against the wider assurance piece in line with trusts clinical strategy.

Clinically, we are able to deliver additional interventions for patients and provide senior clinical leadership at challenging incidents where required.

What would you say to anyone considering becoming a paramedic or working in this area?

Joining HART has continued to challenge me to improve the care I deliver for my patients, develop my confidence working in challenging environments, and to develop as a clinical leader and educator.

The support and opportunities I have received by working in HART have been incredible and it is a career I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to any Paramedic that wants to deliver familiar skills in unfamiliar places, work in a small tight knit team and gain new levels of confidence in their own abilities