Paramedic cares for colleagues who care for others
Rachel Houlzet has made it her life鈥檚 work to care for patients. But as a paramedic, she knows her job can mean encountering some troubling scenes from day to day. Since completing SFU鈥檚 First Responders Trauma Prevention and Recovery Certificate program, Rachel has learned to prioritize mental health, both for herself and her colleagues.
Rachel first began serving with Cornwall SDG Paramedic Services in eastern Ontario in 2017. While she considered going into nursing, she says she was attracted to the endless variety of a paramedic鈥檚 workday. 鈥淚 really like that every shift is different and you鈥檙e going to different places,鈥� explains Rachel. 鈥淵ou get to think on the go and help people every day.鈥�
But, she adds, the excitement of unpredictable situations can also be a source of stress: 鈥淚t can make it hard to prepare because you don鈥檛 know what you鈥檙e going to see.鈥�
What paramedics see, of course, can be deeply distressing at times. Yet when Rachel was undergoing training for her role, she recalls how little time was devoted to the mental health of paramedics themselves. For her, the SFU first responders program filled a critical gap.
鈥淲hen I came across this program, I knew it was absolutely what I wanted and something I could actually use,鈥� she says. 鈥淚n school, we covered patients鈥� mental health, which is important鈥攂ut we didn鈥檛 touch on our own mental health or our co-workers鈥� and what could happen to us on the job.鈥�
The SFU program covers a number of topics relevant to all first responders, including crisis intervention, addiction and personal resilience. Rachel says she found it not only helpful for safeguarding her own mental health, but also for supporting her peers.
鈥淲e learned about different physical symptoms鈥攈aving a fast heart rate or nauseous feeling can be feelings of anxiety,鈥� she explains. 鈥淪ome people think they must have something wrong with them. But we do see some bad things, so it鈥檚 a normal reaction to something that鈥檚 not normal.鈥�
In addition to her paramedic duties, Rachel now serves as coordinator of Cornwall鈥檚 peer support team, which consists of volunteer paramedics who take turns to be on call for fellow medics. The team ensures someone is available 24/7 to refer callers to mental health resources or simply to lend an empathetic ear.
鈥淎s a peer, it is a unique connection because of the shared lived experience,鈥� explains Rachel. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a reassurance you are understood.鈥�
Fortunately, she adds, the culture has shifted to greater openness about mental health issues. 鈥淏ack in the day, it was so stigmatized, but now it鈥檚 okay to talk about it and most people realize that. We all need help sometimes.鈥�
Despite the challenges of shift work, Rachel says she managed to complete the SFU program faster than she鈥檇 expected. Because classes are delivered fully online, she could access readings, videos and discussions whenever she found some downtime. She also says she鈥檚 grateful for the flexibility and care shown by her instructors.
鈥淲hile I was in a course, there was an incident in Canada involving the injury and death of first responders, and my instructors checked in with everyone to make sure we were okay,鈥� she recalls. 鈥淚f there ever was a major incident, or just something in your own life, you could talk to them about extending a deadline. They were always so understanding.鈥�
Ultimately, says Rachel, the program gives first responders the opportunity to put themselves first for a change:
鈥淢ost of us get into this job because we want to help people. But this program is almost like giving back. You went to school already to learn how to take care of people, but now it鈥檚 time to take care of you. I definitely appreciated that.鈥�
By Kim Mah