r/Paramedics•
floralsighs

Looking for supportive advice

Canada

First off I'd like to say that I hope everyone is doing well ((:

  • I have a longtime friend of 10 years now who is about to study again to become a paramedic (a second shot after not being able to continue last year due to a dislocated shoulder). At first she thought of working her way into advanced paramedics but is currently focused on the most basic courses. What are some things that I can tell her from someone who has just started being a paramedic and/or also someone who's been in that field for a long time? -

Here's some background in case you'd like a better picture of the kind of person she is.

She is kind hearted, very sympathetic and extremely hardworking. The amount of sacrifices I've seen her make just to show up for her family is incredible. Without her I'm positive that her family would come crumbling apart (she's also a young mother to a 5 yr old and shares custody with the father), but because of all the stress she goes through on a daily basis she is also extremely sensitive. I love her so much, but she is the kind of person who doesn't think all that straight when she's overwhelmed. She has high anxiety (which recently put her in the hospital) and is burnt out all the time. She can't handle seeing many injuries and faints when she gets bloodwork done because she can't do needles.

She tells me this is her absolute dream. She wants to drive the ambulance (which also, she has a semi fear of driving due to an accident she was involved in) and she wants to tend to whoever is injured and needs medical help. I pray for her success in every way, but I just fear that this career will burn her out a lot faster than she thinks. She's never seen a serious injury in person before and I'm not sure how well she'll cope with what she may see on a regular basis. I tell her all kinds of situations she may face, but even with fear she keeps her head up and is determined to do her best. I love her for that but I just worry. She already goes through so much hardship and that in itself makes it difficult for her to regulate her emotions. There are days where she gets really fed up with all the responsibilities on her plate and will completely isolate herself. She'll even blow up on someone when she's overly stressed out and feel super guilty about it later. She quite literally does everything in her household and I don't know, I just feel like I need someone's help so that I can tell her exactly what to expect.

I'd truly appreciate it if anyone who's a paramedic, just beginning or has been for a while, to tell me how I can help support her in any way that I can.

Posted Jun 30, 2025, 3:23 AM UTC

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