The Student Paramedic Podcast cover art

The Student Paramedic Podcast

The Student Paramedic Podcast

By: The Student Paramedic Podcast
Listen for free

About this listen

 Welcome to ‘The Student Paramedic Podcast’. This podcast is aimed at students, graduates, experienced clinicians and those interested in becoming a paramedic or those interested in prehospital medicine. We will delve into a range of topics such as: where the profession can take you, how to optimise your training, how to be successful in your transition into university, from classroom to on-road and from student to graduate, how to maintain longevity in the job and draw on principles from other professions. Thank you for joining us on this journey.
Episodes
  • S6 Ep6: Paediatric Mini-Series: Adolescent Mental Health

    S6 Ep6: Paediatric Mini-Series: Adolescent Mental Health
    Aug 14 2025
    🩺 Episode Overview:
    In the final episode of the Paediatric Mini-Series, we focus on a rapidly growing challenge for healthcare providers — adolescent mental health. Adolescents are navigating identity, independence, and social pressures, all while being at higher risk of developing mental health conditions.

    Dr Andrew Tagg shares insights on recognising when a young person is in crisis, communicating effectively, and using the HEADSSS screening tool to structure safe, supportive, and thorough psychosocial evaluations in the prehospital and acute care settings.

    📊 Why It Matters: WHO reports that 1 in 7 adolescents experiences a mental disorder, and many never access help until crisis point.
    A structured approach like HEADSSS helps clinicians move from small talk to meaningful assessment without missing key risks.🧰 Resources & Further Reading:
    • Don’t Forget The Bubbles – HEEADSSS Tool
    • Headspace (Australia) – Youth Mental Health Services
    • YoungMinds (UK) – Adolescent Support and Advocacy
    • WHO Adolescent Mental Health Overview
    • Mental Health First Aid Training
    🧠 Take-Home Message:
    The HEADSSS tool gives you a roadmap to guide delicate conversations, uncover hidden risks, and connect young people to the support they need — sometimes for the very first time.

    DISCLAIMER: All of the opinions of each individual on 'The Student Paramedic Podcast' are their own.
    Show More Show Less
    25 mins
  • S6 Ep5: Paediatric Mini-Series: Grief and Debrief for Difficult Paediatric Jobs

    S6 Ep5: Paediatric Mini-Series: Grief and Debrief for Difficult Paediatric Jobs
    Jul 14 2025
    🩺 Episode Overview:

    In this episode of the Paediatric Mini-Series, we step away from clinical procedures to explore something just as vital: grief and debrief after difficult paediatric cases. Whether it's a tragic outcome, a confronting resuscitation, or an emotionally charged encounter, these experiences leave a mark.

    We talk candidly about the importance of reaching out, how to support each other, and how to create a culture where psychological safety and structured debriefing are the norm—not the exception.

    Even the most experienced clinicians are not immune.

    Grief and emotional residue don’t disappear with time—they need space, validation, and care.

    🧰 Tools & Resources:
    • DTFB: 'Every Resus Needs a Debrief'
    • DFTB: 'Breaking Bad News'
    • The Ambulance Staff Charity
    • Beyond Blue
    • Mind
    • Employee Assistance Programs (individual organisations)

    ✅ Don’t forget to:
    • Subscribe & share
    • Rate and review
    • Follow us on Instagram: @thestudentparamedicpodcast
      #StudentParamedic #Paediatrics #Debrief #DifficultJobs #EMS #AndrewTagg #DontForgetTheBubbles #ParamedicPodcast #PrehospitalCare #Paramedic
    DISCLAIMER: All of the opinions of each individual on 'The Student Paramedic Podcast' are their own.

    Show More Show Less
    23 mins
  • S6 Ep4: Paediatric Mini-Series: Paediatric Analgesia

    S6 Ep4: Paediatric Mini-Series: Paediatric Analgesia
    Jul 8 2025
    🩺 Episode Overview:
    In this episode of the Paediatric Mini-Series, we explore one of the most important—and sometimes overlooked—aspects of paediatric care: analgesia. Effective pain management in children not only improves comfort but also reduces fear, builds trust, and improves outcomes.

    We discuss the challenges in recognising and treating pain in children, practical approaches for safe analgesia, and debunk common myths that contribute to under-treatment.

    🔑 Key Topics Covered:
    • Why pain in children is under-recognised and under-treated
    • Age-appropriate pain assessment tools (FLACC, Wong-Baker)
    • First-line pharmacological options: paracetamol, ibuprofen, intranasal fentanyl, morphine, entonox and methoxyflurane
    • Non-pharmacological approaches: parental involvement, play therapy, positioning
    📊 Evidence Highlight: A 2016 systematic review published in BMC Emergency Medicine found that pain is frequently under-assessed and under-treated in paediatric emergency settings.

    Reference:
    Shomaker K, Drennen J, Alletag MJ. Pain management in the paediatric emergency department: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Emerg Med. 2016;16(1):10. doi:10.1186/s12873-016-0078-2

    ✅ Only 42–60% of children received any analgesia for painful conditions
    ✅ There was a significant delay in administering analgesia—often over 60 minutes
    ✅ Under-treatment was more likely in younger children📚 Resources & Further Reading:
    • RCH Clinical Practice Guidelines: Pain Management
    • WHO Guidelines on the Pharmacological Treatment of Pain in Children
    • Paediatric Pain Management Toolkit (PREDICT)
    • Don't Forget the Bubbles
    • ePALS – Pain and Sedation Module
    🎧 Listen Now:
    Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast app.
    Subscribe to catch all episodes in the Paediatric Mini-Series, and don’t forget to leave a review!

    DISCLAIMER: All of the opinions of each individual on 'The Student Paramedic Podcast' are their own. Please ensure that you follow your local guidelines, policies and procedures.
    Show More Show Less
    24 mins
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.