18 episodes

Join us as we chat with industry experts, career practitioners and everyday heroes changing lives in prehospital emergency health care.

Changing Lives Podcast Australian Paramedical College

    • Business
    • 4.9 • 8 Ratings

Join us as we chat with industry experts, career practitioners and everyday heroes changing lives in prehospital emergency health care.

    Paramedic Clinical Educator -- Joe Karlek

    Paramedic Clinical Educator -- Joe Karlek

    Paramedics are some of the most unique and surprisingly fascinating individuals you’ll ever meet. Their journey begins with a drive to understand and help. They experience humanity at their best and worst times and develop empathy for those from all walks of life. They thrive under pressure and through necessity learn how to deal with physical, mental and emotional stresses, and often overcome personal challenges in creative and sometimes extreme or even quirky ways!

    Our guest for this episode, paramedic clinical educator and APC Trainer, Joe Karlek, is a perfect example.

    Joe grew up in the UK, where he studied and became a paramedic for the London Ambulance Service, before moving to Australia to operate a private paramedic practice and service professional athletes, the NRL and Warner Bros Studios.

    For the last 5 years, Joe was a lecturer of paramedicine at the University of Tasmania, before joining the training team at Australian Paramedical College.

    Joe is also autistic and in this interview, he discusses how he has had to stare down personal challenges and find a way to use them to his advantage. He says being a paramedic and an educator are a few of his superpowers, along with skydiving and mindfulness, which he credits as giving him an edge as a practitioner and educator.

    TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:


    Life in the London Ambulance Service

    The crossover skills of skydiving and paramedicine

    Joe’s passion for the art of teaching

    Importance of structure and calm in emergency medicine

    Being a paramedic with autism

    What mindfulness is and its power and potential for emergency health care workers

    And much more!


    We trust you enjoy this episode as much as we did, and if so, please like it, rate it, write a comment or review and share it with a friend.

    This Podcast is brought to you by the Australian Paramedical College – a leading provider of Emergency Health Care Training in Australia.

    Find out more here: www.apcollege.edu.au/?utm_source=podcast

    RTO 32513

    • 52 min
    Remote Area Paramedic -- Terry Urquhart, from Rescue-1

    Remote Area Paramedic -- Terry Urquhart, from Rescue-1

    From the ambulance station, the event arena, to the extreme remote areas of outback Australia, careers in emergency health care would have to be one of the most diverse of any industry.  

    In this episode of the podcast, we interview Terry Urquhart - a business owner, entrepreneur and remote area paramedic, who alongside his wife Janet, operate Rescue-1, their family-owned training and medical services business based in Townsville, North Queensland.  

    For 20 years, Rescue-1 have offered first aid and WHS training and pioneered a highly specialized remote health and medical emergency service for remote workforces, including many of Australia’s largest mining exploration and infrastructure projects.  

    In this episode, Terry opens up the world of remote paramedicine, the growing demand for providers and jobs, and how the sector has evolved over the last few decades to serve as the highest safety authority for remote workforces.  

    TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: 

    • The multifaceted role of a Remote Area Paramedic 

    • Providing health prevention vs emergency response services 

    • The story of the “Pipeline Paramedics” 

    • Resilience and why it’s critical to know how to change a tyre 

    • The importance of “family” in the service, and the short phone call that changed the course of Terry’s career 

    • The interstate three-tiered cake! 

    • How Terry invented the widely successful “Rescue Bandage” 

    • And more!  

    Paramedics of Terry’s experience and caliber are a very small count, which is why anyone who wants to learn more about the different career paths that emergency health care can provide, will not want to miss this fascinating discussion.  

    We trust you enjoy this episode as much as we did, and if so, please like it, rate it, write a comment or review and share it with a friend.  

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  

    This Podcast is brought to you by the Australian Paramedical College – a leading provider of Emergency Health Care Training in Australia.   

    Find out more here: www.apcollege.edu.au/?utm_source=podcast  

    Not sure you have what it takes to become a Remote Area Paramedic? Get your personalised career development plan here: https://apcollege.edu.au/paramedic-quiz-1.php/?ref=podcast 

    RTO 32513

    • 48 min
    Director of Nursing, NSW Health -- Michelle Havell

    Director of Nursing, NSW Health -- Michelle Havell

    If you are doubting whether gaining a health care qualification is going to open up career opportunities for you, then you can’t miss this episode!

    Today, our special guest on the Changing Lives Podcast is Acting Executive Officer, Director of Nursing for NSW Health at Murwillumbah District Hospital, Michelle Havell.

    For 18 years, Michelle has served in Health Service Management in hospitals and on large-scale projects such as Gold Coast University Hospital build and the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Michelle is also a nursing student mentor at Griffith University, a published author and just this year became an Associate Fellow- Australasian College of Health Service Managers.

    In this episode, you’ll witness Michelle’s passion for safe and effective health care practice as she talks from experience about leading health care teams both in and out-of-hospital, including responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:

    · The significance of the health care role in our communities

    · Leadership and management roles within health services

    · How COVID caught the health care sector off-guard and what had to change

    · In-hospital vs. out-of-hospital health – what are the key differences?

    · The excitement and controversy of managing health services at the 2018 Commonwealth Games

    · The best attributes of a health care professional

    · The importance of finding and maintaining your purpose as a health care worker

    · And more!



    We trust you enjoy this episode as much as we did, and if so, please like it, rate it, write a comment or review and share it with a friend.



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    This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Paramedical College - a leading provider of Emergency Health Care training. 

    Paramedic Pathways - Australian Paramedical College (apcollege.edu.au)

    • 58 min
    Mental Health Expert & Chill Out Zone Coordinator - Angela Driscoll

    Mental Health Expert & Chill Out Zone Coordinator - Angela Driscoll

    In this rapidly changing world, mental health and mental illness is becoming more common to deal with as health care providers. On the other hand, due to the nature of our work, we are also at risk of experiencing mental health conditions ourselves.

    In the world of mental health first aid, there are very few more experienced and passionate than our guest in this episode, Angela Driscoll.

    For over two decades, Angela has coordinated the Chill Out Zone - a world-first late-night support service in the heart of Gold Coast’s nightlife precincts - Surfer’s Paradise and Broadbeach.

    With a background in special education for young people with behavioral disorders and family support work with young offenders, Angela leads a team from sunset until sunrise that provides a safe respite from the nightlife including attending to exhaustion, conflict, mental health episodes, first aid emergencies, and drug intoxication and overdose.

    In this episode, Angela reveals why mental health is EVERYONE’s concern, and that just like your physical health, you need to be proactive now more than ever about keeping in good mental shape, especially if you’re a health care worker.

    TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:

    · What fuels Angela’s 20+ year passion for front line mental health support work

    · What mental health is (and isn’t)

    · What’s contributing to the growing prevalence of mental illness

    · Mental health risk factors for health care workers

    · The warning signs for both patient AND professional

    · Best techniques to respond to mental health episodes

    · The surprising best practices to maintain good mental health

    · And more!

    We’re sure you’ll agree, it’s courageous conversations like this one that contribute to the eroding of the long-standing stigma of mental health and illness, so that we can better support each other and our communities to acknowledge and combat mental illness.

    We trust you enjoy this episode as much as we did, and if so, please like it, rate it, write a comment or review and share it with a friend.

    • 1 hr 25 min
    Senior Physiotherapist for Health Care Workers -- Erin Moss

    Senior Physiotherapist for Health Care Workers -- Erin Moss

    If you’re wanting a long and rewarding career in health care, it is critical that you learn how to look after your physical health so that your body can hold up as long as your passion for helping others.

    In this episode of the Changing Lives Podcast, we talk with Senior Physiotherapist, Erin Moss about how paramedics, health care professionals and emergency workers can protect themselves and their patients, from physical injury and get the most out of their career.

    In 2012 Erin attained a Bachelor of Exercise Science and Bachelor of Physiotherapy with Honours. Her Honours research focused on identifying risk factors for musculoskeletal injury in athletes.

    Erin is now managing partner at Allsports Physiotherapy, located just around the corner from Gold Coast’s largest hospital and emergency department. As a consequence, Erin sees a large number of health care workers and has unique insight into the risk factors for injury of those working in the industry.

    TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:


    Erin passion for health care and supporting health care workers

    Common injures for health care workers

    The leading risk factors for injury in this industry

    Common manual handling tasks that can lead to injury

    The best simple exercises you can start doing today without equipment that will minimize your risk of injury and support a long healthy career

    How best to attend to patients with physical injury to support recovery


    We trust you enjoy this episode as much as we did, and if so, please like it, rate it, write a comment or review and share it with a friend.



    This episode was brought to you by the Australian Paramedical College - a leading provider of Emergency Health Care training.

    Paramedic Pathways - Australian Paramedical College (apcollege.edu.au)

    • 51 min
    Critical Care Paramedic & Student Mentor — Ricky Smyth

    Critical Care Paramedic & Student Mentor — Ricky Smyth

    Welcome to Season 2 of the Podcast! In episode 1 of this new season, we were extremely fortunate to sit down with Critical Care Paramedic (CCP) and paramedic student mentor, Ricky Smyth.

    As well as getting an insight into the role of a CCP, you’ll hear Ricky’s unique and invaluable perspective on the paramedic service and common challenges for those starting out in their emergency health care career.

    In his 30+ years in the field and on the road, Ricky has seen and done it all... and we mean ALL! Some of his past and present roles include:


    Single Responder Paramedic
    Various Station Office in charge roles
    Peer Support Officer (of 20 years)
    Medic in the Royal Australia Navy
    Mentor to Critical Care Paramedic interns, paramedic students and graduates
    University lecturer and sessional tutor


    Despite his extensive resume (which also includes being awarded “Qld Paramedic of the Year” in 2001), he is refreshingly humble, which makes listening to Ricky all the more enjoyable.

    In Ricky's words, “I'm just a monk, you know, I'm just doing my thing. Just being a humble, sort of, old servant doing my bit. That's how I see myself now is just, I really enjoy, you know, tutoring, mentoring, sharing my knowledge. Working with a partner, having a good laugh during the day, helping people, um, and going whichever way they want me to go.”

    TOPICS WE COVER INCLUDE:


    Ricky’s career journey from Navy Medic at 15 years of age
    Joining the state ambulance service in the 90s (with a tackle box!)
    A day in the life of a CCP
    Successful off-duty delivery of a neighbour’s twin breech birth
    Mental health for paramedics
    The paramedic’s kryptonite
    Ricky’s mantra of “No one dies in pain; No one dies afraid; No one dies alone”
    Death and being there for a stranger in their final moments
    The role of Peer Support Officer
    What makes a great paramedic
    Ricky’s best advice for those starting out in their paramedic career (with a surprising answer)

    We trust you enjoy this episode as much as we did, and if so, please like it, rate it, write a comment or review and share it with a friend.

    DID YOU KNOW WE'RE ON YOUTUBE?

    Watch all our episodes and episode highlights in full HD video at >>> https://bit.ly/3bpLbCN

    The Changing Lives Podcast is brought to you by Australian Paramedical College. 

    Get your free personalised Health Care Career Development Plan now at >>> https://apcollege.edu.au 

    • 1 hr 33 min

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5
8 Ratings

8 Ratings

Wlii's OMG ,

Interviewee’s amazing

This podcast is one of the best in the genre and up there with a top overall podcasts.

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