WMAS Interview Questions Flashcards
What are WMAS Values and vision
Integrity
Accountability
Excellence
Compassion
Inclusivity
Vision:
Deliver the right care, in the right place, at the right time, through a skilled and committed workforce, in partnership
NHS 6cs
Care
Compassion
Competence
Communication
Courage
Commitment
What are the NHS values
working together for patients. Patients come first in everything we do.
respect and dignity. …
commitment to quality of care. …
compassion. …
improving lives. …
Everyone counts.
Tell me about Yourself?
Im hardworking, enthusiastic and compassionate
I am to always give 100% in every task I do
I have part time employment as a gymnastics coach, working with a range of individuals which has led me to develop essential qualities needed as a paramedic
In my spare time, when not revising or studying, I go to the gym and partake in team sports such as badminton
I’m originally from southampton but relocated to birmingham for university, I’ve particularly enjoyed my placements within the WMAS and feel very supported and their for hoping to remain
What does excellence mean to you and how would you show this?
Excellence is one of the Key WMAS values, it involves striving to be the best you can and give 100% in everything
It means going above and beyond to improve.
I would show excellence by taking every learning opportunity to ensure I am continuously improving my knowledge and remaining up to date.
In my current practice I utilise, JRCALC and NICE guideline, I attend regular CPD events, in uni i was part of the paramedic society which allowed me to attend CPD events every month, I am constantly listening to podcast, undertaking reflections
By doing this I will show excellence by becoming a better person and constantly having up to date knowledge.
Do you know what support services are available to you after a difficult job?
SALS- staff advice and liaison service, advice on emotions
TASC- the ambulance service charity which has a 24/7 ambulance crisis phone line
Mental health charities such as Samaritans and MIND
What is candour and how do you use this in your practice?
Candour means being open and honest when things go wrong and accepting accountability for our mistakes, this links well with integrity and accountability of the WMAS values
I use this in my practice by doing the right thing for my patients, colleagues and organisations
For example: if caring for a patient went wrong, i’d apologise through effective communication and being honest, i would take relevant actions to put things right, use the correct steps to report the incident. By doing so I would be taking accountability and maintaining my duty of candour.
What are HCPC guidelines and how do we follow these?
Set of standards known as the standards of proficiency which act as guidance for paramedics to follow throughout their clinical practice
There are 15 standards and all paramedics must meet these standards in order to become and maintained their HCPC registration
In order to follow and maintain, it’s important to keep up to date with new changes, ensure you understand what they entail, taking part in regular CPD, attending events to refresh skills, making full use of mentoring and supervision shifts
What treatment would you give a 51 year old woman with Addison’s disease undergoing an adrenal crisis?
Correct any airway, breathing or circulation problems
Administer hydrocortisone, if the patient has a care plan follow that
Adrenal gland doesn’t produce enough hormones
What are the attributes of a paramedic?
Someone who is caring,
compassionate,
good at communicating
Able to remain calm in stressful situations
Able to work in a team
Most importantly honest and respectful
What are you proud of overcoming in the last 3 years on placement or university?
I’ve overcomes many obstacles as a student, probably the hardest thing i’ve ever done
I’ve always struggled with my confidence on placement which seems to have a negative impact on my self esteem, particularly transitioning from 1st to 2nd year. I constantly didn’t believe I was good enough to be a paramedic. Now the easy thing would have been to give up but instead I sat down with my mentor and discussed how I was feeling and ways I could improve/ boost my confidence.
I undertook reflection, CPD event, listen to podcast to improve my knowledge, my mentor pushed me further to take the led, questioning me etc
I now believe that this has made me a better person and paramedic, I developed resilience, have a positive attitude and better mind-set to push further and develop my knowledge and confidence.
What research have you read and how has this developed your clinical practice?
In my final year I undertook my dissertation on can a communication device improve communication barriers amongst paramedics with hearing loss when attending in PPE. In order to complete this dissertation I had to read multiple pieces of research surrounding communication barriers, impact on PPE, types of hearing loss, barriers clinicians face.
Most importantly I’ve developed a deeper understanding of hearing loss in general and how it affects employment, the effects of PPE and therefore used this knowledge to change and adapt communication behaviours, understanding masks muffle sounds so therefore speaking slower and louder, ways to improve noise levels to benefit communication.
I believe this is very important research that has shaped my practice a communication is the building blocks for an effective patient- clinician relationship
Identify a time you had a gap in your knowledge and how did you respond to develop your clinical practice?
I attended a job where the PT was displaying stroke symptoms, I initially thought this pt was having a stroke when completing the rest of my observations I found their BM to be 0.7, therefore they were having hypo.
After this job, I received feedback from my mentor, including discussion surrounding narrow mind
From there I completed a reflective piece using a tuner, 2015 reflective model, this led me to think further about conditions that mimic a stroke, ideal treatments and the A+P behind the conditions. I haven’t just completed reflections on this case but I regularly undertake reflections. I consciously used university available resources, JRCALC and NICE guidelines and listen to podcasts and attend CPD events
Why do you want to be a paramedic?
I love helping and caring for people. I’ve always wanted a career in healthcare, unsure when I left school what area of healthcare. Within college I undertook an extended project which is essentially a research project, as part of this we had to pick a topic ongoing in the media. I chose the increase in 999 calls and from there I’ve been fascinated in pre hospital care. This passion increased when reading further research and documentary which then led me to undertake a work experience placement with SCAS due to it being close to my home. This overall drove me to going to uni and become a paramedic
Negative experience… how have you used the 6cs/ NHS values to overcome this experience
First ever proper verbally abusive pt who became very physically aggressive. It was my job to attend, they were a mental health pt. Everything was going ok until we got onto the back of the ambulance when they became very aggited. At that point I just froze and didn’t know what to say which led to my mentor taking over.
After this job we had a debrief with my mentor, I was very disappointed in myself and lacked confidence that I couldn’t finish this job. After this job I reflected that there was a gap in my communication. It took courage to identify and highlight this. I understood that I lacked the ability to deal with verbally abusive pt. An through my commitment I continue to reflect on similar jobs and became more confident and competent in caring for pt’s in this situation
