FarewellNZ

Last day in NZ.  Stayed with Gayl and David last night - they have beedn wonderful and generous hosts.
Tania and I drive around... well Tania had the car and drove.... from Dunedin, Alexandra, Wanaka, Franz Joseph, Hokitika, Greymouth.  Tania then drove north and I caught the train to Arthurs Pass, stayed the night in the YHA there, did some walks that afternoon and next morning and caught the train back to Christchurch.   Beautiful alpine views.  I love Arthurs Pass Village - clear mountain  air, beautiful views and mountains, waterfalls and lots of multi day  and day walks to tackle on the next visit!

I took a helocopter ride over Fox and Franz Joseph glacier and landed on the top... tried some recruiting as the photo will show.  I don't think the recruit will make it through  our summer!

Last day at Rangiora station

Apololgies to the person who was trying to post a comment onto my blog....  I was adding to it on the station this morning about 1000 hrs but had a Priority 1 (which wasn't really a Priority 1 when we got there) and never got back to the station till about 1920 hrs.  Had  7 jobs today... with about 250kms of travel back and forth to Christchurch.   Rangiora is a city of over 12000 people with 6 mmedical clinics but the doctors have refused to do  weekends or afterhours - not in their contract - so their answering machine says to ring an ambulance!   Lunch break was at Christchurch station.  We had a case back at Rangiora ... assault by a woman's 4 year old foster-daughter  standing on her with high heel shoes on.  The mother was in extreme pain so she called in... Priority 3.   Mother is a "known' caller and a little neurotic but we were goig to attend then got reassigned to Priority 1 allergic reaction with swelling around the mouth  throat and tongue... turned out ok but transported and then back to Rangiora to the mother assaulted by the 4 year old with the shoe - well stillettoes are sharp! - and then reassigned to Priority 1, near drowning at the aquatic centre.  That turned out well too but the girl had previously been allergic to chlorine  - but had  brought up over 600ml of water.. so back to Christchurch and then home again  to knock off at 1920 hrs  (1800 fiish supposedly). Alan and Chris crewing.    Host David was running a training session  (like our CDPs) in town today but he picked me up.  Back home and tomorrow,  Monday I am flying to Dunedin to meet up with Tania Anderson and do the touristy bit around the south island for a bit and Gayl and David have invited us to stay next Friday night with them before I fly home and Tania heads north.

It's beedn 24 degrees here today...people ask if the uniform is hot...  they look shocked when I say I've got a short merino thermal under the shirt!   Stephen says it's still cold back home.

Off to bed now.

Recruiting new SAAS member from Hamner Springs

Cheviot - small country town crew - reminds me of Padthaway

View from Kaikoura Ambulance station office window  with an azure ocean to the right - how's that to relieve office stress!

Since the last post I've been touring to Akaroa with Fiona Paskall whom we hosted.  A beautiful harbour on the Banks Peninsula,, lunch in a foreshore cafe, walk along the jetty and a magnificent drive back.  Felt 3 quakes - one  was a big shudder and things toppled over on kitchen shelf. Tea at home and then we watched the netball!    Not talking about that! (but admit it was a fantastic game.  But we did win more medals overall at the games!     I went on shift with Fiona at Wainoni station - 3 jobs before being dropped off at HQ - which is in various stations around Christchurch.  Met  Dave Thomas who is Manager of South Island and we looked at statistics after and post the quake... now there's an increase in more mental cases - depression, anxiety.   Met  Glen Cowan, recruitment and volunteers manager.  They  are facing similar situations to us.   St John Youth and cadets is the fastest rising youth activity/program in NZ.  However they seem to lose them in later teens -  study/social/relationship commitments.  Some go on to volunteer later on and some go into training.   I was to go on with Tango 1 (Sprint car) around Christchurch but a student doing Advanced paramedic was put in there - could have continued on at Wainoni but feeling a bit weary so went home and had a catch up afternoon and a nanna nap!  That night  2200 hrs  another quake - this time a rolling one whilst snuggled up in bed - felt like being on the chiropractor's rolling table! 

There's a whole  change happening as they move to a National Diploma for Ambulance Officers and upskilling all paramedics, as well as doing away with  Primary Care levels 1 and 2 and introducing  First Responder.  (sounds like  SAAS - there was a comment ...we seem to be following SAAS!)

 Here I am at Rangiora station for my last shift.   Yesterday was  0530 start leaving home for 0600 start with 7 jobs - all go to Christchurch hospital so transport time varies from 15-35 minutes depending on location of job.    I had a quick demo of the Sagar splint for lower leg trauma.

Everyone still likes the green uniform - even hospital ED nurses commented and I had to do a fashion parade at a  training day  at Rangiora  gotta go  a job is on!

Earthquake jolt

Here I am in Christchurch and felt my first earthquake!   a sharp short jolt.   There was one yesterday but we were in Hamner Springs in the mountain.  I've been well looked after by my hosts Gayl and David Brown.  David is Team leader at Rangiora  about 20 kms north of Christchurch and also 3 volunteer stations.  We went to the mountains and thermal hostsprings ... soaking in 40 degres from 8-9 pm.  Reunited my love with snow... even if it was just a wee bit!   We visited several stations - Culverden where David used to be ahigh school teacher and volunteer for years, met Judith who is  national director for volunteers, on Hanmer Springs for the night, a  morning walk up conical hill for fantastic views, drive to maginficant Kikaorau  on the coast with snow capped mountains down to the sea - wait till you see the views from the ambulance station office!   Then to Cheviot a small single  newly renovated ambulance volunteer station - more like Padthaway SAAS and met several of the crew who had come in off their farms or after school (2 teachers) to meet me!  
So I've been very spoilt.   Photos will  follow soon.   I'm staying tonight with Fiuona Paskall, whom I hosted earlier this year.  We've driven to Autoara - a huge mountainous  beautiful inlet and beach  holiday spot.

New Zealand is  all  ABV... another beautiful view!

Tomorrow  Friday I will  meet the director of the North Region of South Island and also  meet the head of volunteer recruitment and then go with a Tango (like our sprint car)... a busy time all in all.

Busy Busy since last Blog



Heather with 80 kg mannikin

 It's been difficult to get to a computer but here I am now in Christchurch... missing the others Jacqui, Jenny and Tania.  Tania and I will meet up for a few days after our shifts
We caught up with Lee Dale, Andy Thomas and his wife Emma at the conference.   At the dinner we went as  Snowwhite  and Lee in a full Wicked Witch  outfit with hook nose and chin (making eating ad drinking difficult.. till he pulled them off), Emma as the Prince and the 4 of us as the dwarfs. 

The conference was very busy - Friday  4 workshop sessions on
using the mannikins for simulation training scenarios , Epilepsy, ECGS and how to put on a 12 lead and interpreting rhythms, initial assessment of the critical patient.

Saturday and Sunday had 19sessions, including....
SERT  equivalent to our SOT team
  AP, ICP, CPP  the Alphabet Soup of Head Trauma
Care of Acute Cardiac Patient, Thrombolysis
Chest Trauma Chellenges
Actue management of Burn injuries
Pre-hospital cricical care - 4 cases with interactive responses from audience
Osygen Toxicity - Are we harming our patients with our favourite drug?  Something we were quite interested in hearing about as St John NZ protocols call for giving O2 mainly when O2 stats  in the low 90% or below,
Managing Pain,

Most of the people at the conference were Ambulance Officers, Paramedics or  Primary Care 1 and 2 and presenters were Advanced Paramedics and many doctors from different parts of the country.  Some were great presenters and others were a little slow in their presentatiion style... so I think we all nodded off at some stage but last day sat up the back near the exit where there was more air flow!

We were well looked after by the Northland management  (and Asami our driver from Auckland) and met lots of volunteers from around the country.



Jenny is supposed to be winched from a boat into a chopper some time this afternoon... hope she survives the training drill!  She's got 3 days in Whangarei then on to Thames in the Coromandel Peninsula.
Jacqui has gone to Hamilton area, Tania to Dunedin andme to Christchurch.






The only  entrance to the back of a Mercedes Ambo



Jacqu  in Whangarei trying to con Sam into taking her for a ride in the helicopter.... getting the helmet on is as far as she got. 

I can't turn the photos around - I might have to do this before I import them, so stretch your necks.

I've had a quick tour of some of the eqrthuake damaged buildings - in and around the city.  The  headquarters building is condemned but they were planning a new one soon anyway!  There was an after shock again  last week.  My photos may be blurry!    The accommodation was  very nice and the motel at Whangarei  was comfortable  and a short walk from  St John centre (not that we were in our rooms for long)

Jenny will post on her blog some photos from the Dinner as my camera was flat.



Karl our tourist driver around Auckland



At Whangerei Traumed Conference

We've visited St John Headquarters - various department including Archives, LogisticsAfter sharing each other's stories about jobs on the various Auckland  night shift we  spent today as tourists with  Karl, Event Operations Coordinator, around Auckland then to the Police Crash Unit and on to the Rescue Helicopter base - 2  smaller helicopters for Auckland - on the waterfront.


Some of the differences we have found, apart from the vehicles are their different manual handling techniques... like lifting the paitent in the larger orange chair stretcher up into the back of the ambulance. 
                    carrying the patient in the chair up and down steps with only 2 crew
                   not strapping in any patients to the stretcher
                  only 1 person to load and unload stretcher with patient
                 liquid  panadol is given for pain relief and to reduce temperature
                 O2 only given to those with low O2 saturation
                 only  ICPs can give Midazolam
                 MRX sitting on the second stretcher, not secured and crew stepping over the leads
                  across the isle
                "Scoops: are used instead of long boards..  I'd like to see these used as it would save
                log-rolling a patient or moving them to get them onto a long board  (if needed)

                volunteer crew go out with paid paramedic or upskilled or advanced paramedics as  the
               second crew member... in smaller rural station all volunteers
          
               volunteers can be trained by St John to paramedic or higher level but they are changing to  a degree system for paramedics.

Thursday night we arrived at Whangerei and taken out to a beachside restaurant by  Tony Devanney  District Operations Manager, Mark Going   and Wally Mitchell, Rural Support Officers and  Sam Johnanson - Ambulance Team Manger, joined by Bridget and Nichola who drove us up here from Auckland.

Today's sessions were:   ECGs and Thrombolysis.....  Epilespy..... Sitman - preparing and running scenarios using mannikins..... pre-hospital care for the critical patient.
There was a variety of clinical levels from  first aiders, Primary Care 1 and 2, Ambulance Officers and Paramedics - all very keen.

I've tried to add photos but they won't upload so  will try another time. 

Cheers  Heather


                

8 hour shift

It's almost 0200 hours and I commenced a shift at 1800 last night with Andrew and Lailah  upskilled paramedics from Mt Wellington station.  We had 4 jobs... 2 chest pain, one called in as attempted suicide and the last was on the north west shore, 1 hour away  on Piha Beach... could see Australia  in the dark over 2000kms away (not usual for them to travel that far but all north shore trucks - yes they call them trucks - were busy) uncontrolled bleed on the back of a head from a fall - big haematoma  which was bleeding so spent half the journey back  applying direct pressure.
So an interesting mix.  Duty Manager Steve picked me up at the motor way otherwise I'd have had another hour's trip back to station.

All the NZ staff, crews and managers have been very very friendly, helpful and answered our numerous questions.
They love our uniforms - colour, style, pockets on pants.  They are looking at a change and also at changing their kit to maybe several smaller kits.