More than 30 Graduate Ambulance Paramedics (GAPs) across Victoria had reason to celebrate yesterday, having officially become Advanced Life Support (ALS) paramedics alongside family and friends.
Belgrave Paramedic Nick Wiese was part of the graduating group and said his experience being a surf lifesaver prompted him to pursue a career in paramedicine.
“I was fortunate enough during high school to begin volunteering as a surf lifesaver which really opened my eyes to the profession, seeing first-hand the work that paramedics do and the impact they make on the community,” he said.
“Working as part of a close-knit team, alongside paramedics and other emergency services really fostered this aspiration, and pretty soon I knew that this was the career for me.”
Nick said he loves that paramedicine is constantly evolving and there’s always something new to learn, while working alongside other passionate people.
AV Executive Director Clinical Operations Andrew Keenan said the new graduates had already spent a significant amount of time on-road making a positive impact to patients across the state.
“Our new graduate paramedics understand what an honour it is to provide Best Care to all Victorians, and we’re excited to have them join us in delivering that,” he said.
“They work with skill and kindness to deliver outstanding health outcomes every day and we are thrilled to celebrate this milestone in their careers.”
After completing their university degrees and spending at least 12 months on-road receiving ongoing training and familiarisation in procedures and protocols, the GAP’s are now qualified ALS Paramedics.
