Paramedic cares for colleagues who care for others
Rachel Houlzet has made it her life’s work to care for patients. But as a paramedic, she knows her job can mean encountering some troubling scenes from day to day. Since completing SFU’s First Responders Trauma Prevention and Recovery Certificate program, Rachel has learned to prioritize mental health, both for herself and her colleagues.
Rachel first began serving with Cornwall SDG Paramedic Services in eastern Ontario in 2017. While she considered going into nursing, she says she was attracted to the endless variety of a paramedic’s workday. “I really like that every shift is different and you’re going to different places,” explains Rachel. “You get to think on the go and help people every day.”
But, she adds, the excitement of unpredictable situations can also be a source of stress: “It can make it hard to prepare because you don’t know what you’re going to see.”
What paramedics see, of course, can be deeply distressing at times. Yet when Rachel was undergoing training for her role, she recalls how little time was devoted to the mental health of paramedics themselves. For her, the SFU first responders program filled a critical gap.
“When I came across this program, I knew it was absolutely what I wanted and something I could actually use,” she says. “In school, we covered patients’ mental health, which is important—but we didn’t touch on our own mental health or our co-workers’ and what could happen to us on the job.”
The SFU program covers a number of topics relevant to all first responders, including crisis intervention, addiction and personal resilience. Rachel says she found it not only helpful for safeguarding her own mental health, but also for supporting her peers.
“We learned about different physical symptoms—having a fast heart rate or nauseous feeling can be feelings of anxiety,” she explains. “Some people think they must have something wrong with them. But we do see some bad things, so it’s a normal reaction to something that’s not normal.”
In addition to her paramedic duties, Rachel now serves as coordinator of Cornwall’s peer support team, which consists of volunteer paramedics who take turns to be on call for fellow medics. The team ensures someone is available 24/7 to refer callers to mental health resources or simply to lend an empathetic ear.
“As a peer, it is a unique connection because of the shared lived experience,” explains Rachel. “There’s a reassurance you are understood.”
Fortunately, she adds, the culture has shifted to greater openness about mental health issues. “Back in the day, it was so stigmatized, but now it’s okay to talk about it and most people realize that. We all need help sometimes.”
Despite the challenges of shift work, Rachel says she managed to complete the SFU program faster than she’d expected. Because classes are delivered fully online, she could access readings, videos and discussions whenever she found some downtime. She also says she’s grateful for the flexibility and care shown by her instructors.
“While I was in a course, there was an incident in Canada involving the injury and death of first responders, and my instructors checked in with everyone to make sure we were okay,” she recalls. “If there ever was a major incident, or just something in your own life, you could talk to them about extending a deadline. They were always so understanding.”
Ultimately, says Rachel, the program gives first responders the opportunity to put themselves first for a change:
“Most of us get into this job because we want to help people. But this program is almost like giving back. You went to school already to learn how to take care of people, but now it’s time to take care of you. I definitely appreciated that.”
By Kim Mah