Faith

I enter the room and immediately I can hear the classic wheeze of an asthmatic. He sits in a chair looking up at me craving relief from his inability to breath out. It kicks in fairly quickly that I am the one to provide that relief, so with introductions over I put him on a nebuliser and continue my assessment.

I look to my crew mate to get some vitals as I continue with the treatment. He responds well to the Neb and I get a little more history out of him. He was on his way home driving down the motorway when he began to feel breathless so pulled into the services. He wound down his window in the vain attempt at making things a little easier but some fresh air provided no relief so he summoned the help of a shop worker who then called us.

He has been asthmatic almost all of his life and has been hospitalised before after a particularly bad attack. *Cripes* i thought, best get the RSI ready! (Just in case of course). I consider all the possibilities so that I am keeping my options for treatment open, and I think its time to bundle the patient into the truck and get him off to hospital.

My crew mate agree's so gives me a smile and a nod.

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'Right, you can stop there'

*Phew* the scenario is over and I can stop trembling now. I take a look around at my team, one playing the role of the casualty and the other playing the role of my crew mate. They both give me the thumbs up. I then take a look at the assessor.

'Well done. You were calm throughout and you explored every possibility and narrowed it down'

I was chuffed with this critique. I had been nervous all weekend about whether or not I could make the grade. I was one of the least experienced members of the group so I thought I didn't stand a chance of passing.

I came away from that course having learnt that I CAN do it. I know what I am doing, I just need to apply myself and have a little faith in my abilities. I also learnt; in the wise words of a very funny northern chap -

"If it isn't going to kill you or make you pregnant, then what have you got to worry about?"