Emily Baudains attended Blanchelande College before moving off island to train as a paramedic at the University of Hertfordshire. She qualified in 2019 and worked for the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust before returning to Guernsey and St John Ambulance in 2024.
‘Being a paramedic is a privilege. You meet people on some of the worst days of their lives, and it means a lot to be able to bring a sense of calm, reassurance and care when things feel frightening or uncertain,’ she said.
‘Working in Guernsey makes that feel even more personal, because this is our island and our community and there is often some connection to the people we help.
‘It can be a tough job, physically and emotionally, but it is also one with a lot of purpose. I feel proud to be part of a team that keeps showing up for people when they need us most.’
International Paramedics Day is organised by the Royal College of Paramedics, the professional body for paramedics and the ambulance profession in the UK, and sees more than 160 global paramedic associations coming together to highlight their vital role and the different ways that ambulance clinicians are improving patient care, advancing practice, and demonstrating organisational, service and clinical integration.
‘On International Paramedics Day, we come together to celebrate a profession that serves communities with skill, professionalism, compassion and unwavering commitment,’ said Tracy Nicholls, chief executive of the Royal College of Paramedics.
‘Over the past five years, we’ve grown this initiative to more than 160 partners across 40 countries – reflecting the strength and diversity of global paramedicine as a true community of practice.
‘I am incredibly proud that we have helped create a moment of worldwide recognition for the vital work paramedics do every single day that remains centred on the benefit to society.’
Guernsey’s ambulance service was one of the original campaign partners when the College of Paramedics launched International Paramedics Day in 2022. Since then, the number of global partners that have pledged their support to the campaign has grown rapidly, and the vital work of paramedics is now recognised, talked about and celebrated in more than 40 countries worldwide.
‘International Paramedics Day is not just about paramedics, it is about recognising the valuable, often life-saving work carried out by all ambulance clinicians,’ said Guernsey chief ambulance officer John Atkins.
‘In Guernsey our highly skilled paramedics work alongside emergency medical technicians and emergency care assistants, while in Alderney our emergency ambulance crews are supported by a paramedic team leader and paramedic leads.
‘We also work closely with staff in Primary Care, HSC and the voluntary sector, with one common goal, to provide the right person-centred care, in the right place at the right time.’
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