About Us

Mary is one of our recent Graduate interns and has been on the road with Blue Shift for seven months.

Heading into winter certainly make shifts on the road busier, Mary says. With lots of winter ills spreading across the region, paramedic crews are increasingly seeing more patients with flu like symptoms along with coughs and colds that often complicate other injuries and illnesses.

Mary says looking after yourself, each other and staying well is really important, especially for those most vulnerable.

“Stay at home and rest as much as possible if you do become unwell, visit your GP or after hours medical centre if you aren’t feeling any improvement, and be sure to call 111 if you need us. As we work through a busy winter, there might be delays getting to you, but those who are sickest remain our top priority and we’ll be there if you need us.”

Mary recalls a recent visit to an elderly patient who had become unwell with a cold and infection.

Although they were unwell, the patient had great family support and Mary was able to leave her at home in the care of her family with medical advice and a GP appointment booked for the next day.

“To me, this was a win-win as it enabled the patient to be able to rest comfortably at home without needing to go to a busy hospital. It also ensured she received appropriate care through the GP the following day.

With no two days the same, each job is slightly different, with different medical problems, different ages and different environments, Mary explains.

“Ambulance life often sounds exciting and dramatic – and sometimes it is. But it is also the lower acuity jobs where people need a friendly and trustworthy person to talk to that can make you feel as though you have really made a difference,” she says.

“I remember attending to a young woman having a mental health crisis. Life had thrown some curveballs at her and she was really struggling that day. I sat with her for an hour in her bathroom while she cried and just talked to me about stuff going on for her, before we got her in the ambulance and transported to hospital to ensure appropriate ongoing support.”

Mary says she really enjoys meeting a diverse range of people every day.

“I remember one night shift that started with us transporting a 105-year-old patient to hospital and ended with a birth, so we really saw the full circle of life that day,” Mary says.

“Being able to help patients and their families, not just with their medical needs, but often emotional support and sometimes practical help makes a big difference to those less able or more vulnerable.

“There was one elderly patient who had fallen and broken his arm while he was trying to get to the bathroom. My colleague and I cleaned the mess in his bathroom and helped get him ready so we could take him to hospital. Although this meant the job took a bit longer than anticipated, and cleaning may not be included in our job descriptions, it ensured he was ready for his assessment in hospital and that he had a clean house to return to once discharged.”

During her time as a Paramedicine student, Mary volunteered with Wellington Free as an event medic, helping her to gain valuable patient experience and meet many of the road staff.

“I’m a Hutt girl so working for Wellington Free meant I could live close to my family while supporting my local community. Additionally, Wellington Free is renowned for its world class paramedicine and I wanted to ensure I had the very best start to my paramedic career,” Mary says.