“What a year it has been!” he says.

As Nick settles into his new role in the crew, he says it all feels ‘a little unreal’.

“While there are certainly high standards and expectations of Wellington Free Ambulance staff I have been given a very good foundation to build on and there is still plenty of support in place should I need it.”

As Nick takes the opportunity to thank all his colleagues who have mentored and guided him over the last year, he says ‘it takes a whole village to train an intern and I’ve taken bits and pieces from just about everyone and incorporated them into my practice.”

Five other graduates from Nick’s intake will be joining him on Green Shift. Now they have the unique opportunity to continue their career paths and professional development together.

“A lot has happened over the last year, and as I transition out of my internship I’ve done a lot of reflecting on the things I’ve experienced.  Some of the highlights include congratulating a family on the birth of their first child, relieving the pain of an elderly patient, and restarting a dying heart” says Nick.

As well as the joyful moments, there have also been some low points. “Being threatened by an aggressive patient, attending a teenage suicide attempt, and having to tell a family that their loved one has passed away were all really tough.

“Despite this, I am still convinced that this is a fantastic career and I’m excited to progress to the next phase”.

Nick knows that every time he walks out the door to go to work, there’s still the excitement of not knowing what he’ll do, but knowing it will be a little bit different from anything he’s done before.

When he’s goes home at the end of each shift he feels great satisfaction knowing he helped a handful of people during one of the most difficult days of their lives.

“I don’t know exactly what the future holds for me, but I have no doubt that I’m a better person for the experiences that I’ve had so far with the ambulance service. If you ever run into me while I’m on the ambulance I promise that I’ll do everything in my power to help you with your emergency.”

“Thank you for following my adventures over the last year” says Nick.