My name is William Gulliford and I have been an Emergency Care Assistant (ECA) at High Wycombe for a year and I love every single minute of it.
I became an ECA because I wanted to make a difference and help those in need. I feel proud to be part of the ambulance service and being an ECA is a great role to get an insight into what it is like to be a paramedic, if you want to go down that route.
I remember on my first shift I was really nervous but everyone was really helpful and answered any questions I had.
The responsibility for an ECA is to support your clinician to the best of your ability as it helps to deliver the best care for the patient. The challenging side of the job comes in various forms such as dealing with long shift hours and emotions from different patients/jobs you attend.
As an ECA you are required to complete a portfolio. This is something I had never done before so that was a challenge for me but I had great help from my clinical mentor and other ECAs.
I lacked confidence before becoming an ECA but the role has helped me achieve more than I could ever imagine. Also what I love about the job is that everyday is different and you meet some amazing people along the way.
I feel proud to be an ECA and can’t wait to see what the future holds for me.