UKC

Next week I have a job interview coming up for an ECA role. Was wondering if anyone works as an ECA or works with (like paramedic ... or in emergency medicine) and has any advice or tips for interview? I meet all the personal specs, i work as an HCA currently, have a c1 license and volunteering experience. Just need to put it all together

In reply to Kemics:

Not a paramedic but an Neonatal Nurse. Therefore I'm involved in emergency situations most weeks.

Firstly it's all about teamwork even when things badly wrong. You must be a team player.

You'll need to develop a systematic approach to patient care. Knowledge, education and training. Research based practice and national protocols are the corner stones of my working life. Practice is continually evolving in response to research. You'll never know it all.

It's not all technical stuff you'll need to show you're a caring and compassionate person but with a bit inner steel. It's a job that needs fortitude and resilience otherwise it'll chew you up and spit you out.

Have you any life events that can illustrate you have the character to undertake. That would be helpful in an interview.

Good luck.

In reply to Kemics:

Write a list of the questions they will ask you,there are probably no more than ten. Then work out your answers,such that ypu don't waffle but clearly show that you tick the boxes they are looking for.

In reply to nickinscottishmountains:

Work out what you'll say when they ask you about what you'd do with a co-worker who does something inappropriate/against clinical procedure.

And the predictable your weakness/strength thing.

And give examples of situations where you've learnt a lesson/shown leadership/etc..

In reply to JayPee630:

Yup, that's 3 out of the 10!

In reply to Kemics:
Top tip, don't answer the questions immediately. Take a few moments to compose your replies before responding. This demonstrates that you are giving time and thought before speaking rather than blurting stuff.

Try to sound relaxed and calm throughout the interview. Both the interviewer's and you know that the interview is stressful so demonstrate that you can appear calm under stress.

The next bit is tricky but try not to give closed or single word replies. The interviewer's want to hear you talk. They will ask you a simple and almost random question. This is to guage your own questioning skills by keeping a conversation flowing. But here is the hard part. Know when to shut up and stop waffling.

The job is mainly talking and gaining people's confidence in times of distress and confusion. Most if not everybody can learn how to do CPR or apply bandages but the truck is to show empathy and calmness.

Just be yourself and try not to portray a personality that you think the pannel is looking for because there is no one particular stereotype they are looking for.

Life experiences are the key. Try to give examples of life experiences in your replies.

Try not to be funny, unless you are naturally funny but funny in a calm way. But know how to be relaxed and have good humour when it is appropriate.

If asked about yourself and your hobbies, then talk about them.

If you just be yourself, give examples life experiences and demonstrate problem solving skills to questions or situations that you have never been in then both you and the pannel will know if the job is right for you.

The world is full of diverse people so be a person who can fit in, in a stressful environment such as an interview room. If you can't remain calm with an interview pannel, you won't keep calm out on the road.

Just be yourself. It's probably the best and worst job that I have ever had.

If there happens to be a driving part of the interview process then do not drive like a tit. Drive like Miss Daisey. The ambulance service does not want boy racers, they want confident and considerate drivers.

And good luck




BTW what is an ECA, please?

In reply to nickinscottishmountains:

The one's I always struggle with when I try to wing it!

In reply to The Lemming:

Emergency Care Assistant, one of many names for the same job working on ambulances at a below-Technician level.

In reply to Kemics:
I'm an EMT in Manchester. The interview I had involved all the usual quiestions about NWAS to see if I knew the basics (how many stations, staff, number of calls etc etc). They also gave me a number of scenarios that I had to verbally work through. For example, "You get an emergency call from a GP to take Mr Smith to ED from his home address. When you get there there's no answer & there are milk bottles on the doorstep. What do you do?" The general answer involves updating control, asking neighbours, seeing if there's a keysafe, looking through the window, checking EDs to see if he's made his own way, getting more info from the GP about when they last spoke to him, and then finally putting a call in for police assistance to bash the door in - which is always a lot of fun.

Basically they want to see that you're capable of thinking about all the possibilities and making some informed decisions. In a scenario like this it's always best to list what you *do* know as well as what you don't, and to use the "inform control/get advice" line in each scenario.

The other scenario involved a female patient with whatever problems, but you notice that her 2yo is filthy and the house is freezing cold and the fridge is empty, what do you do? One patient or two? Vulnerable child, adult or both?

I always find that looking in patient's fridges is a good clue to what's going on. You'd be surprised how many intravenous users stuff their fridge full of their junk (which children can then get hold of etc).

They also wanted examples of when you were able to make leadership decisions, when you were part of a team, when something you organised went well and when it went wrong. They want to see that you've got a bunch of "problem solving" experiences that you could bring to bear on th'ambulances. They will ask about your shift work experience and how you handle it.

Take the interview seriously (you'd be amazed how many don't) and look proper smart. Get there with bags of time to spare and be professional and friendy to all members of the panel. Shake their hands if that seems appropriate, and look them in the eye when you answer. If you really haven't got a clue about something, just say so. They want to know that you're willing to learn, go the extra mile and become part of their team.

Also, as has been said above, drive like you're doing a formal test if that's part of the interview. At one point I clipped a curb, but the guy said that he could see I was generally a good driver so he was confident that a little more practice and I'd be fine. Talk through what you're doing and what you can see up ahead, what your thought processes are during the drive if you feel comfortable doing that, and ask for clarity if the instructions aren't clear.

Good luck, and let us know how you get on.

In reply to JayPee630:


Try to remember that its just a job and just like any other job, is to earn money to pay your mortgage and buy climbing gear.

And when you do get the job, make sure that you don't take your work home with you. I don't mean to take patients home but rather to leave any emotional baggage at work. Or preferably better still, wipe each job from your memory once you hand it over to the hospital, or whoever you hand over to.

If you are not careful, all that emotional baggage will bite you in the bum one day when you are not expecting it. Don't expect to grow old with this job. Very few of those on the road make it to retirement age. We either break from the physical exertion of the job or die young from the rigours of the job. We don't get many 67 year old's on the road. Best to know what you are signing up for.

It really is a great job and one which will have you in fits of laughter practically every day. No two days are the same. 90% of the work is hun-drum routine but its that 10% that can tug at your heartstrings when you are least expecting it. We are not impassionate, emotionless lumps of rock that can absorb everything. Some people think that because you are in uniform, then that gives them cart-Blanche to scream, swear and physically abuse you because you are a faceless uniform who's job description is to take all that sh1t.

Make sure that you have an effective release valve to sound off to.

I find this site an excellent place to troll.

In reply to Kemics:

I'm a paramedic with WMAS. Certainly your HCA experience will be perfect, as will the C1. West Midst now pay for the C1 if you haven't got it, so having it will be a bonus. We get far too many people joining with no experience in patient care, so you'd get a head start here. I started as an ECA 8 yrs ago and back then they wanted people only with a relevant background. Now we're not recruiting at ECA level, but they are less picky and it's causing problems.
If I were you I'd highlight your experience, but play on the fact you're not a know it all, and that emergency frontline work will be different. Thrive on challenge. I was asked, at interview, about if I'd ever managed an emergency. I proceeded to tell them about a remote climbing epic where it took me 13hrs to get the casualty to help. It got me the job!
Actually being a climber helped a lot. I drew on that to answer "can you work outdoors in all weathers?" and still use it in promotion interviews to show even out of work my lifestyle means I am responsible for both my welfare and that of others.
The one thing you maybe asked is why you want to move from HCA to ECA. Avoid the temptation to say you want to wear your underpants on the outside and drive like a loon
Good luck x

In reply to Caralynh:



Having total disregard for the highway code is the only perc of the job.

That's some wonderful advice guys! Thank you so much! It's given me some great ideas to prepare for

I really appreciate it =)

In reply to Caralynh: That advice about using climbing as a way of demonstrating your skills is perfect. I'm sure I related at least one massive (to non climbing eyes!) epic that I completely sorted out singlehandedly in the teeth of a storm 300ft above a raging sea hanging from my fingernails while being attacked by owls as a great example of how I was able to operate under pressure in a critical situation. As with Cara's post above, I'm sure that helped me get the job, plus the fact that I joined NWAS as a 42 years old with loads of so-called "life experience" to draw on.

In reply to The Lemming: and yes, being able to drive like a loon (I mean "a safe and progressive driver") on blue lights never ceases to appeal to my inner child/boy racer/superhero.

In reply to Kemics:

I'm a Paramedic with WAST. Most the interviews they conduct are "competency based interviews" where you are are ask to give an example of a situation where you have demonstrated a specified key skill/ quality/ or been placed in a certain situation (ie. Teamwork, leadership, difficult confrontation with colleague, colleague breaching guidelines). You then have to answer it with an actual example of a situation from your current job, previous jobs, climbing, life in general at the same time bringing in all the other relevant key skills/ qualities listed in the person spec. that should be available to you on the NHS jobs website.

So go through the person spec, highlight all the words, then think of lots of examples (stories) that will mould to the questions they might ask and practice them ensuring you include as many key skill/quality words as possible. A lot of trusts will score you on whether you say certain words, so don't forget to use the correct words as listed in the person spec.

Also read up on the Trust website, details like who the chief exec is. Do they have a performance model in place...what is it called? Also where do you as an ECA fit into any performance model?

Hope that helps, I haven't had time to read the posts before mine, so sorry if I have just repeated what others have said.

I got the job! Thanks so much to everyone for support and advice! Apparently I had over prepared as I scored really well for the interview

whoop exciting times!

Lemming, Frank, jay, Nick, Caralynh, SAF and Mr Deleted Bagger. You guys are awesome!

In reply to Kemics:



Congratulations and good luck.

And remember the Ambulance Service motto

"You can never do enough for a good firm"

In reply to Kemics:

Congratulations! Well done.

Enjoy the training.