I recently retired as a Firefighter, in Washington, where I had worked for 19 years. Previously and during this time I was a Staff Nurse. 16 years full time and 14 years as a bank nurse. During my time in nursing and the fire service, I have been involved in many emergency situations, where a casualty has required life saving care, including CPR and also defibrillation. I went on to teach Basic Life Support, CPR and defibrillation to nurses, on some of the wards. When I left the fire service, I wanted to some thing that I would enjoy doing and give me job satisfaction. That is why I wanted to go down this route. 

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Within the fire service I was also part of our Voluntary Trauma Support Team, for 10 years, where we assisted in giving emotional support to firefighters, who had been involved in traumatic incidents. I also assisted with some of the first aid training that was given to some of the firefighters.,

 

I qualified as a First Aid Instructor, in 2019 and have just completed my First Aid Instructor refresher in 2022 and can now continue to teach first aid and other subjects including, Basic Life Support, CPR and defibrillation. I had planned to use my First Aid Qualification, to teach the skills that I have learnt, over the years, to other people.

 

 

How I want to work and educate people

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I've been wanting to set this up for a number of years now but waited until after my time in the fire service. I started to set everything up 2 years ago but then covid hit us all, so I have waited until now to start, "FIVESTARCPR". (https://fivestarcpr.co.uk).

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I work with small groups, from one-to-one, up to a maximum of 8 people. My reasoning for teaching low numbers are for a few reasons: a lot of people don't like to be in large groups of people. I can also give a greater degree of tuition and individual support, with more hands on during a session.

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I can complete my sessions in a place of your choice, which may be your own home address, place of work or a venue in Washington. I feel that this will also help relax people and for the experience to be a more enjoyable positive one, which feels more informal. 

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If there is time towards the end of a session, I can also touch on the valuable use of defibrillators and where they are based in your area. We can also spend a little time at the end of a session, looking at some other first aid procedures, for example: Choking, heart attacks, strokes, epilepsy or anything else you might want to learn about.

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Learning first aid is so important and if you have the skills to do this, you can literally save someone's life. I've had many experiences where I have used my skills to help save life. One recent experience, where a man had a cardiac arrest, while playing football on my team. By using my first aid skills including CPR and using a defibrillator on him, with some assistance, I was able to get him back before the ambulance came. With some good first aid training, anyone can learn the skills needed to also save lives. The feeling you get when you do save someone's life is fantastic. 

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Employment & Qualifications

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TRAUMA SUPPORT TEAM MEMBER
WASHINGTON COMMUNITY FIRE STATION - Washington
2008 to 2019

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QUALIFIED NURSE

SUNDERLAND ROYAL HOSPITAL

1986-2000

FIREFIGHTER WASHINGTON
COMMUNITY FIRE STATION -  Washington

2000-2019

BANK STAFF NURSE
NHS Professionals. Mainly working Sunderland Royal Hospital -  Sunderland 2002 to 2015

(IMPS) VOLUNTEER WORKER

Teaching children basic first aid and CPR in a hospital setting
Tyne & Wear Fire and Rescue Service 2007 to 2008

SUNDERLAND COUNSELLING SERVICES
VOLUNTEER GRIEF and LOSS COUNSELLOR
Sunderland Counselling services -  Sunderland 1995 to 2005

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REGISTERED NURSE (GENERAL) 1995 to 1997 
 
1996 PALLIATIVE CARE COURSE  
 
1997 DIPLOMA IN COUNSELLING  CSCT 905 COURSE  
 
1998 ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT COURSE CERT IN COUNSELLING THEORY

CSCT 901 COURSE  

1994 BASIC FIRST AID COURSE CERT IN COUNSELLING THEORY

FIRST AID INSTRUCTOR 2019 to 2022
First Aid instructor course (Regulated). This was an intense 1 week course, through NUCO. Now able to instruct on First Aid, CPR and defibrillation, oxygen therapy and anaphylaxis management

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FIRST AID INSTRUCTOR REFRESHER June 2022-2025

Though NUCO. Able to carry on instructing on First Aid, CPR and Defibrillation, (Regulated and Non-Regulated)