Kris Dubé reported on a new component of the curriculum for Niagara College’s Paramedic program – an opportunity for all 50 second-year students in the program to work two three-hour shifts at The Hope Centre.
From preparing meals to stocking shelves, the experience helps students to build “soft skills” like empathy, compassion and communication, all of which will help them to work with vulnerable populations in the field.
Students Eric Vangoch, Shyann Woods and Nathan Wise are pictured, and Woods explains that learning to connect with the people they serve is vital to their work as paramedics. With the growing number of individuals with mental health issues, experiences like this help prepare students for the realities of their work.
Dubé reports that paramedic students are also assigned shifts assisting seniors at South Niagara Health and Wellness Centre in Welland
