by Robert Stevens
Leadership is one of the four core pillars of paramedic practice (College of Paramedics, 2024). Discovering that leadership exists at all levels and is not restricted to the hierarchical structure was integral to developing a core component of proficiency (HCPC, 2023). The NMC suggest that leadership is about role-modelling the best practice and having the confidence to do so (NMC, 2024).
My name is Robert Stevens, and I’m a second-year Student Paramedic at Swansea University. I started with a non-clinical background and limited science, having previously studied law and directed a small business. Returning to university without a science foundation was daunting, and I felt like a small fish in a big pond, hiding behind my mentors and peers when I felt least confident.
When Beryl Mansell presented the opportunity to join the Swansea University Student Leadership Academy (SwanSLA), I immediately signed up, hoping to find the answers to building my confidence in a new profession. Upon a successful application and a three-day inspiring conference, Jason Killens (CEO of the Welsh Ambulance Service University Trust (WAST)) became my leadership coach. Through the coaching, I developed my confidence and strategised ways of overcoming imposter syndrome. I also had the opportunity to participate in the College of Paramedics Student conference and C4CHEd conference, and workshops that helped me identify my strengths and weaknesses and hone in on my strategies for self-improvement.
Imposter syndrome does not have to be a weakness, and Jason helped me reframe this into a strength. One way to achieve this was by keeping organised, emphasising a work-life balance, and building confidence. When you have clarity of mind, making decisions under pressure and embracing the unknown is much more effective. The coaching was a great opportunity to be open about vulnerabilities and grow professionally. He encouraged me to “step out of the shadows”, a phrase that stuck with me and I find incredibly powerful.
Through the programme, I began to see leadership not as something reserved for others but as an opportunity to develop myself.
A significant focus of the programme was resilience and recognising that leadership involves vulnerability, self-doubt, and sometimes failure. To lead authentically, you must act with conviction and sometimes make the wrong call, but how you deal with this can create a great leader. It is also the part of the journey where the most meaningful learning happens. I’ve come to understand that discomfort is the root of growth.
Resilience is closely related to well-being. Interestingly, many of the SwanSLA reflected that reliance and well-being were areas they wished to develop personally and within the university. We were encouraged to prioritise reflection and collaboration and utilise emotional intelligence to support our colleagues and peers. Through speaking to healthcare leaders, I have found compassionate leadership, collaboration, and release the recipe for making a real difference and essential for a long, fulfilling career.
One of my greatest leadership achievements was working collaboratively on a project for the HCPC national student competition with Student Paramedic Tesni Davies. We achieved a runner-up prize for developing an online training package on social media guidelines for student healthcare professionals, which has been published online and delivered to first-year student paramedics at Swansea University. We attended a council meeting in London where we were awarded for our achievement and gave a short speech. It was an opportunity to network with and speak to HCPC representatives and leaders and understand more about the regulator’s role. I never would have considered it possible to compete nationally, but by “stepping out of the shadows”, it is possible.
Image: HCPC, 2024
In the future, I am committed to ongoing leadership development for a lifelong mindset. I want to contribute to a culture encouraging compassion, collaboration, and resilience. I plan to continue developing my practice and share my experience as a mentee with other students. In addition to the coaching, I have had fantastic WAST Practice Educators who have helped me in my development journey.
If I could offer one message to other student healthcare professionals, it’s this: Be willing to feel uncomfortable – step out of the shadows.
Written by Robert Stevens (Swansea University Student, Second-Year Paramedic Science BSc)
24 April 2025
References
College of Paramedics. (2024). Paramedic Career Framework 2022 (5th Ed. Revised 2024) [PDF Publication]. https://collegeofparamedics.co.uk/COP/ProfessionalDevelopment/post_reg_career_framework.aspx.
Health and Care Professions Council. (2023). Leadership at all levels of practice [Leadership fact sheet]. https://www.hcpc-uk.org/globalassets/standards/standards-of-proficiency/updated-standards-themes/fact-sheets/leadership.pdf.
Health and Care Professions Council. (2024, December 06). Winners of the HCPC student competition 2024 announced. https://www.hcpc-uk.org/news-and-events/news/2024/winners-of-the-hcpc-student-competition-2024-announced/
Nursing and Midwifery Council. (2024, May 09). Good Leadership means better care. https://www.nmc.org.uk/standards/guidance/good-leadership-means-better-care/.
University of Plymouth. (2024). The Collaboration for Compassion in Healthcare Education (C4CHEd). https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/compassion-in-healthcare-education
Swansea University Student Leadership Academy 