Ambulance nurse reports record 27 calls in one day

Tallinn Ambulance nurse and team leader Anu Kärner said she has handled as many as 27 calls in a 24-hour period, ERR reported. She spoke on the Raadio 2 programme R2 Hommik!

Kärner said ambulance crews typically respond to 13 to 20 calls during a 24-hour shift. Some calls are emotionally difficult, while others are physically demanding.

“Surprisingly, I can say that some Friday nights in the city centre are easier than a Tuesday night somewhere else,” Kärner said.

The workload can also disrupt meals. On some shifts, lunch may not take place until 4 p.m. Kärner said ambulance workers’ food choices were not always the healthiest and that she usually carried a snack with her.

Kärner said she began working in emergency medical services because her father had worked in the field. Her sister and stepmother are also connected to medicine. Although journalism was her first choice, she was directed to Tallinn Health Care College, where she now works as a lecturer.

According to Kärner, nursing education includes a substantial amount of practical training. She said career changes were common and increasingly popular, partly because people wanted to do practical work, see its results and take on responsibility. The work also required a willingness to carry a mental burden and to work on oneself, she added.

An ambulance crew consists of three people: a nurse team leader or doctor, a nurse, assistant nurse or emergency medical technician, and an ambulance technician who also serves as the driver.