When Jolene Miller left her role as a paramedic to pursue a career change as a train driver, little did she know that two years later she’d be combining both skills to help the country during the COVID-19 crisis.
However, she is doing just that, one week transporting key workers in her role as a train driver for Northern, the next week being a key worker as a paramedic.
She has spoken to railbusinessdaily.com on changing her career track and what life is like currently combining both jobs.
“Both jobs are different and can be stressful at these unprecedented times, but they are very different and come with different types of stress,” she said.
“I am enjoying work life at the moment, with working as a paramedic one week and a train driver the next and I’m not feeling the strain that a lot of people are feeling with being at home.
“Some people see it as I’m doing something special, but I’m just doing what lots of other frontline staff, NHS or care workers are doing. It’s what comes naturally to you when you’ve had that kind of working background.”
It was just as the Government started implementing lockdown measures to try and stop the spread of COVID-19 that Jolene spoke with bosses at Northern about utilising both her skills as a paramedic and as a train driver.
She said: “I knew that the train services were going to be scaled down, so I telephoned my local Northern HR representative and asked her if anything could be done as I didn’t feel I could basically sit and do nothing when I had skills and could help support in the NHS.
“When I left the NEAS I would still work the occasional event to keep my registration – I felt I had worked hard for my paramedic registration and I wasn’t quite ready to let it go.
“My HR representative said she would speak to my operations delivery manager and would get back to me in a couple of days. Literally 10 minutes later she called back and said that he said it was amazing that I am willing to do that and they set the ball rolling to facilitate it.
“The next week I was helping front line in the NHS.”
During the week on the trains Jolene generally works a normal shift – working from Sunday to Saturday, while alternate weeks she works as a paramedic, usually taking on the night shift. To stay safe she does make sure there are days off in between both jobs to adapt from the night shifts as a paramedic to the day shifts on the trains.
“The weeks when I am not on the train I’m working in my local accident and emergency on the COVID-19 side as hospital ambulance liaison officer,” she said.
“When the ambulances come in I take their patient and triage them to get them the most appropriate care or look after that patient until rooms become available within the A&E department.
“This allows the crews to get back out on the road and respond to the next emergency.
“Although I am enjoying the work life at the moment, I am looking forward to the weeks when I am back on the train for the routine and the normality it provides.
“I am happy to be helping within the NHS is these difficult times, but like the rest of the world I look forward to getting back to normal as soon as possible.”
Jolene worked with the North East Ambulance Service for 12 years from 2006, starting as an ambulance technician, before progressing to a paramedic. However in 2018 she fancied a career change, and having seen what the career was like for her husband – also a train driver for Northern – it was something that really appealed.
She said: “Working as a paramedic I used to love the different jobs we went to helping people in their darkest and trying times and not forgetting sometimes the most joyful times, the different situations you were constantly put in.
“But the work – long hours, late finishes and night shifts – takes its toll on you mentally and physically and for me it was time to leave whilst I was still young enough and healthy enough to start something else.
“My husband is a train driver and I used to say to him that he has so much more time off than I do and he would come home from work relaxed and left his work at work.
“I joked with him saying that if a position became available I was going to apply. So when it did I applied and I’m pleased to say I was successful.”
Jolene came through the numerous tests and is now into her second year as a driver.
She said: “Being a train driver, you do have to be alert and have good situational awareness. You need to be aware of the risks and be able to react quickly and accurately where necessary.
“I go to work and predominantly know exactly what I am doing that day, I know when and where I get a break and what time I finish – this was a big thing initially for me.
“Being a paramedic I believe gave me a good head start being able to react to situations and think clearly, remaining calm and concise throughout. You never knew what was going to happen that day and to be fair that really could be anything.
“It also helped once when I helped a guy who had passed out at the back of the train. I think the guard got a shock when he asked for medical assistance and it was the train driver who came to help.”
Becoming a train driver is something Jolene has no regrets about.
She said: “I love the fact that when my work day is over now I go home and that’s it. I never take work home with me and that means a lot.
“But more than that I love being part of a company that makes you feel supported and appreciated. How many other companies do you know would say ‘yeah go on then, you have the time off work to go and help out somewhere else and we will support you all the way’.
“I know these are unprecedented times but Northern didn’t have to support me or even let me do it, but they have been more than accommodating and supportive. I don’t think I’ve ever worked for a company like it before.
“I am glad I made the move to the rail industry and anticipate a long and happy career in the future.”
