Meet Kim Gardner
I applied to join Hampshire Ambulance Service in October 2002 & after training at ‘The Southern Ambulance Training College’ in Chippenham, I qualified as a trainee Emergency Medical Technician.
I continued my training working as part of an ambulance crew, mentored by Paramedic colleagues for a further year & then qualified to work autonomously on ambulances & solo response cars.
I went onto do a Degree in Paramedic Science at Portsmouth University and graduated as a fully registered Health Care & Professions Council (HCPC) Paramedic in August 2008.
In 2016 I left the ambulance service to pursue a different direction in various clinical roles i.e. an Urgent Care Practitioner, a Community Paramedic, an IV Therapy Paramedic, a Paramedic Practitioner in a GP’S surgery & for NHS 111 as a Clinical Advisor.
I have been involved in mentoring & training since 2009 where I began assisting with training Community First Responders, Fire Service Responders & Care Homes in Basic Life Support.
For a period of time I was employed as a trainer for The Academy at Great Western Hospitals NHS Trust & continue to work for the NHS on a bank staff basis.
My main focus now is as a freelance trainer for various private enterprises. I have lots of experience to share & hope that I can use that to encourage others to have the confidence to use their first aid knowledge & learning to help others in their moment of need.
Training Courses
Training Courses can be tailored to meet your specific business requirements or needs.
Certificates and booklets are provided on certain courses, please email or call to discuss further and obtain a quotation.
​​Adult Basic Life Support (ABLS)
Involves recognising & checking responsiveness, calling for help, performing chest compressions, and providing rescue breaths to maintain circulation and breathing
in a cardiac arrest.
Paediatric Basic Life Support (PBLS)
Similar to adult BLS but tailored to children’s anatomy and physiology, with specific
techniques for different age groups (infants and older children).
Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
Learning to safely use a device which delivers a controlled electric shock to assist with
restoring a normal heart rhythm during sudden cardiac arrest. It provides voice prompts
to guide users.
Choking (Adult & Paediatric)
Learning to identifying someone who is having a choking incident & management
by providing back blows and abdominal thrusts to clear the airway.
Understanding the differences & management of a choking incident in infants,
back blows and chest thrusts are recommended.
Anaphylaxis and Adrenaline Auto-injectors
Recognising & management of severe life-threatening allergic reactions (anaphylaxis)
and administering adrenaline (epinephrine) using auto-injectors like EpiPen
to counteract the reaction.
Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW)
Basic first aid skills for workplace emergencies, including assessing the situation,
providing CPR, managing an unconscious person, treating wounds, burns,
and other injuries.
Diabetes Awareness
Understanding diabetes, monitoring blood glucose levels, and administering insulin.
Key signs & symptoms of hypo / hyperglycaemia and knowing how to
respond & manage.
Epilepsy Awareness
Recognising & management of seizures, providing safety measures & administering
prescribed medications such as buccal midazolam or rectal diazepam
during prolonged seizures.
Specialist Training Courses
Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) & Tunnelled Central Venous Catheter (TCVC)
Specialist training for healthcare professionals:
a) Anatomy and Physiology: Understanding the central venous system for proper TCVC / PICC line insertion and maintenance
b) Insertion Procedure: Understanding the insertion procedure & required patient preparation.
c) Infection Control: Implementing aseptic techniques to prevent infections.
d) Securement: Understanding & management of securement devices
e) Flushing and Maintenance: Regularly flushing the line to maintain patency.
f) Dressing Changes: Properly changing dressings to minimise infection risk.
g) Troubleshooting: Managing complications like occlusion or infection.
h) Patient Education: Teaching patients to care for their TCVC / PICC lines at home.
Training Equipment Available
Adult Mannequins
Child Mannequins
Paediatric Mannequins
Automated External Training Defibrillators
Choking Vests
Anaphylaxis Auto-injector Training Pens
Projector
Projector Screen
Testimonials
“Very well delivered course with lots of practical examples and real-life situations. Brilliant CPR training with an app to test competence.” Sue, Gloucestershire
“The training was very appropriate, Kim was easily
understood & fully explained everything.”
Penelope, Bristol
“I really enjoyed the combination of theory and practical, and I loved Kim’s passion for first aid. Super inspiring!” Tracy, Swindon
“Very knowledgeable, very positive & genuinely passionate.” Tory, Herts
"Great Course & great knowledge. Kim was so informative
& made the course really interesting. I feel confident in my
ability to carry out first aid." Charlotte, Cheltenham
“Very engaging training session! Plenty of examples & sharing of Kim’s experience as a paramedic. The content was interesting, and the session was suitable for all
learning styles!” Kelsey, Gloucestershire