When most people think about a paramedic's role they picture them rushing to the scene of a car crash to save a life.
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But Dubbo paramedic Kerriann Swinton said it's not what most people expect.
"It's not all really bad stuff, a lot of it's good, happy nice jobs. Things like meeting different people and hearing their life stories. They're not extremely unwell but there's something they need to go to hospital for and you have a bit of time to chat to them," she said.
Ms Swinton has been in the job for 13 years. She spent her first year of training in Sydney, followed by a posting in Nyngan, some time in Bourke, and has ended up in Dubbo.
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This year marks 40 years since the first female paramedic. Across NSW Ambulance, women make up 40.8 per cent of the workforce and 40.3 per cent of those are in senior leadership roles. Just six years ago in 2012, the number of women in senior positions was just 29 per cent.
When Ms Swinton first started in Dubbo three-and-a-half years ago she was one of only a few females, now the team are split 50-50 with eight female paramedics.
A lot of the trainees coming through Dubbo are also female.
Before she stared working, trainee Jess Beattie - who is originally from Brisbane - was one of those who expected the role to be more "extravagant".
"You never know what you're going to cop but that's what I love, no day is the same. While I might do the same assessments each day on each patient, everyone has a different presentation somehow. It's a very grey job, there's no black and white. Everyone is unique in someway," Ms Beattie said.
Ms Beattie is about to complete her first year in the role.
"I was in and out of hospital when I was a kid and I always loved the nurses, ambos everyone, even though I was petrified of needles and the rest," she said.
"I wanted to do something that feels rewarding and like you're changing someone's day. It might be someone else's worst day of there life but if you can make it a bit better, why not? It's definitely challenging but I like having to use my brain and having to problem solve."
The trainee said even the jobs where it doesn't seem like you were doing much for the patient were rewarding.
It may be a high pressure career, but Ms Swinton said you get used to the situations and learn to fall back on your training.
"You get to know your colleagues really well and it becomes like a little family," she said.
The 'little family' had been amazing, said Ms Beattie. She said she was very thankful to be in Dubbo and for everything she had learned while she was here.