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National Stuttering Association

Nicole OsborneParamedic

    Nicole Osborne

    Victoria, Australia
    Paramedic
    Ambulance Victoria

    Briefly describe your daily job duties.
    As an ambulance paramedic, I respond to the emergency calls and provide urgent medical assistance in a variety of situations from traffic accidents to household incidents to inter-hospital transfers.

    As a person who stutters, share the most challenging part of your job.
    Speaking on the radio and phone is an on-going requirement of my job and it’s an everyday challenge for me.

    Did you self-disclose your stuttering during the job hiring process?
    No, I didn’t disclose my stutter. I am able to manage my stutter quite well in that not many people know or notice it. My stutter comes across more as a lisp but I still block a lot and it comes out more often when I’m tired and anxious.

    Describe how stuttering makes you a better, more valued contributor at work.
    It’s made me a much better listener because I know what it’s like to not be given the chance to speak.

    What is your proudest moment at your current company? 
    I experience small victories every day when I am able to give a clear handover of a patient in need to hospital staff without blocking on words.

    What are your long-term career aspirations?
    I thoroughly enjoy my current position as an Advanced Life Support paramedic and do not wish to advance into management or into an Intensive Care position.

    What’s your best advice for people who stutter just entering the workplace and for those in a career striving to achieve greater success?
    Just know it will happen at some point. Try to not freak out too much because you will stutter. I’ve been lucky that I can conceal my stutter quite well, but I don’t freak out because I know I will block a lot on words.