Gemma Aldridge

Experience

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  Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust

  Oct 2004 - now

  Practice development nurse within the emergency department.Band 7 role to promote high quality care within the Emergency Department.To work alongside staff within the clinical area a minimum of 3 days a week with nurses on an individual basis to develop/enhance clinical skills.Develop and support the delivery of education and training programmes within the Emergency Department, to meet needs of the learners and the Emergency Department staff.Deliver training on designated programmes to address specific staff group requirements both in a classroom setting and within the clinical area.To promote learning in the workplace, identifying training and development needs of nursing, medical and allied health professional staff.Identify and act upon sub optimal nursing practice.Assist in the implementation and review of local and national nursing initiatives and policies.Participate in auditing and monitoring of standards and practice in accordance with agreed programmes Show less Emergency department nurse working across the emergency floor; now Band 6 in Accident and Emergency. Started as a Band 2 in 2004, remaining with the trust alongside expedition work. Interests in pre-hospital care, resource low settings, humanitarian work, acute care, hazardous environments, human resources, leadership and management, human factors, communication and education. Previously led service improvements in infection prevention and control and early pregnancy loss support. Now facilitating placements of student nurses and Paramedics within the department, and coordinating/facilitating daily teaching sessions for the nursing team. Show less

  • Practice Development Nurse Emergency Department

    Jul 2023 - now

  • Registered Nurse

    Oct 2004 - Jul 2023
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  Outdoor Gems

  Jun 2017 - now

  Mountain Leader / Expedition Medic

  After increasing requests for private expeditions in the UK and Europe I set up my own trading as registration in order to facilitate adventure expeditions for emergency service workers who have experienced trauma (singular or sustained/repeated) within their working or private lives. Expeditions give new challenges, achievements, resilience, connection with nature and people within the team and space to breathe before returning to everyday hustle and bustle. I also facilitate expedition for people with specialist health needs allowing them to experience adventure and access places previously thought inaccessible to them. This includes people living with epilepsy, hypermobility (EDS) or as an amputee and a paraplegic. These inspirational people create rather special experiencesThis expanded across the globe freelancing for other travel organisations as expedition medic where I specialise in taking young people, or people with extra health care needs Show less

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  Mind Over Mountains

  Jun 2020 - Jan 2025

  Mountain Leader

  Mind over Mountains is a mental health charity offering immediate and accessible support through therapeutic outdoor experiences. All events are facilitated by a compassionate dedicated team of mountain leaders and therapists believing that time in nature coupled with professional support is a powerful way to build resilience, talk without pressure and re-find stillness

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  Challange first aid

  Jul 2020 - now

  Event medic

  Event medicine for endurance or remote adventure events such as mountain marathons, coast to coast ultra, coastal ultra marathons, Saltpath, 24hr endurance sports. Including Suffolk trail festival, St Peters Way Ultra, Norfolk coastal run, Stour Valley Path Ultra, Back yard Ultra, night, day, and whole week events, remote healthcare with a great community of runners

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  Challange events

  Jun 2021 - now

  Mountain Leader

  Mountain Leader on charity or commercial endurance events such as charity hikes. Example: Centrepoint walk for homeless, expedition across Caingorms, Scrambling in North Wales, wellbeing and survival weekends, team building, leadership development and corporate days out.

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  World Extreme Medicine

  Jan 2023 - now

  Instructor

  Faculty member with World Extreme Medicine facilitating learning for health care professionals. Medicine goes world wide, and sometimes out of this world! World extreme medicine provides experiential learning for medics working or seeking to work in remote or austere environments. On adventure or humanitarian expeditions. Cold, hot, humid, dry, high altitude, on land, sea or outer space.

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  FAST Calais

  Jun 2024 - now

  Field Coordinator

  Field coordinator for NGO providing medical and hygiene care for refugee population in Northern France. Daily rounds of Calais 'Jungle' identifying, assessing and treating the immediate needs of people from treating burns, wounds, infections such as diptheria, viral illnesses, ongoing pre-existing conditions and new medical conditions, hypothermia, injuries from police brutality, malnutrition, and dentistry. Worked alongside a network of other NGOs who provided other services : mental health care, unaccompanied children, shelter, food, legal information and more. We refer to these NGOs where needed, receive referrals for medical needs from them and share information regarding security etc.Within this role we also manage charity funds, equipment, donations and a small staff team.Opportunities to train other NGOs in first aid also arose. Show less

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  TrailMed

  Feb 2025 - now

  Event nurse

  Event medic for Ultra/Endurance/Adventure challenges. Remote medicine in interesting places.

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  Camps International

  Mar 2025 - now

  Expedition Leader

  Expedition leader for Camps international. Ethical travel with purpose.From jungle to the flats of Africa we work on conservation and wildlife projects whilst developing young people. We offer impactful experience supporting local communities and the chance for young adults to travel with guidance and support. Whilst undertaking community action work, they'll also embark on an adventure whether that's a mountain summit, a jungle trek or safari.