Three Decades in EMS — A Lecturer’s Journey

Episode 36 of ParaPodcast.

Nicole de Montille has been a paramedic, lecturer, and clinical governance leader across three decades of South African EMS. In this conversation she walks Malusi, Tulani, and Elias through her career — from the suck-it-up paramilitary days at Technikon Witwatersrand to the compassion-led education she now believes in, from her first ALS post at Boksburg Fire to her current work building first-year paramedics' foundations at Netcare. She also speaks openly — and with rare honesty — about losing her husband to suicide, the cost of paramilitary culture on EMS mental health, and the cases that still stay with her years later. This is the lecturer who actually taught some of us. It's a special one. 🕐 Chapters 0:00 Cold open & introductions 3:00 Benoni, boarding school, and the Charlize Theron connection 5:30 What Malusi was like as a paramedic student 13:00 "Learning is never meant to be a space where you're afraid" 15:30 A year in Wyoming, and choosing paramedicine over medicine 19:00 Technikon Witwatersrand — the paramilitary years 24:00 How EMS education evolved — from "suck it up" to compassion 31:00 Being a woman in EMS in the 90s 41:00 Boksburg Fire — first ALS post and the white badge 47:00 Becoming a lecturer at Technikon Natal in 2002 49:00 Building the rescue centre at Currie's Fountain 55:00 What an EMC curriculum redesign should look like 59:30 ER24, Netcare, and the foundation of first-year teaching 1:04:30 Mental health in EMS, and losing her husband 1:08:00 The cases that stay with you 1:11:50 TikTok, YouTube, and learning in home languages 1:13:00 Three decades, today: ACLS, PALS, mentorship 1:15:00 Closing 🎙 About The Para Podcast The Para Podcast is conversations with the people who built — and are still building — pre-hospital emergency care across Africa and the diaspora. Hosted by Malusi Mtetwa (Australia), Tulani Sibanda (Qatar), and Elias Thomas (UAE). #ParaPodcast #EmergencyMedicalServices #Paramedic #EMSEducation #SouthAfricanEMS #ParamedicStories #WomenInEMS #ParamedicMentalHealth #NicoleDeMontille

For the full conversation, use the player above. The audio version is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and any podcast app via our public feed.