From MsParamedic to The Cajun Expat: Natalie Claire’s Journey to the NHS
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An old friend joins us for a conversation about new beginnings on this week’s Disaster Podcast. Natalie Cavender, known to many in the early EMS blogging and podcasting community as msparamedic, reconnects with hosts Jamie Davis and Sam Bradley, along with Dr. Joe Holley, to share her journey from American EMS to life and work in Northwest England.
Now sharing her experiences as The Cajun Expat, Natalie talks about moving across the Atlantic, finding her place within England’s National Health Service, and discovering how much of her paramedic identity travels with her.
The Early Days of EMS Blogging and Podcasting
The episode opens with memories of the early EMS podcasting community and the friendships that grew from it. The group reflects on those connections and the influence of Ted Settla (who passed away several years ago), while Natalie shares plans for a GenMed Show reunion with former co-hosts to catch up on where their careers have taken them.
Natalie’s move to England began with a long-distance relationship with her British partner. Turning that relationship into a shared life meant navigating visa sponsorship, employment, and the everyday adjustments of settling into another country. There’s room for humor along the way, including changing speech patterns, British food, and her distinctly Louisiana perspective on sausages.
Navigating Working in England’s National Health Service
Professionally, the transition brought a different set of challenges. Natalie describes arriving with 18 years of paramedic experience while still needing to demonstrate competencies and adapt to unfamiliar workplace expectations. Her account highlights the difference between bringing clinical experience to a new role and having that experience formally recognized.
An example involving her ECG interpretation skills illustrates how knowledge developed in EMS continued to serve her patients and colleagues. Jamie connects her experience with his own transition from paramedic practice into nursing education. Sam adds her perspective on working in hospital settings, where the practical skills of experienced paramedics often become valuable when teams need help.
Natalie also discusses her move into maternity care and midwifery, her plans to pursue a master’s in public health, and the process of building trust within a new clinical team. Learning different terminology, medications, and professional boundaries has been part of that adjustment. Throughout the conversation, the group returns to the judgment, adaptability, and leadership that paramedics carry into other careers.
Launching The Cajun Expat Podcast
Storytelling remains an important part of Natalie’s life. Alongside a book project about two medics, she has launched The Cajun Expat, a podcast exploring her personal and professional transition from the United States to the United Kingdom. She talks about changing identity, building a life abroad, and using scripts to help organize her thoughts while recording.
The reunion also includes a moment of remembrance as Joe pays tribute to a late friend and colleague who worked as both a paramedic and a nurse. It’s a reminder of the lasting relationships formed through emergency care, even as careers and circumstances change.
Join Jamie, Sam, Joe, and Natalie for a warm, candid conversation about EMS friendships, starting again in a different healthcare system, and finding new ways to use a lifetime of experience. The team also looks ahead to a possible future discussion comparing disaster management approaches in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Explore the links below to learn more about Natalie’s new show.
The Cajun Expat on Apple Podcasts
Our thanks to Dr. Joe Holley from Paragon Medical Education Group for sponsoring the Disaster Podcast.
Thank you as always to Paragon Medical Education Group for their long-term support of the Disaster Podcast. Dr. Joe Holley and the team at Paragon continue to provide excellent and customized disaster response training to jurisdictions around the U.S. and internationally as well.
