Ramsay Newsroom

20-year-old Taylor Kett was driving home from a placement shift at Greenslopes Private Hospital in early September when she witnessed the drama unfold. 

“I saw this person on the ground and he was face down and there were two other people standing over him. I thought it would be a good idea to turn around and help,” Miss Kett said. 

“I tried to find his pulse but he wasn’t breathing. One lady was telling me not to touch him but I was thinking the airway is more important than the spine, I knew what I needed to do.” 

Taylor performed CPR for approximately five minutes before the ambulance arrived, and asked bystanders to collect towels as the patient had suffered a lot of blood loss. She then continued CPR for another 20 minutes with three other people. 

“It was such a different environment. I’ve done all this training but I’ve usually got all the senior nurses and doctors telling me what to do. This was different because I was the one in charge. But I had the confidence to know what to do,” Miss Kett said. 

An Advanced Care Paramedic with the Queensland Ambulance Service praised Taylor for her outstanding conduct and said the case highlights the importance of CPR training. 

 “When we arrived Miss Kett was performing CPR on a gentlemen who had collapsed by the side of the road. There were multiple other bystanders on scene who Taylor kept calm, informed and gave direction to,” the paramedic said. 

“Taylor has clearly been taught well. She was cool, calm and collected throughout the incident.” 

Unfortunately the patient passed away at the scene, however the paramedic said it serves as a reminder about the importance of initiating bystander CPR. 

Miss Kett completed an enrolled nursing course at TAFE and is currently in her second year of a nursing degree. 

She said she was grateful to learn from the amazing team of nurses and doctors at Greenslopes Private Hospital as part of her studies. 

“They’re incredible and amazing. The whole team has been so supportive, it’s just such a nice group of people to work with.” 

 Miss Kett said the incident had reinforced her passion for nursing and she was hoping to move into paediatrics or midwifery when she graduates in late 2021.