How First Responders Can Take on Advice and Guidance Effectively

In the high-pressure world of emergency response, learning never stops. Whether you’re new to the job or a seasoned professional, the ability to accept advice, feedback, and guidance from colleagues, mentors, and senior staff is a crucial communication skill. Those who can listen openly, process constructive feedback, and apply it effectively grow faster, improve team dynamics, and ultimately become more skilled and adaptable professionals.

However, taking on board advice isn’t always easy. It requires active listening, emotional intelligence, and the ability to separate guidance from personal criticism. This article explores why the way first responders accept feedback matters and offers practical strategies to make the most of mentorship and peer input.

1. Advice is a Shortcut to Experience

First responders work in an environment where experience matters. Every shift is an opportunity to learn—from colleagues, mentors, and even from patients. The ability to accept advice means you don’t have to learn every lesson the hard way. Instead, you gain insight from those who have faced similar challenges before.

How to Make the Most of Experience-Based Advice:

✅ When a senior paramedic or supervisor offers a tip, listen fully before responding—avoid the instinct to defend your current approach.
✅ Ask follow-up questions like "What worked well for you when you faced this challenge?" to understand the reasoning behind their advice.
✅ Apply the advice and reflect on the outcome—if it helps, add it to your mental toolbox for future situations.

💡 Example: A senior paramedic advises a new responder on better scene control. Instead of brushing it off, the responder applies the tip on the next call and sees an immediate improvement in team coordination.

Why It Works: Learning from others fast-tracks professional growth and prevents unnecessary mistakes.

2. Constructive Feedback is Not Criticism

One of the biggest barriers to accepting advice is taking it personally. Feedback is meant to help you improve, not tear you down—but it’s easy to feel defensive when someone points out something that could have been done better.

How to Shift Your Mindset Toward Feedback:

✅ Separate emotions from the message—assume that feedback is given to help, not to criticize.
✅ Pause before responding—instead of reacting immediately, say: "Thanks for the input—can you explain how I can apply that better next time?"
✅ If feedback is vague, ask for specifics: "Can you give me an example of how I could have improved my communication on that call?"

💡 Example: A team leader mentions that your radio communication could be clearer. Instead of feeling attacked, you ask for examples and practice concise, structured radio reports on the next shift.

Why It Works: Accepting constructive feedback without defensiveness helps you grow and shows you’re serious about improving.

3. Learning from Peers – The Power of a Growth Culture

Advice doesn’t just come from supervisors—peer-to-peer learning is one of the most valuable forms of professional development. Teams that exchange feedback and share lessons learned build stronger communication, trust, and problem-solving skills.

How to Build a Peer-Learning Culture:

✅ Encourage open discussions—create a safe space where team members feel comfortable offering suggestions.
✅ Give feedback as well as receive it—help teammates improve by offering observations without being overly critical.
✅ Debrief after tough calls—discuss what went well and what could be improved, without assigning blame.

💡 Example: After a complex multi-agency response, your team holds a quick debrief. A peer suggests that adjusting how instructions were given on scene could have improved coordination. You take the advice on board and try a different communication style next time.

Why It Works: Peer feedback helps everyone get better together—when the team learns, the quality of care and response improves.

4. Mentorship: Finding the Right People to Learn From

Mentors are one of the most valuable sources of career and skill development in emergency services. A good mentor guides, supports, and challenges you to reach your full potential.

How to Make the Most of Mentorship:

✅ Seek out mentors actively—approach experienced colleagues with a mindset of learning.
✅ Be open to advice, even if it challenges your current approach—growth happens outside of comfort zones.
✅ Keep in touch—mentorship doesn’t have to be formal. Check in with trusted mentors regularly for career and skill guidance.

💡 Example: A mentor suggests attending a critical care paramedicine workshop to build advanced assessment skills. You take the advice and find it expands your career opportunities significantly.

Why It Works: Learning from mentors helps shape your career trajectory, offering guidance that textbooks and training alone can’t provide.

5. Practical Strategies to Improve How You Receive Advice

Sometimes, the way advice is given isn’t perfect—but that doesn’t mean it isn’t valuable. Learning to filter useful information from how it’s delivered is a critical skill.

Techniques to Accept Advice More Effectively:

✅ Repeat Back the Key Message – Paraphrase the advice to ensure you’ve understood it correctly. “So you’re saying I should give a quick summary before my full patient handover?”
✅ Take a Breath Before Responding – If advice feels harsh, pause before reacting to process the message calmly.
✅ Reflect on Advice After the Shift – Not all advice will seem relevant at first. Take time to think about how it might help you long-term.

💡 Example: A supervisor gives rushed feedback mid-shift that feels blunt. Instead of reacting defensively, you focus on the core message, apply it, and see how it improves efficiency in the next call.

Why It Works: Filtering the content of feedback from the delivery style ensures you don’t miss valuable learning opportunities.

Final Thoughts: Advice is an Opportunity, Not a Criticism

Becoming a better first responder isn’t just about what you learn in training—it’s about how well you listen and apply advice in the field. Whether it’s from mentors, senior colleagues, or peers, feedback and guidance are some of the most valuable tools for growth.

This week, challenge yourself to be more open to advice—whether that means actively listening, asking for clarification, or implementing small changes based on feedback. When you embrace learning from others, you build a stronger foundation for long-term success. 🚑🔥