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When you step into a classroom at the Faculty of Health Care Studies of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, the first thing that stands out isn’t just the modern equipment — the X-ray machine or the ambulance simulator. It’s the energy of the students and their passion for learning how to save lives. Luboš Bouček (LB) and Stanislava Reichertová (SR) observe every move they make, from their first contact with a patient to quick decision-making under pressure. For both rescuers, teaching is not only a profession but also a way to pass on experience and prepare people who will one day stand on the front line helping others.

What first drew you to health care – adrenaline, the desire to help, or something else entirely?

SR: It was definitely the desire to help, the urge to work with people – and, above all, for people. To some extent, I was also influenced by my family tradition.

LB: What brought me to health care was mainly my early exposure to the medical environment and a natural need to be there for others when they need it most. Even before my studies, I had the chance to see the operation of medical facilities up close, which gradually confirmed my decision to dedicate my career to pre-hospital emergency care.

Paramedic work is often associated with crisis and stress. Do you have a recipe for coping with such long-term stress?

LB: The work of a paramedic is inseparable from stress, uncertainty and the need to react quickly even in unfavorable conditions. The key to coping in the long run is proper preparation, which can begin at school and shape professional confidence. Mutual team support and the ability to detach from stressful situations are equally important. Personally, a stable family background helps me a lot.

SR: Coping with stress is an individual matter, which is why we try to prepare students for such situations during their training. Many of them come without much personal experience with stress or crisis. Like Luboš, I find support in my family and close friends – being able to reflect and talk through difficult experiences is invaluable.

From both a paramedic’s and academic’s perspective, where do you see the main difference between theory and practice? Can crisis situations really be prepared for?

LB: The gap between theory and practice is natural and, to some extent, inevitable. Theory provides the framework – knowledge, principles and procedures. Practice, on the other hand, brings context, emotion and unpredictability – things you can’t fully grasp from classroom learning alone. In real-life operations, intuition, experience, and improvisation play a major role. The school’s job is to teach students to apply their knowledge in context. Simulation and model situations are an essential part of preparing for crises.

SR: Exactly. Theory has a clear structure and procedures. In practice, situations are unpredictable. Patients don’t respond according to theory and the environment isn’t always safe or comfortable. That’s why education must prepare students for real conditions and teach them to respond flexibly and professionally.

How did your cooperation begin and how does it continue today?

LB: As a student, I was already involved in practical teaching and model situations. After graduation, the cooperation continued as time allowed. Active teaching at the faculty started after a phone call. I was offered to teach the course First Aid and Methodology of First Aid.

SR: That’s right. Our cooperation began when Luboš was my student and later became my colleague. I dare say we’re friends now, and together we take part in teaching and other faculty activities – such as organizing the international competition The Pilsen Paramedic Cup, professional training workshops for paramedic students and rescue training camps.

What question are you both trying to answer together?

LB: We’re looking for ways to make the study program even more attractive and to motivate young people to choose a career in health care – a demanding field, but one essential for society.

SR: Exactly – how to increase the motivation of current and future paramedics so that there will be more of us in the future. Because the way we educate students today directly affects the quality of care during real emergency responses in 5, 10, or 15 years.

Your work has a direct impact on the region, not only by preparing future paramedics, but in other areas of health care as well?

LB: The connection between the faculty and the Emergency Medical Service of the Pilsen Region, where I also work as a paramedic and press officer, is close and mutually beneficial. Students complete professional internships directly in the field under the supervision of experienced rescuers, who also take part in teaching as instructors.

SR: I see the regional impact in my other workplace, which is the University Hospital in Pilsen, where I work as a general nurse at the 1st Internal Medicine Clinic. Some of our graduates start their careers there and I can confidently say that FZS produces well-prepared and competent professionals, not only paramedics but also nurses and other health workers. The faculty also contributes to research and professional projects that improve pre-hospital care in the region. This direct link between education and practice ensures that teaching reflects the real needs of emergency services today.

How would you describe the next generation of paramedics that you’re shaping at the faculty today?

LB: They will be technically skilled and well-educated, but also focused on comprehensive patient care – physical, psychological, and social – with an emphasis on quality communication. The future is our shared responsibility and it’s worth preparing for it with prudence, knowledge, and commitment.

SR: They’ll be highly adaptable, quick learners and naturally interested in modern technologies that influence medical practice. Paramedic work is team-based and generationally connected. That’s why I’m glad to be passing the symbolic baton to Luboš.