Why I love my job.

I have one of the coolest jobs on planet earth. I work in a Level I Trauma Center (this means we get everything from motorcycle/car accidents to gun shot wounds- all the really bad/cool stuff). I am a Critical Care Tech... which means I hook you up to the telemetry monitor, cut your clothes off every now and then, start IV's and draw your blood (we are fondly called vampires, and we are the best at IV's...the other floors call us when they can't get one), we do CPR sometimes...we shock people too...we put splints on broken things...we help doctors do really cool things... like put in chest tubes and central lines....even crack chests...and help the nurses do really cool things too....we do tons of cool stuff...everything but give medications... but if I have a really cool nurse, sometimes I even get to do that... and the learning opportunities are unparalleled to any other medical job. The only comparable job would be in the ICU.

Working in such an environment, you see a lot of crazy things...a lot of sad things... you see the best and worst of humanity. I have seen a lot of drug seekers...overdoses...addicts...psychotics... I have seen people die... young and old... I have seen people almost die...and I have seen people save them... literally save them....I have seen people learn that they are now paralyzed...people with a head injury or a stroke that will leave them an entirely different person...I have seen lives completely and forever changed because of one decision...one little yes or no...or a simple twist of fate...

I have seen hearts break......I have seen people, with broken hearts already, on their last cry out for help before they take their own life...some just crying out for attention...some genuinely hopeless and ready to end it all.....and then it breaks my heart...but we help them too...

I have seen love... like the real true kind...when a wife anxiously stands outside the room while you are trying to care for her husband who is having a heart attack at that very moment...I have seen husbands and wives support each other at through some of the most difficult and scary moments of their lives probably...and I have seen husbands still love their wives with all their heart and soul...even when they are old, wrinkly, and keep peeing their pants. : )

I have taken care of people I don't really like... and people that I fall in love with...I easily fall in love with old people... I try to be nice to all of them....and sometimes...especially when you work a lot, you start to get cynical...the ER can just do that to you if you let it.

There isn't a day I am not challenged as an individual....and how you treat other people is a huge indicator of who you really are... I have found though, that the nicer I am to others... when I find something positive about them...when I have a little empathy... I am a much happier person.. I like myself more..sometimes that takes more effort than others. You try washing the blood off of someone that is not a good person (like a drunk thug from West Valley that crashed into another family's car) or cleaning up a wet bed from someone who is faking seizures...people/patients aren't always nice, or sane for that matter.......it's a weird dynamic..but you do it... and try to do it with a smile. It gets easier when you consider the fact that these people probably haven't had much love in their lives... and that's probably why they are how they are...so you just open up your heart for a minute...

I work with the most amazing, smartest people in the world...the doctors, residents, nurses, and techs....all amazing...Every unit in the hospital has a different personality. The ER personality is of course the adrenaline seekers...the cyclists, climbers, granola/nature loving folk, mountain bikers, skier and snowboard crowd, and, of course, sky diving, cliff jumpers. Needless to say, they are all cool and if I had to pick, I would say the best looking too...not like that matters...but still. : )

Most of the doctors are really funny people...really down to Earth...and they are right there all the time. It's not like on the floor where you have to page them to come to you. So you end up getting really close with a lot of them and they let you do cool things with them; like intubating (if they really like you). They will teach you things about diseases, meds, and procedures too...they always are willing to answer questions.

The nurses are the hardest working, dedicated, and talented people I have ever seen. They are damn good at what they do, and they have pride in their career. The techs I work with are equally amazing. If I were to ever, god forbid, have an unfortunate event happen to me, I would come to my hospital; no question. I have seen everyone in action and I stand back in complete awe and amazement most of the time. It's an honor to work with these people... truly.

After seeing what we see and doing what we do, it's only natural to have really strong bonds with each other....So when there is a little down time, that makes for a really fun night of laughter and silliness. I will never forget disco stocking parties...midnight frozen yogurt/tater tot runs...and balancing cups on head walking down the hall. I feel at home at work sometimes... I see my friends..we have fun together....we work hard together... we talk about life...we support each other... sometimes I like hanging out with work friends more than I do school or life friends...

Night shifts are fun too...it's where most of the action is. The morning after a night shift can be magic too...Some of the most beautiful sunrises I have ever seen have been driving home from work at 7 am after a long 12 hour night shift... And I am just grateful....grateful to see the sunrise, grateful for the fact I get to finally go to sleep, grateful for my life, and grateful for how far I have come.......and mostly grateful for the cool journey that I am on... because it just keeps getting better... and I am grateful to have one more day on this little planet.