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Hey all. I keep noticing in threads here and there that it pops up alot of us are nurses or other health care workers. I thought it might be fun to learn who each other are and visit a little bit. Maybe trade some war stories.

I'll go first. I started out going to EMT basic class a week after my high school graduation because a friend told me it looked like fun. Once I got started, I got hooked. I went on to get my EMT-I, and then went into nursing school. While in nursing school, I worked as an ER tech at UMC in Lubbock. They're a great Level 1 trauma center and I learned a ton there. After nursing school, I worked in the ER there as a nurse and in a couple of other ER's as well. I even tried a year and a half in a cath lab. The only thing bad about working in a cath lab.... they're full of cardiologists!!! They're some of the hardest doctors to work with! Now, 10 years later, I'm working as an agency nurse and have recently opened my own nursing agency. I've got tons of blood and guts stories I could tell!

I'm looking forward to figuring out who else are nurses or what not. Talk to you guys soon.

Tac, my story is very similar to yours. Started off with the ambulance thing when I was 18. Got my paramedic in college and worked my 40 hours on Friday through Monday morning. Got burned out of the ambulance and transferred to the E.R. as a medic, did that for a couple of years, and eventually wound up in the O.R. as a scrub tech. Finished school and now I am one those reps who bug people like you! I have a distributorship for spine and interventional pain management.

I'm not in the healthcare field, but I do spend lots of time working in hospitals and clinics.

Last week I took an inmate for surgery. It wasn't particularly long, about 90 minutes, but anyone who has watched an OR at work knows that there is a great deal of "other stuff" going on.

I was watching the whole thing through the observation window, and the anesthesiologist was joined by a second, then some nurses, then they paged another nurse to join them, and there was a lot of pointing, talking, and laughing. Even the surgeon joined in on it (which made me wince because he was wielding a scalpel around some delicate facial nerves.)

What it was all about, was the anesthesiologist's copy of "Concealed Carry" magazine, and one of the gals in an article was a dead ringer for the nurse they paged.

Oh, and as they all left they were discussing what they all carry, what they were buying next, etc. Shame it's a properly 30.06-posted Christus hospital.

Deleted

Not sure if I fit in but I try to view the Health Care field as an evolving organism....

I started out in psychiatric counseling working in emergency rooms counseling and/or evaluating them for admission. I conducted individual and group therapy sessions on the psych unit and also have some interesting stories which also include blood and guts.... I worked nights for 2 years, days for another 6 years. I went back to school part-time (working full time though) and earned my MBA hoping that if I rolled into administration, the business degree would help. I started moonlighting in Clinical Research with our chief psychiatrist in '98 also as it helped with networking and such with other doctors. It was then I decided to give studying new therapy's and devices for FDA approval a shot. I bridged my CNS background with other areas such as Endocrinology, Cardiology, Nuclear Medicine, Oncology, Pediatric Medicine, Dermatology, Urology, and OB/GYN. I enjoy working with patients and educating them on these trials. I try to view this process that the FDA has put in place as an opportunity to help people who may be in unique positions to try new alternatives being very careful to not equate "new" with "better". I help people and let them them know that they, in turn, may help millions by trying investigational medications which could be approved in the future. I get a smile on my face when I see a medicine ad of something I studied 5 years ago being used. Like anything, you hope your hard work and the sacrifices your participants made make it worth it.

It is challenging to say the least and the travel is tolerable for now. I have been to interesting locales for meetings. By the way, Dallas Hyatt Airport was not one of the most spectacular destinations! I would to have loved to get into the city but they keep us running. I have been a few times and Dallas does have a lot of fun stuff to do.

I don't consider myself some sorta bookworm but I know a little bit about a lotta stuff. I have to read a lot of reference manuals and attend trainings. It's the way it goes, but, by nature I am detail oriented; which is why I think I am interested in things like fire arms, martial arts, and my career. Geez...I feel like I'm in a interview.

Currently I am the director of our research department. I moved to TX for a previous promotion but this appointment kept me here for sure. Lovin' Texas.

Rok

I am not a nurse but I do work as a security officer at a hospital in San Antonio. I get to deal with all of the patients that the nurses dont want to deal with. I have seen some strange things in the 3 1/2 years that I have been at the hospital.

Chief Technician for the Galveston County M.E. (fancy title for he who mops fastest )

I am blessed to have my job and really enjoy it. I work with a group of amazing people in a challenging environment.

Jason

jbirds1210 wrote:Chief Technician for the Galveston County M.E.

Talk about a "Dead End Job!" LOL, and I thought that I have seen some bad stuff.

Psycho/Social Chaplain for a large hospice in the Houston area. (I went to seminary after I retired)