Ep. 59 | Kourtney Mizell, RRT, Kristi Stewart, RT/CVT & Angela Griffin, PCT

Transcript

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- When breathing becomes difficult, having a skilled respiratory team in place can make all the difference for patients and their families. Welcome to what brings you in today, a podcast from GMC health. I'm Kara Hope Rockwell and I'm Erica Bennett. And today we are joined by a member of our respiratory team, Courtney Marcel, who's a respiratory therapist.


So, Courtney, what brings you in today? I am here to talk about what a respiratory therapist does at GMC. Help. Very good. So just to kick us off, tell us a little bit about your background and how long you've been doing what you do and. Okay. Well, I've been a respiratory therapist for nine years, and I've spent most of that time here at SMC health.


Each day looks very, very different for a respiratory therapist. There's a lot that goes into it that I think a lot of people don't know about until they've been here or been a patient, where respiratory is a big part of the problem that they have going on. So I'd love to talk about that a little more with y'all.


Sure. Respiratory therapy. So essentially it's helping patients breathe better. Correct. Yes it is. When did you get called in all the time. We treat a variety of different patients from like chronic illnesses like COPD, asthma, up to things like traumas that come in our E.R., more acute things like pneumonia, septic patients, congestive heart failure. We're pretty much there for each thing because we play a role, you know, in treating, diagnosing and preventing anything that has to do with the respiratory system.

00:01:48:00 - 00:02:15:18
Unknown
So that's that's a big part of it is the treatment and then the prevention of it, whether it's from educating the patients on breathing devices, they'll go home with medications. It's a very wide, you know, skill set that we have with each patient. And something that's unique is that y'all treat patients of all ages. So you see people in the air, you see pediatric patients, anybody.


We do we you know, if a baby is born premature in our nursery and they go to the NICU here where they are with those patients, pediatric patients that come in the E.R. that are probably newly diagnosed with asthma or are going to get a diagnosis with asthma. Yeah. Everybody up until like, you know, like end of life care and whatever they're walking through at this moment in time, we we try to be there to, you know, make it a little easier, make them feel a little safer with what's going on.


So what inspired you to be a respiratory therapist? How did you come into this film? So my mom's a respiratory therapist. It's been an art for like 20 years. And growing up, I didn't know what she did. I knew she worked in hospital. So when I was graduating high school and applying for colleges, I took a deep dive into respiratory.

00:03:08:18 - 00:03:35:03
Unknown
And, you know, it was a little more unique than like, the basic health care, careers nurse and radiology, the stuff you hear about often. So my mom always seemed very fulfilled with it. So I chose to do it. And it's been very fulfilling for me as well. So do you have any like, unique patient experience where you were just like, or any moment that you were like, man, I'm glad I chose to do this or this?

Yeah. I mean, the part that is always very fulfilling to me is working with patients. Maybe from the time they come into the E.R. up to our ICU and they're placed on, you know, maybe mechanical ventilation and, you know, they have really bad days and they have really good days. And then the outcome is hopefully to get them off of all respiratory support and send them home with their family and excavating the patient, which is just taking the breathing tube out.


Their first words are usually like ouch or thank you. So to know that you've played such a vital role in getting them to that point, it's always very special. Yeah, I mean, breathing is something we all do and all require, but you don't think about it, right? Not until you need help with it. And imagine the fear and the panic that was set in to someone who is struggling to breathe.

00:04:31:00 - 00:04:49:23
Unknown
Absolutely. We, I work in the E.R. a lot, and, you know, we get patients in there all the time that are frequent fliers. And we'll go in there and they're like, oh, we are so glad to see you. You know, it's just relief on their faces because they know we're there to help with and we know exactly what they need.

00:04:50:02 - 00:05:15:06
Unknown
So it's, you know, is it a lot of like breathing treatments and stuff like that or so. What do you see the most of in your day to day? Well, we work in so many different roles in the hospital, different floors, our general medicine floors. We do a lot of breathing treatments, inhalers like COPD education. We'll do like arterial blood gases.


And that's a pretty solid day on the floor. Whereas in the I see you it's helping with bedside Bronx intubation placement art lines. So things a little more intense than doing our breathing treatments. But that is a very, very, very big part in what we do. And then I would say probably in the E.R., it's a good mixture of all of that, because you're not only getting traumas and emergencies, but like I was saying, you get the people that just come in frequently because they need extra support that they couldn't get at home.


So it's just it's a good mix of all of it. Yeah. What has been your experience working at SMC health as a respiratory therapist? Like what stands out to you about? So like I said, I've been here for the better part of nine years. And in my time, there's been a lot of opportunity for growth in our career, our knowledge.

00:06:09:17 - 00:06:32:12
Unknown
We've opened up a bunch of different roles for our respiratory therapists outside of the normal seeing patients on the floor. And not only for myself, but for my team. I think that's really strengthened us for, you know, as a whole for the better. And honestly, just the people here, I think we have the, you know, most supportive and kind people that work here.

00:06:32:13 - 00:06:58:05
Unknown
Like my best friend, I met her here just the definitely the people play a really big role in why I stay here so well. Culture is a huge thing. And we often say you spend more time at work than you get to family. Sometimes it's important to have that team atmosphere. And then speaking of that, like team since who what other professions do you work alongside most frequently?

00:06:58:06 - 00:07:21:22
Unknown
Well, definitely the nursing staff. But outside of that we work really closely with like PT, OT and speech. Like very recently we teamed up with Physical Therapy and we were actually able to get a patient who was on event up and walking in the hallway. So that took a lot of coordination from each department to get that up.

00:07:21:22 - 00:07:47:06
Unknown
And it was very successful. And the patient did fantastic. And then with speech like patients with tracheostomy in place that are hopefully getting them out, we like speech evals, just winning oxygen cap and trade so they can actually speak. Again, we work very closely with them. And of course the residents and physicians, it's it's such a team based career.

00:07:47:06 - 00:08:06:16
Unknown
So we talk to literally every member of the care team on a daily basis. So there there's literally not a department that Artie does not work with. So yeah. Have you seen a lot of changes over the past couple of years? I mean, I know, you know, as technology evolves and advances. Yeah. What does it look like in your field?

00:08:06:17 - 00:08:38:16
Unknown
We've so in respiratory in particular a lot of new devices that we've gotten in like for cysts, a machine for like secretion management that helps a lot of our post-surgical patients. The robot ion program that was started, we I mean, just a ton of new equipment. There's constantly new literature on the best way to treat these respiratory elements that the patients have.

00:08:38:16 - 00:09:10:16
Unknown
And, you know, our team and our leaders, they're always taking a deep dive into it to better relay that information to us. So yeah, since I started in 2016, 2017, there have been big strides, big changes. It's yeah. And it's been absolutely fantastic. What would you say are some of the skill sets required if someone's thinking about potentially if they hear this conversation and I never thought about respiratory therapy, what kind of person does it take to.

00:09:10:17 - 00:09:47:12
Unknown
So I would say definitely someone that just wants to help people, you know, as the number one thing, just to have that compassion there and then someone that's able to adapt to different situations because like I said, you know, we work everywhere and most of it requires a different skill set. Quick on your feet, quick thinking and, you know, high stress emergency situations just to communicate as a, you know, team member as we do work with everyone and just, you know, what does the schooling look like, what is required.

00:09:47:13 - 00:10:10:10
Unknown
How does that so it's process. So you do all of your core like any other health care science core you would do. And then you apply for the program interview and hopefully get into the program. It's an associate's degree or a bachelor's degree program that you can get your associates and then bridge over to your bachelor's degree. Yeah.

00:10:10:11 - 00:10:39:10
Unknown
Okay. That's pretty cool. Yeah. For somebody who might be considering a career in respiratory, what would you what would you say? Why? Why is it meaningful? It is a very unique job. And just the process of being there or like someone's first breath and walking with them all the way up to their last, and knowing that what you do has truly made a difference in the patients lives and the family's lives.

00:10:39:10 - 00:11:05:10
Unknown
It's it's really meaningful. Like I said, it means a lot to me to get start with the patient and this really ill state all the way up to the end where they're going home and just knowing the work that you did, it benefited them for the best. And, you know, they're healthier for it. Absolutely. Well, thank you so much for coming.

00:11:05:11 - 00:11:28:22
Unknown
Thank you Ashley. Thank you. And we're going to link our job board in the in the description below. Absolutely. You would like to become a respiratory stairs. If you are a respiratory therapist and you want to join our team. Absolutely. Otherwise you might have to apply for college. So. And get your certification. Come on. We'll have you. Yes, ma'am.

00:11:29:00 - 00:11:30:22
Unknown
All right. Thank you all for tuning in.

00:11:30:22 - 00:11:48:11
Unknown
When it comes to helping patients recover after surgery or injury, it's the hands on care and support throughout the day that can make a real impact on their healing journey. Welcome to what brings you in Today, a podcast from MK health. I'm Kara Hope Rockwell and I'm Erica Bennett.

00:11:48:11 - 00:12:14:11
Unknown
And today we're here with Angela Griffin who is a patient care tech on our medical surgical orthopedic unit. So, Angela, what brings you in today? Well, I want to just come in and just share and let people know that being in healthcare is great. It's wonderful, I love it. And if you ever want to get into a career health care, I recommend it's health.

00:12:14:12 - 00:12:34:02
Unknown
Not just because I work here, just because of the care how we treat people like family. It's just I just love it. Just be honest. That's very, very kind of you to say. Tell us a little bit about how what what made you come into healthcare? What made you want to be a patient care tech? How did you.

00:12:34:02 - 00:12:54:10
Unknown
But my mother in law. Well, my mom, she passed away from leukemia. Then my mother in law about five years ago. She passed away from. She had a scroll, a real bad scroll. So we had to care for her at home. I mean, she was total care. And just watching the the home health nurse, the physical therapy. And then they helped to let us be hands on with her.

00:12:54:11 - 00:13:15:20
Unknown
And it just, I don't know, just like something clicked in me. And then once she passed away, probably about 4 or 5 months later, I came and I applied and I got on. And I'm having enjoyed it ever since because I really I do, I live it. Yes. That's awesome. So tell us a little bit about your role and kind of what what is your day to day look like.

00:13:15:22 - 00:13:45:08
Unknown
Okay. Well, you know, we deal with a lot of a lot of helps fractures, fingers, ankles. We also deal with a lot of just general satirical patients. And our main goal is to get them moving and get them, you know, pretty much get them back to their normal. So when usually when our patients come back from surgery, once they're more oriented, you know, alert we go in.

00:13:45:09 - 00:14:03:14
Unknown
We were like, okay, this is how we address our patients. Okay, mama, we're going to get you up, okay? Daddy, you know, and they love it. You know, we're going to get you up, get you to move in and get you, get you up out of here and get you back how you used to be. You know, we'll go in after a physical therapy, you know, of course.

00:14:03:15 - 00:14:17:07
Unknown
Work with them first we go in and we're like, all right, mama. It's time to get up and get up in this chair. We're going to take us a little walk, go get us a bell. We're going to have a good day. And they'll be like, okay, you know, a lot of they'll be scared at first. You know, they'll be real.

00:14:17:07 - 00:14:35:12
Unknown
Feel fear first. So we just encourage them, you know, it's going to be okay, mama. We do this every day. We deal with hips every day. I promise you, we got you. We tell them that was how we get, like, a cheerleader. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we got you, mama. When they do, they really be scared. But once we get them up and they get the moving, they'd be so grateful.

00:14:35:13 - 00:14:50:18
Unknown
You're like, oh my God, I thought it was gonna be worse than this. We like, say, mama, I told you, we got you. You know, I love that. I know I already feel encouraged. I might need you to be my personal to you to help me. Some things.

00:14:50:20 - 00:15:11:13
Unknown
Yeah. That's how we doing, you know? And they and they they be. And we treat them like, even though they are patients. But we we treat them more like family, you know, try to make them feel that love. You know, that we're here. It's not just a job to us, you know? Yeah. You really want them to get better and get back to living their daily lives?

00:15:11:15 - 00:15:20:06
Unknown
Is there any one particular, like, patient experience that stands out to you? That okay? It was this guy he was

00:15:20:10 - 00:15:34:03
Unknown
And his daughter was his wife had been with him all night. And the daughter, she came. So mama can go home and get her some rest. And it was time. And then the nurse practitioner, she was still up there making her rounds, thank God.

00:15:34:04 - 00:15:50:17
Unknown
And I went and I said, right, daddy, we get up, we're going to get up, get out of getting this chair. We're going to take us a little walk. He was like, okay, okay. Of course, you know, he was scared at first. I said, I got you, dad, as I promise I got you. And so all right, there we go.

00:15:50:17 - 00:16:06:14
Unknown
Get up. And what we all, what we always do, we tell them, you know, this is your first time getting up. So we're going to go slow. So, you know, just so you know I'm following your pace pretty much. He sat up I said, how you feel? He kept saying I feel a little dizzy. I said, that's fine.

00:16:06:15 - 00:16:22:17
Unknown
You know, it happens the first time I said, so, okay, he's got your booty to the edge and get your feet on the floor. He did say that. How you feel? He said, I'm still little. Did I said, okay, so we're going to see him. We going to talk for me? So I'm talking to him, you know, on his back, you know, trying to comfort him and reassure him.

00:16:22:19 - 00:16:41:22
Unknown
And he's like, okay, I said, you ready daddy? He said, yeah. And then when he got up he vagal. And you know, me and the daughter, we was yelling for help and everybody come in and responded. And the daughter, she was so upset. So I got her, I took her come on baby, come on baby I got her and took over in the Ibrahim area.

00:16:41:22 - 00:16:56:03
Unknown
And I hugged and I just loved on him. It was reinsurance her that, you know, he in the best hands, he in the best care. He's going to be fine. And she just cried and she said, baby, I promise I got you, I got you. So I said, I said where your phone and it was in the room.

00:16:56:03 - 00:17:09:01
Unknown
So I went and got a phone so she can call her mom. And I just really I just stayed right there by just hugging and loving on her, you know, letting her know because I know it was scary. It had to be scary. It was just letting her know she was okay. But baby, he in good hands. You got a worry about it.

00:17:09:05 - 00:17:27:18
Unknown
And he was in good hands, you know, because I said maybe 20 or 30 minutes later, daddy was back to him. You know, she didn't understand about the vaguely. But, you know, we knew what was going on. And then later that evening, you know, once everybody nerves had got back, you know, the family nurse had got back. Right?

00:17:27:20 - 00:17:45:02
Unknown
She was like, I just thank you so much because you didn't just treat me like just anybody. You. The hug that you gave me made me feel like it was family. You know, I'm family. I said, yeah, and that's what it's about, baby. Yeah. I think health care can be so confusing and so scary and anxiety. People don't know what to expect.

00:17:45:03 - 00:18:08:05
Unknown
And you haven't been familiar with this environment. You know what to expect. And being able to comfort patients in their family members. That's right. It's so important. It really is. And that's something you can't you can't really teach. Yeah. That's right, that's right. Either got it or you say it. And you're right. Your passion is very evident. What is it that is your favorite part about of what you do?

00:18:08:06 - 00:18:34:23
Unknown
Oh my God. It's so many. What can I say? Well, helping and I do, I do. I'm a good nurturer, and I just love to. I just love to help people. And I, you know, everybody I work with, they were like, oh, Lord, here come after the cause. You know, when I come to take, I just, I have just like, take over the spirit, you know, because I just want my patients to get like, the best kid.

00:18:35:00 - 00:19:00:13
Unknown
I want to feel like we're treating them like family. I just want them to feel the love, you know? And I do, because I. I go in the room, I hug them up, you know, just it's just. Oh, my God. It's just so much I think about, like, you know, I think about doctors, I think about nurses. I think, you know, you're obviously there as an extension to help support them and what they do, but clearly providing a lot more of that emotional support.

00:19:00:14 - 00:19:21:00
Unknown
Yeah. Yeah. I mean that's which is sometimes more important than the other. Exactly, exactly. And then, you know, a lot of times the family sometimes it seems in some cases, like the family be more fearful than the, the patient. And then a lot of times, you know, we'll focus on this family member trying to reassure them, mama, is she okay?

00:19:21:01 - 00:19:40:21
Unknown
You know, this happens every day. This is what happens after they have a hip. She's going to be in a lot of pain and, you know, but once we get her to moving, I promise you she's going to be better. You know, just reassuring with the family and setting those expectations, because more than likely, they haven't had an experience in the hospital recovering from a surgery.

00:19:40:21 - 00:20:02:18
Unknown
They don't know what they don't know exactly. So that's where our team comes in and helps with with that education. Yes, ma'am. Absolutely. What has your experience been like working here at GMC? What what stands out to you about the team that you work with? Love. I mean, we're more like a family, even though, you know, we don't see each other every day outside of work.

00:20:02:18 - 00:20:19:03
Unknown
But it's like we're just a family. We come if y'all. If you ever walk up there on fire, I might be telling my charge. Nurse Lydia, you here today? What time are you going home? I ain't working with you today. You get. You know, we just. Yeah. You just having fun with each other, like picking out each other.

00:20:19:04 - 00:20:38:04
Unknown
Yeah. It's just, I mean, we just. We just family. And we're always, If I need you or. I know it's only so much I can do, you know, as far as the nurses. But if my nurse need me to come do something right there, vice versa. We need our nurses, even our charge nurses, you know, to do anything there, right?

00:20:38:05 - 00:20:57:08
Unknown
There's never seen on my patient. And I'm tired. And it never that it's never that we're always just. Yeah. And showing you know we in the pace a lot of the patients that we have their say I just love how y'all the relationship y'all have up here on this floor. You know because they'd be up there with us.

00:20:57:09 - 00:21:13:08
Unknown
I just love the relationship y'all have is tell y'all just love each other. We do because we have a good time in the room with the patient. The patient be laughing. We be laughing. You know, just trying to make everybody feel at home because just work. But it doesn't have to feel so serious all the time. I mean like exactly.

00:21:13:09 - 00:21:35:03
Unknown
That's that's fine. I mean, that's nice that all have that. And I do think it transcends patients and families members ability to be comfortable. And that helps in the healing process. Right. So it really does. Yeah. As we say, laughter is the best medicine. That's right. That's right. For somebody who might be considering a career in healthcare or becoming a what, what would you tell them?

00:21:35:05 - 00:21:54:16
Unknown
I would tell them this, first of all, because this is how I am. First of all, you have to have compassion and you have to have that love. You have to have a love for people. You just it's not just a job. You know, some people on some certain job, some jobs, they just different paycheck. That's that's not what we're about here.

00:21:54:18 - 00:22:22:10
Unknown
See, you have to be there because you have compassion. You have love. You're ready to work as a team, you know, because it takes all of us to make that patient, the family member feel love, feel supported, you know, like we care. But we come up with the attitude is, should I get they pay me $4 an hour, I'm listening to duty eight hours.

00:22:22:10 - 00:22:43:10
Unknown
And we can't have that attitude. You can't have that attitude. Yeah. I feel like that's a common thread for health care for sure, is that you have to have the heart, you have to heart, and it's too difficult otherwise to have it and to be able to do. Exactly. And then, you know, sometimes you get overwhelmed and you take five minutes, you go take a breather, come back and start all over again.

00:22:43:10 - 00:23:01:04
Unknown
It's just you. But my main thing, you just I'm a big person on love. You just have to have that love. If you don't love people, you just. This is not the job for you. If you don't have a love for people. I'm sorry. This is not the job for you. Yeah, that's really good. Somewhere else. Yeah, but you have to people.

00:23:01:05 - 00:23:21:08
Unknown
Because, you know, we meet different people from all walks of life every day. And you just have to embrace them. You have to. We have. So what would you tell someone who does is passionate? They do feel the love. But there may be nervous about starting a new career or stepping out and faith. And you know, what kind of advice would you have?

00:23:21:10 - 00:23:42:01
Unknown
I Blake, David. And it's going to be days, but you're going to be overwhelmed. You're going to want to quit. But don't don't don't be like that. Because you got to remember, at the end of the day, we're here for the patient. But I got your back I got you now remember I got you. You know, if you feel like you just can't do this or you're too nervous, I got you.

00:23:42:01 - 00:24:00:14
Unknown
I said, you go there and talk to the charge nurse or talk to this other nurse that may help you, you know, help you keep and keep you encouraging. Look, I got you, babe. I'm gonna tell you that all day, baby, I don't worry, don't worry, I got you, I got I love that I feel like you're in very good hands with Angela.

00:24:00:14 - 00:24:08:17
Unknown
Is your BCG for real? I want Angela to request if I ever. Absolutely.

00:24:08:18 - 00:24:27:03
Unknown
Do I just I do, I do I love my job. I just love what I do, you know, because, you know, some people think when you tell them you or you picked whatever the first thing on them and how you do is white. But no, baby, that is not all I do. That's not what it's about. It's not what it's about.

00:24:27:08 - 00:24:45:16
Unknown
Not in, you know, not how I feel. I think you can make it what you want it. And I feel like you clearly have made it what you want to. And that is like that mindset is everything. It is. You're right. And you display it well, so you showcase it. That's because I was going to run. Hey, dad, how you doing today?

00:24:45:17 - 00:25:03:11
Unknown
You had a good day. You had a good night. How was your night last night? You had a good night last night. And if you say, well, it was all right, I said, well how about we going to have a better day today. You know, like. Yeah, yeah. Split the script. Absolutely. So that's how I try to do treat my patients, but I try to treat my patients as family.

00:25:03:13 - 00:25:15:02
Unknown
I would want someone to treat me or my loved one, you know, if something because we never know. We don't we don't know the future. And I just want people to say at the end when they leave,

00:25:15:02 - 00:25:22:07
Unknown
when people leave here, I want people to say, I got the best treatment. You know, every time, you know, if I didn't have a go to.

00:25:22:08 - 00:25:45:09
Unknown
But I'm gonna say I have a best treatment, I'll be I'll be coming back to see y'all. Okay. Thank you. We appreciate that. You know, I want to come back, you know, until they brothers, their cousins, the uncles will never, ever see. They going to take good care of y'all. You know that's my goal. You know, for people to want to not just come back because because you come back but come back if you need treatment.

00:25:45:09 - 00:26:05:19
Unknown
You know, we're here for you if you need us. That's right. Yeah. Well, I think that's the greatest compliment you can have, is that someone then uses to utilize your services in the future if they need it, or tell somebody else about their good experience. Right. And even when the family members are there, I want them to when they leave to go home, I want them to go home and say they treat my daddy, they treat my mom.

00:26:05:21 - 00:26:25:17
Unknown
Oh, they treat them so wonderful. You know, I don't see nothing. No complaints from the E.R. to the or to the floor. Even once we take them out, I want them to say from the beginning to the end that they had a really wonderful experience here. Well, you probably play a big role in that. I mean, because you spend a lot of time with the patient.

00:26:25:17 - 00:26:45:11
Unknown
So you do have a little bit more, you know, that one on one with them to be able to develop those relationships and stuff. And that's so impactful. Yeah. So like we get a but we get a bond with them because like my, like when I come, this is what I do my first day I'm figuring my patients out.

00:26:45:17 - 00:27:01:04
Unknown
My mama make my first round my patient out. By the time it's time for me to make another round, I pretty much got you. I know did like a sprite. I never want some graham crackers with peanut butter. I know my mom want to get up and sit in the chair so she could eat her supper. You know, just.

00:27:01:05 - 00:27:21:15
Unknown
I don't figure them out because that's why I just pay attention to every little I try to. I try to pay attention to every little detail, you know? Yeah. That is awesome. I do well, thank you so much for coming on. This was such a great conversation. We appreciated and shout out because we know you worked last night and you came in to see.

00:27:21:17 - 00:27:36:14
Unknown
So that's anyway so we appreciate that. I appreciate you. I really do. I really do. I was a little nervous and a lot, but I think you did great. Thank you. Okay. All right. Well, thank you so much for tuning in. And we will see you next time.

00:27:36:14 - 00:27:56:00
Unknown
When it comes to heart care, every second counts. And it takes a highly skilled team working together behind the scenes to make that possible. Welcome to what brings you in today, a podcast from GMC health. I'm Kara Hope Brockwell and I'm Erica Bennett. And today we're joined with Kristy Stewart who's a cardiovascular technologist at Sea Health.

00:27:56:01 - 00:28:03:01
Unknown
So Christie, what brings you in today? I'm here to talk about my role as a cardiovascular technologist at MK.

00:28:03:02 - 00:28:30:16
Unknown
What led you to become a cardiovascular technology? Well, actually, this is my second stint position. Position, profession? I am a master cosmetologist, and I still I still, still practice that today. Keep my license up. Okay. And decided to go back to school. I see my dad had passed from eight years battling cancer and the things I had to do for him.

00:28:30:17 - 00:28:54:13
Unknown
I thought, well, I can I get paid for this? You know, I mean, I know that sounds morbid, but. So I researched and went back to school. I didn't want to be a nurse, and I got into Darton and it was a two year program, and I could choose invasive or evasive and evasive is like echoes and that kind of thing outside the body.

00:28:54:13 - 00:29:23:17
Unknown
Invasive is inside the body. And at the time, evasive jobs were hard to find. And I thought I just spent two years to not find a job. So I became an invasive specialist with 1800 credit hours in labs across South Georgia to get my clinical hours. Albany at Phoebe, I believe six weeks there, ten months at Archbold and Thomasville, and I did six weeks in Tifton.

00:29:23:18 - 00:29:42:14
Unknown
So I had a vast. Every lab is different, but you're doing the same thing, but every atmosphere is different, if that makes any sense. Yeah. So you mentioned that you've worked in our cath lab, you've worked in our hybrid IR. You've worked in our EPI lab. Yes. So also gives variety depending on what you want to do. Yes.

00:29:42:15 - 00:30:09:22
Unknown
Correct. But tell us a little bit about what you do when you're in the lab. Okay. As a cath lab tech, we do diagnostic heart cast, pericarditis and theses things like that. Some are emergent, some are not emergent. You have outpatient diagnostic as and but the most important thing to me was the Stemi calls people coming in massive chest pain.

00:30:10:00 - 00:30:35:01
Unknown
Some great, some throwing up, some not having any pain at all. And we open that up and they're good. And it was almost like immediate gratification. So your adrenaline is through the roof and you're trying to get this patient done as fast as you can and to see their outcomes. And to be honest, I've seen more good than I have bad, but I have seen some very bad things, situations.

00:30:35:01 - 00:30:58:11
Unknown
And what does it look like? Like what is your role when someone is having a cast? Like what is your role? My role is I assist the physician and I scrub in, I prep the patient, I just know it. What do you call it? Anticipate. I guess you know the next move. Like you, you just keep. It's a steady flow.

00:30:58:12 - 00:31:15:17
Unknown
Yeah. You you have to know what the doctor is wanting and their next step and and what's going to happen and watch the monitors and hemodynamics and stuff like that. So and that is interesting to like how do you I mean, obviously you went to school for that. So I'm like, how do you learn how to do that?

00:31:15:17 - 00:31:39:07
Unknown
But you learn on the job. Yeah, yeah. My job. Big role, especially understanding each physician that you're working with because they're all a little different. Every one of them. Yeah. But they're all great. They're all patients, mostly awake. And during. When you're doing this, are they conscious sedation in the lab, which is normal because you want them to be able to respond.

00:31:39:07 - 00:32:07:08
Unknown
Sometimes you want them to hold their breath, or you want them to be able to tell you what they're feeling or this, that and other sometimes, sometimes the conscious sedation, they're really asleep. Yeah. So you can't get that response from them. But yeah, it's just and all the I love the fact that it's grown into all the different specialty things that we have to offer.

00:32:07:10 - 00:32:26:11
Unknown
Like impeller, I wasn't here, I learned impeller at a different facility as a traveler. And so when they brought it here, I was like, oh, well, I know how to do that. Oh, well, I can show people how to do that. I understand, and that's not the only thing. But I love new stuff and I like to know how it works inside and out.

00:32:26:11 - 00:32:44:19
Unknown
I need as a tech and I scrubbing with the doctor, I have to be able to tell my team, okay, we're getting the balloon pump or we're doing this, I need this, this and this. And, you know, you kind of really got to know. Yeah. Each device and what and how it works and how to prep it and get it in the body.

00:32:44:20 - 00:33:09:03
Unknown
Yeah, yeah. There's been a lot of advancements in cardiac vascular care, especially a lot here over the past couple of years, a lot of new procedures and things. And it just seems like everything's kind of moving towards that minimally invasive, you know? Yes. Outpatient. Yeah. Yeah. What better is their life than good? Yeah. Well, I was going to say a lot of these patients are going through some of the worst moments of their lives.

00:33:09:04 - 00:33:31:01
Unknown
Like, how are you? What's your role in making that patient feel comfortable in such a well as a scrub, you introduce yourself as they're getting on the table and you say, hey, I'm Jay. Sorry, Christy. I go by Jay. So okay. Christy. Well, I'm going to be, you know, assessing the position at AIB, prepping you. Do you have any questions or concerns.

00:33:31:01 - 00:33:54:10
Unknown
And you kind of light in the mood. And you know if I answer them and some cry some they want to be prayed with, some you hold their hand while you get access them. I mean it just every it's crazy. Yeah. And I don't know, it's just helping people, even if they have a clean heart cath, it's getting them to the next step so they don't have to worry about.

00:33:54:11 - 00:34:17:02
Unknown
Well, you know, I don't have this disease. It's something else. So we roll this out. So let's go to the next level. So yeah proper diagnosis for so they can get the right level. Level of care. Correct. Is there any patient experience that stands out as like where you felt like, wow, this is what I'm supposed to be doing, or I'm proud that I chose to do this.

00:34:17:04 - 00:34:34:22
Unknown
Yeah. I mean, I have some yeah. That were I've had actually friends that I because they come in, you know, they don't come in as the what we call them out on the street. You know, they come in under their real name and I'm like, who is that? And then I see them and I'm like, Holy crap.

00:34:35:00 - 00:35:04:15
Unknown
So sometimes it's people, you know, and and you treat them. You treat every patient like it's your family. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter where they come from or how they got here or whatever. So it's basically just pretending it's your family on the table and helping them feel relaxed about what's going to happen. You have to tell them, you know, you're going to have a little prick in your wrist or your groin and might feel a little pressure, but after that you won't feel anything.

00:35:04:17 - 00:35:45:17
Unknown
So my husband being one of those. Yeah, yeah, that is a little extra care. Yeah, you can admit that. Anyway, what are some of the key skills or qualities that would make someone succeed in in your role? You have to be driven. You have to want to learn. You have to want to do the things you don't understand and know that every day and every person that you come in contact with, be it staff or a physician, you learn something new every day and it might make your job easier as far as prep, but something a little faster, something a little, you know, I that makes sense.

00:35:45:18 - 00:36:08:16
Unknown
Let's do it that way. Yeah. So yes, I have an accumulation of things. But you have you have to be driven. You have to know that you're not here for yourself. You're here to help the people that come in, the sick people. And it doesn't matter day or not. Yeah, that's what you're coming in for, you know, just save a life.

00:36:08:16 - 00:36:36:10
Unknown
And then what opportunities? I know you kind of we mentioned that you had been in several different areas, but what opportunities have you had to grow or expand your skills? Well, I guess being able to transfer to the hybrid or which I got to work with Ruiz, Doctor Ruiz and Doctor Hardy and of course the cardiothoracic surgeon, all of them, but on different levels, if that makes any sense.

00:36:36:11 - 00:36:58:09
Unknown
Yeah. So my job in the hybrid or was not the surgical part, it was the perky part. So if it involved wires and catheters, that's my my job. They might do a cut down for a carotid. But then it's my turn to step up and actually put this in, in with the physician. So our leg or whatever we're working on.

00:36:58:10 - 00:37:06:03
Unknown
And now being an EP, you know, it's.

00:37:06:05 - 00:37:34:17
Unknown
It's a little bit different. They don't come in so anxious as it, you know, because they're not having chest pains or whatever. They know what they're doing, getting done. And but some are just, they just are scared to be put to sleep. And they and EP is anesthesia assisted. So there's no conscious sedation. So they are out. But I love the love the physicians and they explain things if I don't understand it because here I am learning.

00:37:34:23 - 00:37:39:15
Unknown
I'm still learning. Yeah, every day is learning. But yes.

00:37:39:17 - 00:37:58:02
Unknown
usually. Well, when we assisted in towers in the hybrid or with Doctor Siebold, they do the I guess I don't know how often it is, but they bring the patients back and you get to see them. Oh, yeah. Breakfast. Yes. You get to see them like and and hear how much it's changed our life. Right. Because I know it changes our life.

00:37:58:03 - 00:38:24:05
Unknown
Because it has to be short of breath the rest of your life and low function. And then you get a valve and you feel like you're 40. Yeah. So, but I don't get to see the patients afterwards usually. And so we just see them rolling in and rolling out and then you hear later on, oh well they did great or you know, so so were you at the breakfast.

00:38:24:05 - 00:38:43:08
Unknown
Other I was not at the breakfast. I was scrubbing an EPA. You weren't good, I was working. Yeah. And do you think that's important especially for roles that are behind the scenes, like in the clinic setting, those people that help them, they get to see them again. And whatever. You don't necessarily get to see the the fruits of your labor.

00:38:43:09 - 00:39:05:12
Unknown
No, no you don't. Yeah. Yeah. But it does make a huge difference. And that's very cool. Yeah. That's one cool part of our job is we do get to hear the story, and we try to share it as much as we can, because not only does it help ease fears for other potential patients and things like that, but it adds value to your yes to what you're doing it in our day in, day, in and out.

00:39:05:13 - 00:39:31:15
Unknown
Yes, for anybody who might be interested in cardiac care, what would what would you tell them about this field? I would say it's very rewarding, more so than, not you're actually as a cardiac tech. You're actually see people beat death.

00:39:31:17 - 00:39:39:10
Unknown
it does bring you to the spiritual sense of timing in everyone's rap journey.

00:39:39:12 - 00:40:10:04
Unknown
I mean, and in healthcare in general. I mean, you have to that is something you have to be prepared for to encounter all, all sides because you might have healthcare experience, the perfect day, all diagnostic has blah, blah, blah. And then that and I think that's probably the toughest thing that and it's not talked about the most. It's just the mental stress that that can cause and the mental impact that our healthcare professionals endure from things like that, because nobody wants ever.

00:40:10:05 - 00:40:42:06
Unknown
You know, you're here to help and to make people better. And unfortunately, 100% of people do not. You know, I don't. So that's an interesting component. And definitely, I think one reason that health care workers are revered in a sense, because it is understood that it's not just an easy job, it can be very difficult. And I do like, I've been in many labs, and but I liked the debriefing.

00:40:42:09 - 00:41:02:03
Unknown
The physician would get himself together, talk to the family, and meet with the team that was in the room, and we would discuss it like it was nobody's. This was just, you know, the matter of facts and kind of made you feel better about yourself because, you know, you didn't do anything wrong. But still you wonder what if the what ifs.

00:41:02:05 - 00:41:30:02
Unknown
So anyway, yeah. Well, thank you so much for coming on. You're so very welcome. Very glad to have you. I hope attract some some people's. Yes. We need we need help. Care workers. Yes we do. Always very rewarding. Career could be difficult, but I think the rewards outweigh obviously the, the other but. So thank you. You're very welcome.

00:41:30:02 - 00:41:30:19
Unknown
Thank you.