Kristen Ohler is working in Health care in Texas and probably one of the most giving, caring people you'll meet. Now, more than ever her job is an important one. I interviewed her about her career and got her advice for the public amidst this pandemic spreading across America.
Start off by introducing yourself. Tell us a little about your background?
My name is Kristen Ohler and I work as a patient care technician (PCA) on the cardiac progressive care unit in Wichita Falls Texas at United regional hospital. I started out as a PCA in the emergency room of a level one trauma center in Columbia, Missouri.
"Just stay home please. Yes, it stinks we have to be home and sacrifice our social life but come on, it's so simple."
Lets chat about what's going on in our world before getting into the real interview- what do you have to say to people in America right now as we are in the middle of fighting Covid-19?
Just stay home please. Yes, it stinks we have to be home and sacrifice our social life but come on, it's so simple. We are learning new things about it every day and that’s why it can be frustrating that people don’t take these precautions seriously because we are constantly learning new things about this disease process and as the general public we need everyone to trust us and up keep the standards we’ve set in place.
Since the start of this pandemic, have you seen a decrease in normal hospital visits?
Yeah, it seems like most people are truly coming in for emergencies now, we aren’t really seeing the typical “sprained wrist” or “stuffy nose" cases. The vibe in the hospital is just tense and eerie. It’s weird. I go to the hospital and its kind of lost it’s vibe. Not as much laughter and everyone is on edge and just tense. It’s nice to come home and have a dinner made and a glass of wine waiting for me.
So what are you doing during your time off when youre home?
Trying not to kill my boys, kidding of course. (Kristen lives with her boyfriend and his two friends in pilot training). I do a workout class, clean up a bit, organize some stuff and we do meals together.
“Being a health care worker in a small town hospital, you see the effects and connections of this virus more.”
Has your town been hit hard because of this? Are you running low on medical supplies or medications?
In a smaller town we will probably be behind the curve because when you look at the curve it's more focused on the bigger cities like New York, Chicago, even St Louis. We’ve seen some restrictions in medication and supplies, but it's been fine since we are a smaller town. That’s what I mean when I say we’re behind the curve because New York and other large cities will hit the peak before we do. They need these supplies more than us right now.
How did you get interested in this field of work? (When did you know this is what you wanted to do?)
I have always wanted to work in the medical field. I am the oldest of 16 grandchildren so I have been taking care of little ones my whole life. My PCA position kind of fell into my lap. I started out volunteering in the ER and the director of the ER offered me a job. I took it and learned everything on the job. I would carry a notepad to write terms down to look up when I got off. I went through classes to earn my CPR and phlebotomy. Working as a PCA is a great foot in the door if you want to be a nurse, physician assistant or doctor.
What's your favorite part of the job?
My favorite part about my job are the people but that also makes it’s difficult. Your patient load can make or break your shift. I have had patients slap my butt grab my boobs call me awful names and tell me they want to kill me. But I also have patients who tell me I have saved their life. Told me that if it weren't for me they would of been able to get through the day. And then you have the patients that you don’t remember, the ones that are just normal, they let you go through the day and they write you the sweetest letters and you can even place their name in your day.
“We have amazing management and leaders in my hospital staff and that’s really what has made us so prepared for what could come.”
What are some misconceptions people may have about this field of work?
One thing that I wish people would know about being a tech is that we do a lot more then people think. Some people look at us as someone who just cleans poop and be told what to do. As we do that, we also assess the patients along with the nurses we are asked questions by the doctors and nurses about our patients. We can walk in on critical situations and have to know what to do. I would explain a tech as the glue of the floor. We know we’re all the supplies are. We know how to set everything up but we also know little details like how our patients like their pillows or how they like there morning coffee
What advice would you give to someone interested in doing what you do?
If someone wanted to get into the medical field I think they should all start out as a tech. You learn so much the first year and beyond that. You continue to learn with hands on experience and have people all around to show you and teach you new things.
Any last words?
I want to thank everyone who is taking this seriously and helping essential workers like myself and others who are at the forefront of this by staying home and practicing social distancing. This will pass!
HUGE THANK YOU to Kristen for taking the time to interview with me even though she's extremely busy like all the time and obviously has more important things to do than chat with me. And a huge thanks to all the health care workers, and other essential workers who are out there making a difference for us everyday. You all rock.
Due to weird times and lack of motivation, the next "friends who work" post will be coming out whenever I feel like it. Don't you fret, it'll be coming eventually...
Comments