As one might expect, working in an emergency room (ER) is fast-paced and extremely interesting. The Free Dictionary by Farlex, defines the emergency room as “the section of a health care facility for providing rapid treatment to victims of sudden illness or trauma.”
Having briefly worked in an ER at University Community Hospital (UCH) in Tampa, Florida, for nearly a year as a transporter, it seems as though the definition lacks some incredible details such as the amount of unbelievable incidents we get ourselves into precluding the trip to the ER.
Responsibilities of a Transporter
Upon visiting the ER with an injury to your extremity, for example, the attending physician will very likely order an x-ray. And without someone to physically move you from your examination room within the ER to the appropriate radiology department, the doctor might not be able accurately perform his/her duties.
As a transporter, my primary duties were to efficiently transport patients to and from their radiological exam (CT scan, x-ray, Ultrasound, etc.,) ordered by the ER staff in a safe and courteous manner. During my employment as a transporter, I saw some strange things, such as the carpenter that somehow nailed three finger together with a pneumatic nail gun — shooting all three in a perfect line, side-by-side. The ER staff was instrumental in his care, as was the radiology department, and the guy was released from the ER with only minor injuries.
A transporter, assigned to the emergency room, for the radiology department very often has several duties that most likely aren’t generally found in the normal job description. Patients and family members are likely to ask me questions during our trip, usually requesting a drink of water or a blanket, since in most instances, the patient will spend more consecutive minutes with me and therefore might feel comfortable asking me for creature comforts. For whatever reason, it’s nice to be able to help ease the tensions of visiting the emergency room.
True Grit
Being successfully employed in the healthcare industry requires a high level of humility, patience, compassion and dedication regardless of the position held. My wife, Lercita, is a perfect example. She has been a nurse for nearly 30 years and still finds enjoyment in caring for her patients at Winter Park Care and Rehabilitation Center in Winter Park, Florida.
Sure, by natural, society places certain healthcare workers on pedestals, while others are seen as less important. In reality, the practice of not valuating the seemingly unimportant requirements of janitorial obligations proves that we as a people have a long way to go.
Simply by reading the definition, one can realistically gain a glimpse into the unexpected requirements of the hospital personnel during a shift in the emergency room. Even if you have never set foot inside a hospital before, nor discussed the workings of an ER with another human being, you can easily understand the importance of the ER both for society as well as the individual. It was a great feeling working as a transporter, an emotional time.
Read more from this contributor:
“A joke I heard on the bus”
“Serena Williams and Pulmnary Embolisms”
Sources:
UCompare Healthcare: “Winter Park Care & Rehab Center”
The Free Dictionary by Farlex: “emergency room – definition of emergency room”