This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Linda Matzigkeit, chief administrative officer at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I felt helpless during the pandemic. The hospital where I work was losing front-line clinical staff quickly, as moms pivoted to stay home with their kids during remote schooling. I wanted to do something and realized the best way to make a difference would be to work on the front line.
I’ve always been interested in healthcare because I’m a people person who enjoys helping. I never wanted to be a nurse or doctor, but thought — for a while — I’d become a pharmacist. During COVID, I started asking a few trusted colleagues what the fastest way to become a contributing member of our clinical staff would be.
The answer was unanimous: become an EMT.
I didn’t tell my instructor I was in leadership
My son was away at college, so I was an empty nester. I had time. Still, I was scared I wouldn’t actually be able to become an EMT. That fear was well-founded: the course ended up being extremely hard. It was a lot more work than I thought.
I went to EMT school two nights a week, from 5-10 p.m. On weekends, I picked up training shifts on ambulances and in emergency rooms. That lasted for about six months, until I passed my national certification.
While I was training, I didn’t mention that I was in hospital leadership. I wanted to be taken seriously. I didn’t want my instructor to think I would take this course and never use it.
Still, I think he could tell something was up. Whenever I didn’t get an A on an assignment, I’d go talk to him until he finally told me, “There’s no valedictorian of the EMT course. You’re doing great.”
I worked long shifts in our emergency department, but wasn’t paid more
Once I was certified, I started working shifts in the emergency department of the hospital where I’m also chief administrative officer. Despite that job title, I still had to do 100 hours of EMT orientation. Getting through that on nights and weekends was tough, but I did it.
Working 8- or 12-hour shifts just affirmed for me how busy our clinical staff is. I would start IVs or catheters, or hold patients during procedures. Sometimes, I was caring for scared parents. Like many moms, I’ve had the experience of waiting too long in the ED with my child, so I just tried to keep things moving for them.
I’m a salaried employee of the hospital, so my time in the ER wasn’t paid additionally. From a financial standpoint, I think of it as volunteering.
I realized my emails were going unread
My biggest takeaway from working in the ED is that, in leadership, we had to change how we communicated. I was used to sending emails and assumed people were reading them. But in the ED, no one is sitting long enough to read their emails.
I started to think about how we could reach staff more effectively. We introduced a new internal communication tool that’s similar to social media — staff can get quick updates and notifications on their phones.
I also started providing talking points for the start-of-shift huddles that frontline staff hold. In the fast-paced environment of the emergency department, face-to-face communication is more effective than an email.
The experience is humbling, but I’m proud too
Becoming an EMT and working in the emergency department humbled me. I always want to be faster at placing IVs or catheters, but I’m never going to be as skilled as some of our staff, especially since I don’t work as an EMT as much as I’d like. I aim to do a shift once a month, but that doesn’t always happen.
Every time I share my story, someone will say, “I’ve always wanted to be an EMT.” I tell them to do it. Becoming an EMT showed me I can do anything I set my mind to. I’ve been able to make a difference for our clinical staff and our leadership. I’ve learned that I can dream big and execute on it. If I put something out into the universe, you bet I’m going to accomplish it.
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