A bird about to take flight

So, I have been pushed out of the nest and will now be flying solo when I work as an ECMO specialist running the ECMO pump on our patients. These patients are the sickest kids who will pass away if something drastic isn't tried. ECMO is often referred to as the "last ditch effort." I describe it as heart lung bypass that is done at the bedside. We can help rest a patient's heart, lungs, or both. Having these kiddos on ECMO requires extreme technology. Big tubes coming out of the baby drain the baby's blood, runs it through a very large machine, exchanges the gases (acts as the lungs), then pumps the blood back into the baby.



As you can imagine, doing something so drastic is not without risks. I decided that it was the next step in my career to apply to be an ECMO specialist (the person who sits and runs the pump). I was accepted, took the class, and have "sat the pump" with experienced specialists for the last several months. Saturday night, I was told by our medical director, "Melissa, it's time for you to fly on your own." This machine makes me fear and respect it. So, the next shift that I'm scheduled to be the ecmo specialist I will not have my back up sitting behind me. I will manage and care for these tiny little miracle children and with the help of God, keep them stable through the magic of technology.