Confessions of a New ECMO Specialist: 12 Rules to Keep Me Sane
As a new ECMO Specialist and a fan of Jordan Peterson, I have found adopting his ’12 Rules for Life’ incredibly useful in navigating the challenges and rewards of my career. Managing Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation systems and working in healthcare is exciting and demanding. Below, I detail how I’ve adopted and applied these rules to my job.
1. Stand up straight with your shoulders back
Adopting this posture is more than just a physical act; it significantly enhances your confidence and professional demeanor. When you stand upright, you exude authority and capability, which are crucial in critical care environments. Here, swift decision-making and gaining the trust of patients and colleagues are paramount. However, remember that this posture is not a substitute for humility and continuous learning. In critical care, where lives are at stake, staying within your expertise is vital, constantly seeking knowledge, and asking for help when needed.
2. Prioritize your well-being as you would for someone under your care
As an ECMO specialist, your role involves extended working hours and high-stress situations. Dedicating time for self-care is crucial to ensure you’re at your best for work. This encompasses adequate sleep, a balanced diet, regular exercise, and relaxation. Such self-care practices are vital for maintaining physical and mental health in a demanding professional environment.
3. Befriend people who want the best for you.
In your new role, it’s important to surround yourself with positive and supportive individuals. These colleagues can encourage, provide valuable advice, and motivate, especially during challenging times. Equally important is distancing yourself from those who negatively impact your progress or well-being.
4. Compare yourself to who you were yesterday.
For me this is the most important rule. If I forget this rule, life and work become a series of frustrating attempts to get everyone's approval. I need to constantly remind myself that it’s natural to feel like you’re not an expert right away. Remember the wisdom in Jordan P.’s words: “If you are not willing to be a fool, you can’t become a master.” Becoming proficient as an ECMO specialist is a journey that requires dedication and patience. Focus on your own growth and development, acknowledging and celebrating even the smallest achievements rather than comparing yourself to others. This mindset will help you appreciate your unique learning path and milestones. Sign up for conferences, ask questions, join WhatsApp groups, learn, learn, learn.
5. Do not let your patients do anything that makes you dislike them.
As an ECMO specialist, you’ll encounter patients enduring severe illness and possibly facing tough situations. Recognizing that their actions are not intended to complicate your job is crucial. Avoid taking any negative behavior personally. Instead, exercise patience and empathy and strive to understand your patients, especially when they present challenging behaviors. This approach not only helps in maintaining professional conduct but also ensures compassionate care for those in need.
6. Set your work-life balance in order before you help others.
Ensuring a healthy work-life balance prevents burnout and maintains overall well-being. Incorporate regular breaks during your workday, allocate time for hobbies and activities that bring you joy, and ensure sufficient sleep. Learning from personal experiences, like a previous tendency to skip breaks, leading to crankiness, can be instructive. A former supervisor’s advice to proactively schedule time off is valuable. For example, planning a break every four months can be a practical approach to managing stress and maintaining productivity in your professional role.
7. Pursue what is meaningful, not what is expedient.
Reflect on why you became an ECMO specialist and what you aim to accomplish professionally. Prioritizing what is meaningful to you, rather than opting for the easiest or most convenient path, increases the likelihood of experiencing satisfaction and fulfillment in your work. This approach encourages a deeper connection with your career, driven by genuine passion and purpose.
8. Tell the truth - or at least don’t lie.
As a healthcare professional, it’s vital to always be truthful with patients, colleagues, and supervisors. Honesty and integrity are fundamental qualities in healthcare. Commit to these values even in challenging situations, as they are crucial for trust, effective communication, and ethical practice.
9. Assume whoever you’re working with knows something you don’t.
Regardless of your experience level, there’s always new knowledge to gain. Adopt a humble attitude and be open to learning from colleagues, patients, and other healthcare professionals. Considering yourself a lifelong student, this approach fosters an environment of mutual respect and collaborative learning in the healthcare field.
10. Be precise in your communication.
Effective communication, especially in a critical care environment, is crucial. It’s important to convey information clearly and concisely to patients, colleagues, and other healthcare team members. Focusing on enhancing this skill can significantly impact the quality of care and collaboration within your professional setting. Giving handover reports has always been my Achilles' heel. I fumble, forget, freeze, and my report ends up more tangled than a patient's IV lines after transport at shift change. To tackle this, I created a custom Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) with OpenAI to practice giving handover reports in conversation mode. I tell the GPT the personality of the oncoming ECMO specialist and give my handover report. The GPT then asks questions, makes comments, and even interrupts if I’m too slow. I need to remember that it's all about progress, not perfection.
11. Do not bother children when they are skateboarding.
This rule is a metaphor for not interfering in the lives of others unless it is absolutely necessary. Respect the autonomy of your patients and colleagues, and only intervene when necessary to protect their safety or well-being.
12. Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street.
Taking breaks and doing things you enjoy is essential for mental and emotional health. Make time for activities that make you happy, such as spending time with loved ones, getting outdoors, or pursuing hobbies.
To Sum it up:
Adhering to these 12 rules significantly improves my effectiveness and satisfaction as a new ECMO specialist. These rules encompass important aspects like personal well-being, professional integrity, continuous learning, effective communication, and respecting others’ autonomy. I need to remember that personal and professional growth is a gradual process. Someone much more intelligent than me said it is “progress, not perfection.” It’s essential to be patient with myself and to appreciate the journey of learning and development in my career. Embracing these principles will undoubtedly aid in shaping a successful and fulfilling career path.
Reference: Peterson, J. B. (2018). 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos. Toronto: Random House Canada.
Note: This article reflects my learning journey in ECMO and is intended for educational purposes only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice or guidance. Always consult with qualified healthcare professionals for clinical decisions and patient care.
Other Links:
Follow me on LinkedIn: Jonathan B. Jung, RRT-NPS
Follow me on X (Twitter) “ECMO 143-Stay Uptodate” List on X
Acknowledgments:
I developed three custom GPTs, “AI ECMO Expert,” “ECMO Specialist Handover Practice,” and “Micro Definitions (MD-GPT),” for specialized research. These tools draw primarily from the ELSO Redbook (6th Edition), the ELSO Specialist Training Manual (4th Edition), various research papers, and articles. Additional research was supported by GPT-4o/o1, Claude 3.5 Sonnet/Opus, and Perplexity. Editing was performed with Grammarly. A.I. images and charts were created using Leonardo AI, DALL-E3 AI Image Generator, Microsoft Designer, and Adobe Express. Content for all articles sourced from Extracorporeal Life Support: The ELSO Red Book, 6th Edition, and ECMO Specialist Training Manual, 4th Edition.