KEITH  SCHULTZ

Fifteen years before becoming a nurse I started the road to health care as a volunteer fireman and assistant chief.  Classes to become an EMT followed, and then 2 more years of training to be a volunteer paramedic.  All of this was accomplished while operating a hardware business with my wife.  She also had to put up with the hours of firefighting and ambulance runs, day and night.
As a paramedic going to nursing school, the challenge to balance my career in the emergency department and my life with my family was a constant struggle.  Encouragement from my family plus the help of understanding co-workers allowed me to progress in the skills and demands of nursing.  Attending classes while working nights and weekends was not easy, but in the end it was worthwhile.
The ability to make a difference in a person’s life was gratifying, each and every time, even in some of the worst cases recorded here.  I took pride in the skills and accomplishments made, and even more pride in the lives I saved directly or indirectly. Now retired,  I realize  there had been just enough excitement in the ER  to last a lifetime.
When my editor finished each chapter, I would read it as a new passage and enjoy the way it was presented in the third person.  This was my choice, because it was not only me but a whole family of co-workers who made everything happen.  These included fellow nurses, doctors, technicians, secretaries, auxiliary staff, and the housekeeping staff, all doing their part.
It is my hope that after reading this book, the reader will have a much more balanced view of what actually goes on behind the closed doors of any emergency room.