Friday, April 16, 2010

Perfusionists & American Idol

Why do you think America has a love affair with the television show, American Idol ? Now in its 9th season and still the #1 show in the country, I’ve pondered the answer to this question since I, myself, am a regular viewer.

Among many reasons, I think there’s much ado about wanting to pick a winner. We like to find one or more contestants to root for and watch them grow over the season. We identify with the challenges and hardships in facing competition. We get a sense of vicarious pleasure in seeing someone overcome adversity and rise to the top. Plus, that rise to the top is determined by viewers who vote (by phoning or texting their pick), so we all have a hand in the outcome. The pay-off for the season’s winner is a record contract. It’s a huge prize that can change one’s life forever. With that at stake, there’s intensity in watching each week to see who is voted off the show.

For those of you who read this blog, you know I often write about the perfusion industry by framing it in terms of the path to success and ways to foster continued excellence in patient care. In my own life experiences as businessman in the healthcare industry, I have always been drawn to the desire to fill needs that serve people, along with the drive to emerge as a leading organization that performs better than its competitors in its field. Life is a lot like American Idol, I think. To succeed, we have to learn and grow and keep a winning attitude even through tough times. Rarely does anyone start out at the top, we work our way there.

Our perfusionists know this too. The educational requirements, licensing process where applicable, and credentialing require student perfusionists to visualize the pay-off while still in school to motivate them to see the value of their efforts. The prize is the title of Clinical Perfusionist, gainfully employed in the chosen field. Once a perfusionist acquires the job and gains experience, the challenges don’t end there. The role of the perfusionist is critical in heart surgery every day. There are decisions being made each moment behind the pump. There is the essential requirement to observe events during a case and respond to changes happening to the patient and to follow any new direction given by the surgeon and medical team.

Those who work as perfusionists know what it takes to be good. They have to be good and they know it.

If you’re reading this and need a winning team for your perfusionist program, visit our website at www.tridenthealth.com and contact us today. If you’re a perfusionist who aims to the best in your field, check our website’s employment ads. We’re always looking to match good people where the needs arise.

And watch American Idol on Tuesday nights on FOX at 8 PM Eastern Time and Wednesday at 9 PM. Who do you think the next American Idol will be?

Friday, April 2, 2010

Happy Easter!






Trident's April E-newsletter issue of The Heartbeat is now available online. Click to Read.