Tom Schreiber’s Pride Story
Tom Schreiber’s Pride Story
For me, it’s not a question of why I went into healthcare, but rather, why did I stay in it. About half way through my senior year I got a part time job as an orderly on an orthopedic unit in a university teaching hospital. I needed work. That’s how I got into it. Pretty glamorous.
But from the first day of direct patient care I was hooked. I’ve always been comfortable in hospitals, both as a visitor and as a patient. My childhood physician did more than just heal me… over and over again. He taught me, either knowingly or unknowingly, that there was great peace and refuge to be found in the care of those who did just that… cared. If there was any one place that I remember as being safe, it was in his office. He smiled, talked softly, looked me straight in the eyes, and took my fears and pain away. What I don’t remember is ever crying while under his care.
I really only had the one role model, so when the bedpan was in the other hand there was only one way to do it. With respect. Like I said, I was hooked. It felt good… it came easy… and I certainly enjoyed it. It was the best fit I could imagine. It was my way to serve and I loved it. I still do.
I’m not an orderly anymore. Instead, I buy and deliver all the tools (supplies) the medical staff needs to treat and heal. That’s my part now. I work with them, and for them, to serve others, and I can’t think of a better way to spend my life. Playing my guitar is fun, but what I do for a living has more meaning. Like I said, it’s not how I got into healthcare, but why I stayed that’s important.
Tom Schreiber
Materials Management Manager