June 9, 2025 • 37 mins
A sarcastic whisper describing the tools used in the operating room changed everything. Meet Alyssa Ellis, the Certified Surgical Technologist and First Assistant whose educational videos have captured the attention of surgeons, students, and curious patients alike. With her trademark straightforward delivery and deep expertise, Alyssa pulls back the curtain on what really happens when you're under anesthesia.
Find Alyssa @beyondassisting on all social medial platforms and check out her website https://www.beyondassisting.com/ for more information!
After 16 years spanning nearly every surgical specialty, Alyssa brings unparalleled perspective to what makes an operating room function. Her journey began unexpectedly - working retail jobs as a young mother, she enrolled in surgical tech school on a friend's suggestion. When those friends quit two weeks later, her determination to finish what she started launched a remarkable career that would touch countless patients' lives.
Throughout our conversation, Alyssa shares invaluable insights about the true dynamics of surgical teamwork. She explains how four essential roles (surgeon, anesthesiologist, RN circulator, and surgical tech) form the foundation of every procedure, while revealing the critical importance of communication, respect, and knowing when to admit what you don't know. Her philosophy - that acknowledging limitations is a strength, not a weakness - stands as a powerful lesson for anyone in healthcare.
What makes Alyssa's story particularly compelling is her commitment to education and improvement. After years of documenting surgeons' preferences, optimizing workflows, and mentoring colleagues, she's now building a comprehensive platform to share her knowledge with the world. Her mission to reignite passion in healthcare comes at a crucial moment when burnout and disillusionment challenge the field.
Whether you're a pre-health student considering surgical specialties, a healthcare professional looking to understand OR dynamics, or simply someone curious about what happens during surgery, this episode offers rare and valuable perspective. Subscribe now and join us for more conversations with the remarkable people shaping modern medicine.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Ashley (00:00):
Hello and welcome to Shadow Me Next, a podcast where
I take you into and behind thescenes of the medical world to
provide you with a deeperunderstanding of the human side
of medicine.
I'm Ashley, a physicianassistant, medical editor,
clinical preceptor and thecreator of Shadow Me Next.
It is my pleasure to introduceyou to incredible members of the
(00:22):
healthcare field and uncovertheir unique stories, the joys
and challenges they face andwhat drives them in their
careers.
It's access you want andstories you need, whether you're
a pre-health student or simplycurious about the healthcare
field.
I invite you to join me as wetake a conversational and
personal look into the lives andminds of leaders in medicine.
(00:44):
I don't want you to miss asingle one of these
conversations, so make sure thatyou subscribe to this podcast,
which will automatically notifyyou when new episodes are
dropped, and follow us onInstagram and Facebook at shadow
me next, where we will reviewhighlights from this
conversation and where I'll giveyou sneak previews of our
upcoming guests.
Have you ever wondered whatreally happens in the operating
(01:07):
room once you're underanesthesia?
Today, on Shadow Me Next, I'mthrilled to welcome Alyssa Ellis
, a certified surgicaltechnologist, certified surgical
first assist and the creatorbehind the rapidly growing
platform.
Beyond Assisting, alyssa hasbuilt a career rooted in skill,
grit and deep passion foreducation, and now she's using
(01:31):
her voice literally to changethe way we understand the OR.
In this episode, you'll hearhow a spontaneous decision to
enroll in surgical tech schoolturned into a 16-year career
across multiple hospitals andspecialties.
You'll hear what it's like tobe the extra pair of hands in
the room when the pressure's on,how Alyssa learned to navigate
(01:53):
high-stakes surgeries withconfidence, and why she believes
that admitting what you don'tknow can be one of the most
powerful tools in medicine.
We also dive into the realityof working in a fast-paced OR,
what collaboration really lookslike between techs, surgeons,
anesthesiologists and nurses,and how Alyssa balances
(02:15):
professional excellence withauthenticity.
She's building something big,an educational platform that's
already helping students,surgical staff and yes, even
patients better understand thetools, techniques and teamwork
behind every procedure.
So if you've ever asked, whatdoes it take to become a
(02:35):
surgical first assistant, how doyou earn respect in the OR
without a white coat, and canyou really teach surgical
efficiency with a sarcasticwhisper?
This is the episode for you.
Please keep in mind that thecontent of this podcast is
intended for informational andentertainment purposes only and
(02:55):
should not be considered asprofessional medical advice.
The views and opinionsexpressed in this podcast are
those of the host and guests anddo not necessarily reflect the
official policy or position ofany other agency, organization,
employer or company.
This is shadow me next withAlyssa Ellis.
Hey, alyssa, thank you so muchabout your roles and what you do
(03:24):
and hear about how you aretruly changing healthcare with
your platform.
People are going to love this.
Get excited, alyssa.
Thank you so much.
Alyssa (03:33):
Of course, thanks for having me.
Ashley (03:36):
So great.
So okay, Before we get intoanything, we're going to do
things a little funky.
Let's pause briefly and I wantto play a little clip of what
you show on your social media.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
This is bowel still connected to everything else.
So when we're doing an opencase although this does go for
laparoscopic or robotic as wellso let's say we need to take out
this blue part, okay, it willmost likely be a GIA 75 that you
would need first.
Ashley (04:07):
So, alyssa, tell me, tell me about this social media
world that you have created thisincredible platform.
People are loving this.
Alyssa (04:14):
It's so funny.
I actually only started this, Ithink, the end of December,
beginning of January.
I just started it, which isinsane.
But I've always really lovedtraining, coaching, teaching.
I love it.
I love seeing the progress.
I really do want to like helpeverybody and help them be
(04:35):
better at their careers, be moresuccessful.
So I just start teaching somestuff and I tell one sarcastic
story and a sarcastic whisperand it just sticks.
One sarcastic story and asarcastic whisper, and it just
sticks.
I'm like, oh great, I'm thesarcastic whisper girl.
Now, that's literally how ithappened.
And then, ever since then, I'mlike, well, I know what's
sticking.
I knew that with this platform.
(04:56):
I'm like, okay, I have to stayin my scrubs, I have to be
teaching one thing, but I'mloving it.
I've gotten so many greatmessages from people surgeons
telling me hey, I never knewthat.
Thank you so much.
I've heard it from med studentscoming in oh my gosh, now I
know what to do when I go in.
And so everyone's just learnedso much surgical texts that now
(05:18):
have decided to go back toschool to get their
certification so that they cango work.
And I gave them that littlepush and like that is enough for
me.
Just the fulfillment that I getfrom that is incredible.
Ashley (05:29):
So I think that's great and what you said is just is
such an important thing toremember in medicine and really
in anything.
But we should never assume thatjust because someone has a
certain title that they knoweverything or that they know
something.
You know, you mentionedsurgeons.
Obviously, surgeons know somuch about so much, but there
(05:52):
are things that are really nicheto you, um, and to you and your
roles in the OR, and it's cool.
It's so cool that you know,just looking at your platform,
you have people from all walksof life in the OR, but not just
the OR students and probablyregular people.
Alyssa (06:08):
I have regular people that just want to know how their
surgery went when they wereunder.
They're like that is soincredible.
Or people that just areinterested by it and I think
it's so amazing.
But I guess there's not reallyanything out there like this,
and so I'm like, oh, this isvery unique.
Anything out there like thisand so I'm like, oh, this is
very unique.
I didn't realize how unique itwas until I have 50,000
(06:28):
followers on Instagram and I'mlike, oh my gosh, how did I?
How did I get here?
I don't know how I got here.
Ashley (06:34):
We're going to jump into the quality questions
segment a little bit early inthis episode.
Quality questions is anopportunity for you, as a
pre-health student, to becomeexposed to a number of interview
questions that you may or maynot have to answer when
interviewing for your ownpre-health position at some
point.
Alyssa's whole journey is aperfect quality question, really
(06:56):
, and that question would be areyou showing up in a way that
makes healthcare better, notjust for your patients, but for
your coworkers, your studentsand the next person walking into
that room?
Consider this and, while you'reworking, while you're on your
job, make sure that you cananswer yes and then give
tangible examples.
(07:17):
It's incredible.
It's such a fun platform.
I have found myself justsitting there listening to your
wonderful sarcastic, whispervoice it is fantastic but just
really absorbing the informationthat you're teaching, which is
so cool.
So, alyssa, let's go back.
Tell us a little bit about whatyour titles are.
(07:37):
What do you do?
What does it mean?
How did that get you into theOR in the first place?
How?
Alyssa (07:43):
did that get you into the OR in the first place?
Okay, so it's a funny story.
I actually was not interested.
I hated watching all the ERshows, seeing the blood and guts
grossed me out.
So to my friends when I was, Ithink I went.
When I was 19, 20 years old, Iwent to school.
They're like, hey, my mom's asurgical tech, we should go to
school.
Okay, so that was it.
(08:07):
Like that was my.
I was working at kitty candidsand where else pay less shoe
source at the time.
And I'm like okay, I had a.
I had a kid already, and so Ijust I was just trying to make
ends meet, I wasn't reallythinking about what I was going
to do next, and I just kind ofwent with them.
Two weeks into the program theyboth quit.
Are you serious?
(08:29):
That got me into going quit.
So I'm like, okay, well, I'mnot someone that starts
something and doesn't finish it.
So I'm like I'm paying for thisalready.
I'm not going to pay moneyunless I'm getting that to the
very end and I get a job out ofthis.
So I ended up going throughgetting my certification as a
surgical tech in.
This was in Utah and now I'm inVegas.
(08:52):
But I ended up getting hired onat the facility that I did my
clinical rotation at right afterworked there for a couple of
years and then moved to Vegasand I've been here for see my
(09:13):
son's 13.
So about 13 and a half yearsI've been in Vegas and three
years ago I got my first assist.
I first assist weren't really athing I feel like as much in
Utah, so I didn't see it as muchuntil I got here.
But even here I worked at alevel one trauma center and it
was a training facility and soyou have medical students,
residents.
You don't necessarily needfirst assists and PAs there, you
rarely see them, you just haveresidents and medical students.
(09:36):
And that's when I was Iinterviewed for the position to
go to school and get it paid for, to get my first assist, and
that was just the next step inmy process and that was the just
where I could go next really.
So I ended up going it's abouta year program and then I have
(09:58):
my CSFA certified surgical firstassist.
So I'm a CST certified surgicaltech slash CSFA.
Ashley (10:06):
Incredible, incredible, and I'm so glad you brought up
um how, at a teaching hospital,you have med students and you
have residents and you have PAsand you have other um we call
them APPs advanced practiceproviders who are kind of
sharing that role, right, I mean, we're all, we're all learning.
You're the professional at whatwe're learning how to do Um,
but uh, yeah, you know there isthis interesting hierarchy in
(10:28):
medicine and um, sometimes thehierarchy you know comes first,
and that that can be challenging.
So I'm glad that you were ableto kind of find your footing and
find find that role.
Tell me a little bit about CSTschool.
So you did you have to?
Could you come just right outof high school or did you have
to go get out of high school?
Alyssa (10:49):
So I mean, granted, this was 16 years ago, so I've been
doing this a long time.
I've been doing it since I was20.
So I am 24 now, but I've beendoing this for 16 years.
Ashley (11:01):
I don't know how that works.
Good math, that's correct.
Alyssa (11:08):
I know it's crazy, but it was probably about it was
like 15 to 18 months of schoolback then.
I think it's more now.
I think you have to get yourassociate's degree now, whereas
back then you did not.
And so I busted through myclinicals.
It was like 540 hours that Ineeded.
I went every weekend Cause Iended up getting laid off at
kitty candids.
(11:29):
They closed down and the nextmonth it was like on a Thursday.
The next Monday was when myclinical started.
So I was like I have to getthis done and I have to get a
job.
I need to start working.
And so I think I got it done inlike two and a half months or
something.
I mean I was there every daylate hours, just so I could get
(11:51):
all my cases done, all my hourslogged, and then finished.
On a Thursday I got all myresumes together and I was ready
to start in Salt Lake and goSouth and I was just going to
show up at every hospital, go tothe HR department and I was
going to say I want a job.
How do I do this?
Who do I talk to?
And I pull up to a hospital inSalt Lake I can't remember which
(12:13):
one?
Right when I park I get a phonecall from where I did my
clinicals at Utah ValleyRegional Medical Center in Provo
, utah.
They call me and they're likehey, so can you start on Monday?
I'm like what?
So they hired me right away.
I started the next Monday.
(12:33):
It was incredible, I didn'thave to go through all that work
.
Ashley (12:36):
It was such a blessing, so that's awesome.
So you so.
Okay, you mentioned hospital.
Obviously there's there's ORsin most hospitals trauma level,
trauma one facilities, thingslike that.
Where, where can you work?
I mean, what are?
What does it look like?
What are the locations?
Alyssa (12:50):
Right now I work for a hospital and so I can work for
any of their sister facilitiesand they have outpatient centers
.
I can go and float over there.
But I do work full-time for onefacility at a hospital right
now and the.
I was at a different um in adifferent system before this, at
(13:11):
the hospital I was at and atthat one I couldn't float
between facilities.
But I've been to almost everyhospital in Vegas, like I worked
at Siena St Rose, which is onthe other side of town from
where I'm at, and um they Ithink I was per diem there while
I worked full-time at thetrauma center.
So I've been everywhere.
(13:31):
It's really a small communitytoo.
Everybody knows everybody.
So anytime an applicant comesin, I'm like hold on, what's
their name?
Okay, I don't know them, butI'm going to figure, I'll figure
it out.
I know who to ask.
So you got to make sure thatyou keep your relationships very
professional and you leave on avery professional basis and
(13:51):
make sure that you could go backto the same place that you left
, cause that's a good point.
Ashley (13:56):
We talk, everyone talks .
No, it's a very good point.
And it's not just you know,it's not just how good are you
at your job, it's, it's are youa good team player?
Obviously, we're going to talkabout this and this is going to
be huge in your role, you know,um do you do you?
Alyssa (14:16):
are you a respectful person?
It doesn't matter where you'reat and what field you're in,
what industry you're in.
You're going to have the peoplethat are more difficult to deal
with and you're going to havepeople who are more easygoing,
and so it's really just how youadapt to that and how you figure
out how to be around people andcommunicate with them
effectively and really grow up alittle bit.
Honestly, I'm I can be a littleblunt sometimes, but really I
(14:39):
mean it gets to a point where Iknow, or is not somewhere, that
things are held back.
So if you don't know whatyou're you, what you're doing,
do not come in and pretend likeyou know what you're doing,
because that's harm to thepatient.
But it's okay, it is a hundredpercent Okay For you to say I
have never done this.
If I've never seen something tothis day, I still see new
(15:01):
things that I've never seenbefore, and I will ask questions
.
I think, I just got told a termthe other day doing uh, we're
doing a cranny or something, andI can't remember the term, but
I remember.
I'm like I've never heard thatbefore.
What?
Does that?
mean, where is it from?
And he told me I'm like Ididn't know that, like I didn't
(15:23):
know that this term could beused for that and this at two
different, like types ofprocedures.
But that term I thought wasonly used for this, one can also
be used for this.
And so I'm learning somethingnew every single day.
And it's okay for you to speakup and say that you don't know
something.
I have never gotten in troubleor yelled at for asking a
question.
You just have to be smart aboutwhen you're asking it.
(15:45):
You have to read the room.
Is it tense?
Is that high stress?
Do they like talking?
Are they focused?
Like you have to be payingattention to so many more things
than just the instrument thatthey're asking for next.
Ashley (15:57):
No, that's a really good tip.
Actually read the room.
We do a whole masterclass on onthat, you know, and everybody's
questions are valid, but thereare invalid moments to ask them.
You have to.
You have to wait.
Um, you mentioned a cranny.
Alyssa, I'm just like likeshaking in my seat, so excited
to talk to you about all theprocedures that you do as a
(16:20):
first assist right now and as aCST.
Um, okay, let's talk about it.
So, day in your life, um, youwalk into the hospital, what are
you wearing?
Are you wearing a suit?
Are you wearing scrubs?
Alyssa (16:30):
Like, start from the beginning and walk us through
the whole day.
I usually wear like just jeansand a bit baggy t-shirt or
something, cause I'm about tochange into the OR scrubs.
Cause you can't wear yourregular scrubs into the OR.
They have to be the hospitalprovided scrubs that are there
that are washed by the specificdetergent that they use so that
they're clean to their standardor whatever.
(16:51):
So you go in with your regularclothes and then change into my
scrubs, grab my scrub cap andthen we go have morning report
and I see where I'm at and I goto my room.
I'll go in any room I'm reallyput anywhere at this facility.
I've never done hearts.
So hearts is something that Ihave never done.
I think I've seen one in myentire career.
(17:11):
It's just not something thatI've done.
The facility I'm at now doesnot do them and so I'm never
going to be in one where I'm at.
But I was interested at onepoint.
But, to be honest, I've beendoing this a long time.
I am not about to take heartcall.
I have lots of kids at home, soI'm not trying to be gone more
than I already am.
Ashley (17:31):
No, that's so true.
So when you, when, on any givenday, are you assigned to a
certain service, like you know,GI or GYN, or could it?
Could it really be it?
Alyssa (17:41):
really, really could be anywhere, at least for me
personally.
And so maybe not necessarily foreverybody, but for me
personally, I get put into anyroom, but there are my specific
days.
There's a surgeon that goesthere once a month and I am
always in his room there's.
You know, every Monday I'malways in the same room, and
(18:05):
some Thursdays just depending.
So it just when certainsurgeons are there.
I'm usually in there with themand they're used to that routine
, they're used to me, they'recomfortable with me, and so
that's what they want.
But if I'm, if those surgeonsare not there, then I'm anywhere
.
So, and then when those casesare done, I work three, 12.
So when those cases are done,right now we're short staffed.
(18:28):
So when those cases are done,I'm going into another room or
relieving somebody to go home orwhatever.
Ashley (18:34):
So wow, wow, wow, wow.
Gosh, this is actually a reallygreat segue to talking about
collaboration and the vastnumber of different healthcare
workers that you work with, andsome of these people are
obviously clinical and I'm suresome of them are administrative
a bunch of different roles.
Tell me about that.
Alyssa (18:57):
So you have your director and manager usually
aren't coming into the OR.
You have a charge nurse thatruns the front desk and they're
typically the ones and it'll bedifferent throughout the week.
There'll be a different chargenurse for Monday and Tuesday,
and then different one Wednesdayand then Thursday, friday or
whatever, but then they work 12sat least where I'm at now and
(19:21):
where I was at before, that'show it was and then they make
the assignments for the next day.
They usually know who can dowhat, who is usually where.
But also, I mean they just haveto shift things around.
If people call off and theydeal with all of that Booking
cases same day.
They deal with that, tellingthe surgeons what time it's
(19:42):
going to be at whatever add-ons,and then they place them in the
rooms wherever the staff isgoing to be able to accommodate
because of when the staff getsoff of work also.
And then I have ananesthesiologist is always in
the room.
So you have to have four peoplein the room to do a surgery.
You have to.
You have to have ananesthesiologist, you have to
(20:04):
have a surgeon, you have to havean RN circulator and you have
to have a surgical tech.
That's what you absolutely haveto have in the room.
Anyone else is considered extraA PA coming in, even me as a
first assist.
I'm extra in the room.
I am not necessarily.
I don't need to be in the room,so I'm not a necessity, that's
(20:25):
the word I'm trying to use.
I don't have to be in there.
But there are cases that itwould be nearly impossible to do
without an extra set of hands.
It would, we can do it, butit'd be really hard and I've
done it.
But it's really hard when it'sjust me and the surgeon, which
is funny because I'm so used todoing so many things by myself
(20:49):
and not having.
When I was a tech at least, Ididn't have an assist.
I didn't even have anothersurgeon.
I was doing bad hiss and I'mholding a retractor and loading
my needles and passing them.
It's me and the surgeon,there's nobody else.
So when I see I don't know,it's just different.
It's just different now andit's nice because we can all
(21:11):
focus on our roles.
So it definitely is better, Ithink, for the patient, because
my back's hurting from doingthat years ago.
Instead of just being able tofocus on one thing or the other,
I was doing everything.
But it did help me with mycritical thinking and being able
to understand the procedure asa whole, instead of just being
at the back table.
(21:32):
And I don't say that in a wayin a negative way at all, I just
know that as a whole.
Instead of just being at theback table and I don't say that
in a way in a negative way atall, I just know that as a tech,
you are more in charge of theback table, which means that's
where your sterileinstrumentation is.
You open, you set up for thecase that you're about to do,
whether you're doing ortho, gyn,urology, you're doing.
What are some other cases?
(21:54):
Ent, plastics, whatever.
There are so many differentspecialties that you could be
going into.
You're doing a robot.
You're doing a big exploratorylaparotomy for a bowel resection
, you're doing whatever.
So that surgical type will goin there and set up that case
and so have all theinstrumentation and disposable
supplies.
And so have all theinstrumentation and disposable
(22:28):
supplies ready for thatprocedure to start.
Count with your nurse and youhave lap sponges and you have to
count instruments on some casesif you're getting into the
belly.
So there's a lot that goes intoit.
Just what I mean.
I go in there, I'll help openand if I need to drape the robot
while my tech is setting up,then I'll scrub in, I'll drape
the robot whatever they need sothat we can try to move along
and be as efficient as possible.
So that's kind of the gist ofit thrown into it.
(22:48):
It's amazing.
Ashley (22:50):
It's amazing, I love, I love hearing about the
different roles becauseobviously, like you mentioned,
everybody has a different role,Like as as a PA in surgery, I
would also first assist and I'mnot about to pop behind the
curtain with theanesthesiologist or the CRNA and
say, hey, you know, let's talkabout the respiratory settings
on this patient.
(23:10):
No, but at the same time Imight say, hey, you know, can we
tilt the patient back?
Can we put the patient a littlebit more tubercle?
And the the anesthesiologist orCRNA might say, no, I can't, I
can't, they can't breathe likethat If I put them upside down
too far, you know.
So everybody has their ownrules and you're in constant
communication and and it's notlike you mentioned earlier about
(23:33):
being blunt In the OR there'sno other way to communicate,
because everything said has toreally be said for a purpose.
Alyssa (23:40):
You just have to understand that it's not
personal.
I can't remember a time that Ithought that a surgeon was
saying something to me to throwa dig at me.
I've never been kicked out of aroom.
I've built really goodrelationships up until this
point, like and I continue to dothat, because that's just
(24:01):
that's how I was raised.
I was raised with really goodwork ethic and so, thankfully,
like, my dad showed me that andso I don't know.
I just don't see any other way.
You guys are operating.
You're in charge of thispatient.
Ultimately, when this patientleaves the OR, they're no longer
my patient, but they're stillyours.
So these are stressful cases,some of these OB-GYN cases that
(24:25):
they're going in and takingtumors out of these patients and
then have to tell the familythat they have metastatic cancer
, something that's taking overtheir body.
So if they're yelling duringthat case and frustrated because
they're not getting things fastenough or whatever, I don't
take it personally.
Ashley (24:40):
That's great.
Alyssa (24:41):
That's such a good example.
You have to think more outsideof yourself.
You really do have to inhealthcare.
I feel like in general, youshould have some sort of
selflessness and understand thatit is not about you.
It is about the patients andhelping them in whatever way
(25:02):
that we can, and that'ssomething I feel like has kind
of been lost a little bit.
At least, personally, in myexperience and where I've been
and what I've seen throughoutthe years, I feel like it's just
not the same.
I'm not saying it's bad, butit's just not the same and I
think that you just need like aspark a little bit.
(25:25):
Some people just need a littlebit of a spark.
So I'm trying to do that forwho I can.
So if you'd be a little morepassionate about their jobs you
have the grumpy guesses at workthat you go and I mean I've had
them.
Some of them are are just tiredand exhausted and overworked,
and I understand that.
And they're tired of training.
(25:45):
They don't want to train.
I think that that isunfortunate, because I've never
felt that and usually myresponse is just how did you
learn?
Like, this is how you learned,so they have to learn somehow.
You can't get upset thatthey're going to school.
Then don't have them in yourroom if you're not going to
teach them.
That's how I feel, because ifyou're not going to show them
(26:07):
how to be a tech or an FA orwhatever, then don't precept,
don't help them.
But I can understand how thatcould be very discouraging for
surgical techs versus RNcirculators coming in and
getting all the negative from itand not getting good preceptors
.
I can totally understand thatand I try as hard as I can to
(26:30):
like jump in and help whoever Ican.
Ashley (26:33):
Which I'm so excited we're going to talk about your
new endeavor coming up herepretty soon, cause this is what
it's what the world needs.
It really is.
But you you brought, youmentioned two things that I want
to just comment on because Ithink they are so important.
Number one you mentioned howyou know if you have a surgeon
who you're working with and theyare, they're just they're being
(26:53):
emotional in ways that you knowyou're thinking there's in ways
that you're thinking there's alot going on with this right.
It is such a great example whenI am speaking to my student
shadows that are in here andthey're talking about Ashley, do
I want to go to med school?
Do I want to go to PA school?
Where do I want to end up inhealthcare?
Put yourself in those positions, right.
(27:15):
So, like trauma surgery, I wastalking to a trauma surgery PA a
while back and she said youknow, ash, I realized that I am
willing to be there and doeverything I can to try to save
that patient's life, but I don'twant to be the one that calls
it.
Alyssa (27:28):
Yeah, that has to be so hard I can't imagine.
But that's, that's the way thatsome people think, but not
everybody.
But if that's not, if that'snever like told to you, then how
will you know to think that way?
Ashley (27:42):
Perfect, and so I'm so glad you brought that up because
you're absolutely right.
In the OR, you get to assistand you get to be involved and
you get to make some of theseawesome clinical decisions, but
at the end of the day, it is upto that surgeon to go and tell
that patient about their limitedtime left on earth most likely,
you know and that it's justhard.
So I'm so glad you brought thatup.
Thank you so much.
And then number two youmentioned just losing that spark
(28:04):
in medicine, and that isexactly we are trying to get
back into the heart ofhealthcare.
Right, the heart of healthcareis just inspiring people to want
to help others medically andchange their lives outside of
our hospital, outside of our OR,outside of my clinic, just
enjoy themselves because theyare healthy and they understand
(28:26):
things.
So I'm so happy to be able todo that here on shadow me next.
And I'm also so excited foryour platform because you are.
You are inspiring the nextgeneration of healthcare workers
, of CSTs of first assist.
Alyssa (28:38):
Tell us about what you got on your plate.
Ashley (28:41):
Tell us about what you got coming up.
Alyssa (28:42):
I am so excited.
I've been thinking about it thepast probably month since
everything has been growing.
I'm like, how can I make thisinto something that I can spend
more time on?
First, because I do work fulltime and I can spend more time
on and help people and be ableto genuinely like make a change
(29:04):
in healthcare where people arepassionate about their jobs and
passionate about helping.
And if you know about the job,maybe it's something you don't
want to do.
Now that you know more about itand you're hearing how it can be
, the stressful environment, howtense it is maybe I'm not for
that, I don't think mypersonality can handle that Then
(29:25):
you know you're not going intoit first, whereas I'm sure so
many have, and then they realizehow difficult it is and their
personalities just don't matchwith it.
And that's okay, there'snothing wrong with that.
But you don't know what youdon't know.
So if you have no idea whatthis job entails, then you don't
(29:45):
know what you're gettingyourself into, and I understand
that.
And then you that's when westart losing the passion and
there's just an extreme lack inhealthcare and people that are
passionate about what they'redoing and helping people.
So I just think I anyways, so Iam so excited to launch this
(30:06):
platform.
I've already started creating awebsite and app where we're
going to teach them all thedifferent instrumentation, why
they're used, when they're used,and not only that, the sutures,
so that they understand thesize of the sutures and what
order it goes in.
So many of these things werenever explained to me either,
but and it's okay because, again, if your preceptor doesn't know
(30:29):
, they can't teach you that.
But I know this stuff and I amso willing to share everything
that I know.
Anytime anybody goes into aroom with like my surgeons I
always work with if I'm off thatday, I am the first one to say
who's in my room, who is it?
Okay, hey, you want me to sendyou my notes?
I have my notes in my phone.
I already fixed the preferencecards that's another thing I do
(30:51):
at work that I took on, whichpreference cards are basically
just that surgeon's preferenceson a card that have all of the
disposable, disposables and thereusable instrumentation on
there, and then there's somenotes in there just of specific
things.
So I've been kind of revampinghow the preference cards were at
the place that I'm at now.
(31:11):
So I fixed that.
But here's all of my notes,here's all of my information,
and anybody knows they can callme on the weekend, they can
shoot me a text.
I'm going to help you.
You're still my colleague,you're still my coworker, but I
can't text you back.
I'm always on my phone, we'reall always on our phones.
Come on, so if my colleague, mycoworker, is asking me a
(31:34):
genuine question.
That's going to help them maybenot look as stupid so they
don't feel like they don't knowanything.
I'm there, I got you and theyknow that and they're
comfortable with reaching out tome and I'm happy that they are
and I hope they continue to dothat.
But I just, I just want toshare my knowledge so that
everyone else can have thatpeace of mind, because you don't
(31:57):
always have the best preceptorand you don't, and your
preceptor may not understand tothis extreme, but I do.
I'm excited to create kind of aplatform that's easy for you to
go to through an app and I'mgoing to call it same thing.
It's going to be beyondassisting and just helping
healthcare really get better andbe able to really drive that
(32:20):
passion again and just helpinganybody going into the field,
because it sounds like so manyER doctors are messaging me
Everyone in healthcare.
It really relates to anybody andif you want to know about your
procedure and you're not evenworking in the OR, then we'll go
into depth and I'll describewhat a surgery is, all the
(32:43):
things that we use in thatsurgery, how we position your
arm, what equipment we put yourarm in for a total shoulder, but
it depends on the surgeon.
Some surgeons use a Mayo stand,another one uses a Tramono, one
uses a spider.
There's so many differentpositioning devices out there
that we use and it's differentfor each surgeon, even though
(33:03):
it's the same case.
There's just so much that goesinto it and so much that you
need to know and try tounderstand, and I have so many
ways to help the OR be moreefficient.
This will help turn over times.
It'll help your efficiency.
It makes everyone happier.
The surgeons are happier, whichmakes the staff happier.
(33:24):
I've worked so many differentplaces that you really start to
learn what works and whatdoesn't.
But my way doesn't have to bethe perfect way.
I love hearing from otherpeople's comments how they do
things.
I'm like oh yes, that is a great.
I'm going to try that next time.
But you have to have that openmind also.
I feel like going into anything, but you have to, especially
(33:47):
coming into this career, and ifyou're thinking about it, you
have to remember that things areconstantly evolving and
changing.
Everyone does thingsdifferently.
Just because one surgeon does itthis way doesn't mean the next
one has to do it that way.
They can do it however theylearned, however they want.
So me assisting, I'm not goingin there telling one surgeon
(34:09):
like, oh, you need to be doingit this surgeon's way.
That's the last thing youshould say, by the way.
But has there been a situationwhere my knowledge has helped
Absolutely?
Because if your surgeon comesin and maybe is just like, have
you ever seen this or that orwhat do you think, Then I can I
(34:31):
can say, yeah, I've seen this,this has seemed to work for this
person, you know.
And then this person does this.
I've had them ask me does Drso-and-so do this?
Because they're, they just wantto know.
They're not in there with eachother.
That's not usually what happens.
So that's something that we see.
It's very I feel like it's veryunique knowledge that I have,
(34:54):
because I am not just in onespecialty and a lot of us aren't
.
I've been in every case underthe sun, except for hearts.
But I do vascular still.
I've done an aorta by fem case.
I've done a fem fem, a femoralto femoral bypass.
(35:14):
I've done fem pops.
So I still do vascular.
I just have never done openhearts.
I've done procurements, We'veprocured the heart.
I've done fem pops.
So I still do vascular.
I just have never done openhearts.
I've done procurements, We'veprocured the heart.
I just have never done openheart surgery.
I've never cannulated, I'venever done any of that.
But I've seen so many thingsworking at a level one trauma
center.
You see so many things, somethings you wish you'd never
(35:35):
would have.
Ashley (35:37):
But you still see it.
I'm so sure, I am so excitedabout your platform and about
what you have really curated.
I was going to say created, butit's just like you've been
saying.
It's after decades ofexperience and knowledge and
being open to discussion withother people.
You have curated all of thisand it's information.
(35:58):
Obviously, that's great for forpeople in the OR, but also for
students, um, for pre-healthstudents to get to see what they
want to do you mentioned, justfor patients or just the average
Joe who's interested in thissort of thing.
You know, you get to explainthings without the gore, alyssa.
Thank you so much for doingthis.
Alyssa Ellis, beyond Assistingon Instagram, tiktok, facebook
(36:22):
soon to be her website, which Icannot wait to share along with
you, alyssa, it's been a joy,it's been a pleasure and I am so
grateful for what you're doingin and for medicine.
So thank you.
Alyssa (36:34):
Thank you for having me.
Thanks so much.
Ashley (36:36):
Thank you so very much for listening to this episode of
Shadow Me Next.
If you liked this episode or ifyou think it could be useful
for a friend, please subscribeand invite them to join us next
Monday, as always.
If you have any questions, letme know on Facebook or Instagram
Access.
You want stories you need?
You're always invited to ShadowMe Next.
Hello and welcome to Shadow Me Next, a podcast where
I take you into and behind thescenes of the medical world to
provide you with a deeperunderstanding of the human side
of medicine.
I'm Ashley, a physicianassistant, medical editor,
clinical preceptor and thecreator of Shadow Me Next.
It is my pleasure to introduceyou to incredible members of the
(00:22):
healthcare field and uncovertheir unique stories, the joys
and challenges they face andwhat drives them in their
careers.
It's access you want andstories you need, whether you're
a pre-health student or simplycurious about the healthcare
field.
I invite you to join me as wetake a conversational and
personal look into the lives andminds of leaders in medicine.
(00:44):
I don't want you to miss asingle one of these
conversations, so make sure thatyou subscribe to this podcast,
which will automatically notifyyou when new episodes are
dropped, and follow us onInstagram and Facebook at shadow
me next, where we will reviewhighlights from this
conversation and where I'll giveyou sneak previews of our
upcoming guests.
Have you ever wondered whatreally happens in the operating
(01:07):
room once you're underanesthesia?
Today, on Shadow Me Next, I'mthrilled to welcome Alyssa Ellis
, a certified surgicaltechnologist, certified surgical
first assist and the creatorbehind the rapidly growing
platform.
Beyond Assisting, alyssa hasbuilt a career rooted in skill,
grit and deep passion foreducation, and now she's using
(01:31):
her voice literally to changethe way we understand the OR.
In this episode, you'll hearhow a spontaneous decision to
enroll in surgical tech schoolturned into a 16-year career
across multiple hospitals andspecialties.
You'll hear what it's like tobe the extra pair of hands in
the room when the pressure's on,how Alyssa learned to navigate
(01:53):
high-stakes surgeries withconfidence, and why she believes
that admitting what you don'tknow can be one of the most
powerful tools in medicine.
We also dive into the realityof working in a fast-paced OR,
what collaboration really lookslike between techs, surgeons,
anesthesiologists and nurses,and how Alyssa balances
(02:15):
professional excellence withauthenticity.
She's building something big,an educational platform that's
already helping students,surgical staff and yes, even
patients better understand thetools, techniques and teamwork
behind every procedure.
So if you've ever asked, whatdoes it take to become a
(02:35):
surgical first assistant, how doyou earn respect in the OR
without a white coat, and canyou really teach surgical
efficiency with a sarcasticwhisper?
This is the episode for you.
Please keep in mind that thecontent of this podcast is
intended for informational andentertainment purposes only and
(02:55):
should not be considered asprofessional medical advice.
The views and opinionsexpressed in this podcast are
those of the host and guests anddo not necessarily reflect the
official policy or position ofany other agency, organization,
employer or company.
This is shadow me next withAlyssa Ellis.
Hey, alyssa, thank you so muchabout your roles and what you do
(03:24):
and hear about how you aretruly changing healthcare with
your platform.
People are going to love this.
Get excited, alyssa.
Thank you so much.
Alyssa (03:33):
Of course, thanks for having me.
Ashley (03:36):
So great.
So okay, Before we get intoanything, we're going to do
things a little funky.
Let's pause briefly and I wantto play a little clip of what
you show on your social media.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
This is bowel still connected to everything else.
So when we're doing an opencase although this does go for
laparoscopic or robotic as wellso let's say we need to take out
this blue part, okay, it willmost likely be a GIA 75 that you
would need first.
Ashley (04:07):
So, alyssa, tell me, tell me about this social media
world that you have created thisincredible platform.
People are loving this.
Alyssa (04:14):
It's so funny.
I actually only started this, Ithink, the end of December,
beginning of January.
I just started it, which isinsane.
But I've always really lovedtraining, coaching, teaching.
I love it.
I love seeing the progress.
I really do want to like helpeverybody and help them be
(04:35):
better at their careers, be moresuccessful.
So I just start teaching somestuff and I tell one sarcastic
story and a sarcastic whisperand it just sticks.
One sarcastic story and asarcastic whisper, and it just
sticks.
I'm like, oh great, I'm thesarcastic whisper girl.
Now, that's literally how ithappened.
And then, ever since then, I'mlike, well, I know what's
sticking.
I knew that with this platform.
(04:56):
I'm like, okay, I have to stayin my scrubs, I have to be
teaching one thing, but I'mloving it.
I've gotten so many greatmessages from people surgeons
telling me hey, I never knewthat.
Thank you so much.
I've heard it from med studentscoming in oh my gosh, now I
know what to do when I go in.
And so everyone's just learnedso much surgical texts that now
(05:18):
have decided to go back toschool to get their
certification so that they cango work.
And I gave them that littlepush and like that is enough for
me.
Just the fulfillment that I getfrom that is incredible.
Ashley (05:29):
So I think that's great and what you said is just is
such an important thing toremember in medicine and really
in anything.
But we should never assume thatjust because someone has a
certain title that they knoweverything or that they know
something.
You know, you mentionedsurgeons.
Obviously, surgeons know somuch about so much, but there
(05:52):
are things that are really nicheto you, um, and to you and your
roles in the OR, and it's cool.
It's so cool that you know,just looking at your platform,
you have people from all walksof life in the OR, but not just
the OR students and probablyregular people.
Alyssa (06:08):
I have regular people that just want to know how their
surgery went when they wereunder.
They're like that is soincredible.
Or people that just areinterested by it and I think
it's so amazing.
But I guess there's not reallyanything out there like this,
and so I'm like, oh, this isvery unique.
Anything out there like thisand so I'm like, oh, this is
very unique.
I didn't realize how unique itwas until I have 50,000
(06:28):
followers on Instagram and I'mlike, oh my gosh, how did I?
How did I get here?
I don't know how I got here.
Ashley (06:34):
We're going to jump into the quality questions
segment a little bit early inthis episode.
Quality questions is anopportunity for you, as a
pre-health student, to becomeexposed to a number of interview
questions that you may or maynot have to answer when
interviewing for your ownpre-health position at some
point.
Alyssa's whole journey is aperfect quality question, really
(06:56):
, and that question would be areyou showing up in a way that
makes healthcare better, notjust for your patients, but for
your coworkers, your studentsand the next person walking into
that room?
Consider this and, while you'reworking, while you're on your
job, make sure that you cananswer yes and then give
tangible examples.
(07:17):
It's incredible.
It's such a fun platform.
I have found myself justsitting there listening to your
wonderful sarcastic, whispervoice it is fantastic but just
really absorbing the informationthat you're teaching, which is
so cool.
So, alyssa, let's go back.
Tell us a little bit about whatyour titles are.
(07:37):
What do you do?
What does it mean?
How did that get you into theOR in the first place?
How?
Alyssa (07:43):
did that get you into the OR in the first place?
Okay, so it's a funny story.
I actually was not interested.
I hated watching all the ERshows, seeing the blood and guts
grossed me out.
So to my friends when I was, Ithink I went.
When I was 19, 20 years old, Iwent to school.
They're like, hey, my mom's asurgical tech, we should go to
school.
Okay, so that was it.
(08:07):
Like that was my.
I was working at kitty candidsand where else pay less shoe
source at the time.
And I'm like okay, I had a.
I had a kid already, and so Ijust I was just trying to make
ends meet, I wasn't reallythinking about what I was going
to do next, and I just kind ofwent with them.
Two weeks into the program theyboth quit.
Are you serious?
(08:29):
That got me into going quit.
So I'm like, okay, well, I'mnot someone that starts
something and doesn't finish it.
So I'm like I'm paying for thisalready.
I'm not going to pay moneyunless I'm getting that to the
very end and I get a job out ofthis.
So I ended up going throughgetting my certification as a
surgical tech in.
This was in Utah and now I'm inVegas.
(08:52):
But I ended up getting hired onat the facility that I did my
clinical rotation at right afterworked there for a couple of
years and then moved to Vegasand I've been here for see my
(09:13):
son's 13.
So about 13 and a half yearsI've been in Vegas and three
years ago I got my first assist.
I first assist weren't really athing I feel like as much in
Utah, so I didn't see it as muchuntil I got here.
But even here I worked at alevel one trauma center and it
was a training facility and soyou have medical students,
residents.
You don't necessarily needfirst assists and PAs there, you
rarely see them, you just haveresidents and medical students.
(09:36):
And that's when I was Iinterviewed for the position to
go to school and get it paid for, to get my first assist, and
that was just the next step inmy process and that was the just
where I could go next really.
So I ended up going it's abouta year program and then I have
(09:58):
my CSFA certified surgical firstassist.
So I'm a CST certified surgicaltech slash CSFA.
Ashley (10:06):
Incredible, incredible, and I'm so glad you brought up
um how, at a teaching hospital,you have med students and you
have residents and you have PAsand you have other um we call
them APPs advanced practiceproviders who are kind of
sharing that role, right, I mean, we're all, we're all learning.
You're the professional at whatwe're learning how to do Um,
but uh, yeah, you know there isthis interesting hierarchy in
(10:28):
medicine and um, sometimes thehierarchy you know comes first,
and that that can be challenging.
So I'm glad that you were ableto kind of find your footing and
find find that role.
Tell me a little bit about CSTschool.
So you did you have to?
Could you come just right outof high school or did you have
to go get out of high school?
Alyssa (10:49):
So I mean, granted, this was 16 years ago, so I've been
doing this a long time.
I've been doing it since I was20.
So I am 24 now, but I've beendoing this for 16 years.
Ashley (11:01):
I don't know how that works.
Good math, that's correct.
Alyssa (11:08):
I know it's crazy, but it was probably about it was
like 15 to 18 months of schoolback then.
I think it's more now.
I think you have to get yourassociate's degree now, whereas
back then you did not.
And so I busted through myclinicals.
It was like 540 hours that Ineeded.
I went every weekend Cause Iended up getting laid off at
kitty candids.
(11:29):
They closed down and the nextmonth it was like on a Thursday.
The next Monday was when myclinical started.
So I was like I have to getthis done and I have to get a
job.
I need to start working.
And so I think I got it done inlike two and a half months or
something.
I mean I was there every daylate hours, just so I could get
(11:51):
all my cases done, all my hourslogged, and then finished.
On a Thursday I got all myresumes together and I was ready
to start in Salt Lake and goSouth and I was just going to
show up at every hospital, go tothe HR department and I was
going to say I want a job.
How do I do this?
Who do I talk to?
And I pull up to a hospital inSalt Lake I can't remember which
(12:13):
one?
Right when I park I get a phonecall from where I did my
clinicals at Utah ValleyRegional Medical Center in Provo
, utah.
They call me and they're likehey, so can you start on Monday?
I'm like what?
So they hired me right away.
I started the next Monday.
(12:33):
It was incredible, I didn'thave to go through all that work
.
Ashley (12:36):
It was such a blessing, so that's awesome.
So you so.
Okay, you mentioned hospital.
Obviously there's there's ORsin most hospitals trauma level,
trauma one facilities, thingslike that.
Where, where can you work?
I mean, what are?
What does it look like?
What are the locations?
Alyssa (12:50):
Right now I work for a hospital and so I can work for
any of their sister facilitiesand they have outpatient centers
.
I can go and float over there.
But I do work full-time for onefacility at a hospital right
now and the.
I was at a different um in adifferent system before this, at
(13:11):
the hospital I was at and atthat one I couldn't float
between facilities.
But I've been to almost everyhospital in Vegas, like I worked
at Siena St Rose, which is onthe other side of town from
where I'm at, and um they Ithink I was per diem there while
I worked full-time at thetrauma center.
So I've been everywhere.
(13:31):
It's really a small communitytoo.
Everybody knows everybody.
So anytime an applicant comesin, I'm like hold on, what's
their name?
Okay, I don't know them, butI'm going to figure, I'll figure
it out.
I know who to ask.
So you got to make sure thatyou keep your relationships very
professional and you leave on avery professional basis and
(13:51):
make sure that you could go backto the same place that you left
, cause that's a good point.
Ashley (13:56):
We talk, everyone talks .
No, it's a very good point.
And it's not just you know,it's not just how good are you
at your job, it's, it's are youa good team player?
Obviously, we're going to talkabout this and this is going to
be huge in your role, you know,um do you do you?
Alyssa (14:16):
are you a respectful person?
It doesn't matter where you'reat and what field you're in,
what industry you're in.
You're going to have the peoplethat are more difficult to deal
with and you're going to havepeople who are more easygoing,
and so it's really just how youadapt to that and how you figure
out how to be around people andcommunicate with them
effectively and really grow up alittle bit.
Honestly, I'm I can be a littleblunt sometimes, but really I
(14:39):
mean it gets to a point where Iknow, or is not somewhere, that
things are held back.
So if you don't know whatyou're you, what you're doing,
do not come in and pretend likeyou know what you're doing,
because that's harm to thepatient.
But it's okay, it is a hundredpercent Okay For you to say I
have never done this.
If I've never seen something tothis day, I still see new
(15:01):
things that I've never seenbefore, and I will ask questions
.
I think, I just got told a termthe other day doing uh, we're
doing a cranny or something, andI can't remember the term, but
I remember.
I'm like I've never heard thatbefore.
What?
Does that?
mean, where is it from?
And he told me I'm like Ididn't know that, like I didn't
(15:23):
know that this term could beused for that and this at two
different, like types ofprocedures.
But that term I thought wasonly used for this, one can also
be used for this.
And so I'm learning somethingnew every single day.
And it's okay for you to speakup and say that you don't know
something.
I have never gotten in troubleor yelled at for asking a
question.
You just have to be smart aboutwhen you're asking it.
(15:45):
You have to read the room.
Is it tense?
Is that high stress?
Do they like talking?
Are they focused?
Like you have to be payingattention to so many more things
than just the instrument thatthey're asking for next.
Ashley (15:57):
No, that's a really good tip.
Actually read the room.
We do a whole masterclass on onthat, you know, and everybody's
questions are valid, but thereare invalid moments to ask them.
You have to.
You have to wait.
Um, you mentioned a cranny.
Alyssa, I'm just like likeshaking in my seat, so excited
to talk to you about all theprocedures that you do as a
(16:20):
first assist right now and as aCST.
Um, okay, let's talk about it.
So, day in your life, um, youwalk into the hospital, what are
you wearing?
Are you wearing a suit?
Are you wearing scrubs?
Alyssa (16:30):
Like, start from the beginning and walk us through
the whole day.
I usually wear like just jeansand a bit baggy t-shirt or
something, cause I'm about tochange into the OR scrubs.
Cause you can't wear yourregular scrubs into the OR.
They have to be the hospitalprovided scrubs that are there
that are washed by the specificdetergent that they use so that
they're clean to their standardor whatever.
(16:51):
So you go in with your regularclothes and then change into my
scrubs, grab my scrub cap andthen we go have morning report
and I see where I'm at and I goto my room.
I'll go in any room I'm reallyput anywhere at this facility.
I've never done hearts.
So hearts is something that Ihave never done.
I think I've seen one in myentire career.
(17:11):
It's just not something thatI've done.
The facility I'm at now doesnot do them and so I'm never
going to be in one where I'm at.
But I was interested at onepoint.
But, to be honest, I've beendoing this a long time.
I am not about to take heartcall.
I have lots of kids at home, soI'm not trying to be gone more
than I already am.
Ashley (17:31):
No, that's so true.
So when you, when, on any givenday, are you assigned to a
certain service, like you know,GI or GYN, or could it?
Could it really be it?
Alyssa (17:41):
really, really could be anywhere, at least for me
personally.
And so maybe not necessarily foreverybody, but for me
personally, I get put into anyroom, but there are my specific
days.
There's a surgeon that goesthere once a month and I am
always in his room there's.
You know, every Monday I'malways in the same room, and
(18:05):
some Thursdays just depending.
So it just when certainsurgeons are there.
I'm usually in there with themand they're used to that routine
, they're used to me, they'recomfortable with me, and so
that's what they want.
But if I'm, if those surgeonsare not there, then I'm anywhere
.
So, and then when those casesare done, I work three, 12.
So when those cases are done,right now we're short staffed.
(18:28):
So when those cases are done,I'm going into another room or
relieving somebody to go home orwhatever.
Ashley (18:34):
So wow, wow, wow, wow.
Gosh, this is actually a reallygreat segue to talking about
collaboration and the vastnumber of different healthcare
workers that you work with, andsome of these people are
obviously clinical and I'm suresome of them are administrative
a bunch of different roles.
Tell me about that.
Alyssa (18:57):
So you have your director and manager usually
aren't coming into the OR.
You have a charge nurse thatruns the front desk and they're
typically the ones and it'll bedifferent throughout the week.
There'll be a different chargenurse for Monday and Tuesday,
and then different one Wednesdayand then Thursday, friday or
whatever, but then they work 12sat least where I'm at now and
(19:21):
where I was at before, that'show it was and then they make
the assignments for the next day.
They usually know who can dowhat, who is usually where.
But also, I mean they just haveto shift things around.
If people call off and theydeal with all of that Booking
cases same day.
They deal with that, tellingthe surgeons what time it's
(19:42):
going to be at whatever add-ons,and then they place them in the
rooms wherever the staff isgoing to be able to accommodate
because of when the staff getsoff of work also.
And then I have ananesthesiologist is always in
the room.
So you have to have four peoplein the room to do a surgery.
You have to.
You have to have ananesthesiologist, you have to
(20:04):
have a surgeon, you have to havean RN circulator and you have
to have a surgical tech.
That's what you absolutely haveto have in the room.
Anyone else is considered extraA PA coming in, even me as a
first assist.
I'm extra in the room.
I am not necessarily.
I don't need to be in the room,so I'm not a necessity, that's
(20:25):
the word I'm trying to use.
I don't have to be in there.
But there are cases that itwould be nearly impossible to do
without an extra set of hands.
It would, we can do it, butit'd be really hard and I've
done it.
But it's really hard when it'sjust me and the surgeon, which
is funny because I'm so used todoing so many things by myself
(20:49):
and not having.
When I was a tech at least, Ididn't have an assist.
I didn't even have anothersurgeon.
I was doing bad hiss and I'mholding a retractor and loading
my needles and passing them.
It's me and the surgeon,there's nobody else.
So when I see I don't know,it's just different.
It's just different now andit's nice because we can all
(21:11):
focus on our roles.
So it definitely is better, Ithink, for the patient, because
my back's hurting from doingthat years ago.
Instead of just being able tofocus on one thing or the other,
I was doing everything.
But it did help me with mycritical thinking and being able
to understand the procedure asa whole, instead of just being
at the back table.
(21:32):
And I don't say that in a wayin a negative way at all, I just
know that as a whole.
Instead of just being at theback table and I don't say that
in a way in a negative way atall, I just know that as a tech,
you are more in charge of theback table, which means that's
where your sterileinstrumentation is.
You open, you set up for thecase that you're about to do,
whether you're doing ortho, gyn,urology, you're doing.
What are some other cases?
(21:54):
Ent, plastics, whatever.
There are so many differentspecialties that you could be
going into.
You're doing a robot.
You're doing a big exploratorylaparotomy for a bowel resection
, you're doing whatever.
So that surgical type will goin there and set up that case
and so have all theinstrumentation and disposable
supplies.
And so have all theinstrumentation and disposable
(22:28):
supplies ready for thatprocedure to start.
Count with your nurse and youhave lap sponges and you have to
count instruments on some casesif you're getting into the
belly.
So there's a lot that goes intoit.
Just what I mean.
I go in there, I'll help openand if I need to drape the robot
while my tech is setting up,then I'll scrub in, I'll drape
the robot whatever they need sothat we can try to move along
and be as efficient as possible.
So that's kind of the gist ofit thrown into it.
(22:48):
It's amazing.
Ashley (22:50):
It's amazing, I love, I love hearing about the
different roles becauseobviously, like you mentioned,
everybody has a different role,Like as as a PA in surgery, I
would also first assist and I'mnot about to pop behind the
curtain with theanesthesiologist or the CRNA and
say, hey, you know, let's talkabout the respiratory settings
on this patient.
(23:10):
No, but at the same time Imight say, hey, you know, can we
tilt the patient back?
Can we put the patient a littlebit more tubercle?
And the the anesthesiologist orCRNA might say, no, I can't, I
can't, they can't breathe likethat If I put them upside down
too far, you know.
So everybody has their ownrules and you're in constant
communication and and it's notlike you mentioned earlier about
(23:33):
being blunt In the OR there'sno other way to communicate,
because everything said has toreally be said for a purpose.
Alyssa (23:40):
You just have to understand that it's not
personal.
I can't remember a time that Ithought that a surgeon was
saying something to me to throwa dig at me.
I've never been kicked out of aroom.
I've built really goodrelationships up until this
point, like and I continue to dothat, because that's just
(24:01):
that's how I was raised.
I was raised with really goodwork ethic and so, thankfully,
like, my dad showed me that andso I don't know.
I just don't see any other way.
You guys are operating.
You're in charge of thispatient.
Ultimately, when this patientleaves the OR, they're no longer
my patient, but they're stillyours.
So these are stressful cases,some of these OB-GYN cases that
(24:25):
they're going in and takingtumors out of these patients and
then have to tell the familythat they have metastatic cancer
, something that's taking overtheir body.
So if they're yelling duringthat case and frustrated because
they're not getting things fastenough or whatever, I don't
take it personally.
Ashley (24:40):
That's great.
Alyssa (24:41):
That's such a good example.
You have to think more outsideof yourself.
You really do have to inhealthcare.
I feel like in general, youshould have some sort of
selflessness and understand thatit is not about you.
It is about the patients andhelping them in whatever way
(25:02):
that we can, and that'ssomething I feel like has kind
of been lost a little bit.
At least, personally, in myexperience and where I've been
and what I've seen throughoutthe years, I feel like it's just
not the same.
I'm not saying it's bad, butit's just not the same and I
think that you just need like aspark a little bit.
(25:25):
Some people just need a littlebit of a spark.
So I'm trying to do that forwho I can.
So if you'd be a little morepassionate about their jobs you
have the grumpy guesses at workthat you go and I mean I've had
them.
Some of them are are just tiredand exhausted and overworked,
and I understand that.
And they're tired of training.
(25:45):
They don't want to train.
I think that that isunfortunate, because I've never
felt that and usually myresponse is just how did you
learn?
Like, this is how you learned,so they have to learn somehow.
You can't get upset thatthey're going to school.
Then don't have them in yourroom if you're not going to
teach them.
That's how I feel, because ifyou're not going to show them
(26:07):
how to be a tech or an FA orwhatever, then don't precept,
don't help them.
But I can understand how thatcould be very discouraging for
surgical techs versus RNcirculators coming in and
getting all the negative from itand not getting good preceptors
.
I can totally understand thatand I try as hard as I can to
(26:30):
like jump in and help whoever Ican.
Ashley (26:33):
Which I'm so excited we're going to talk about your
new endeavor coming up herepretty soon, cause this is what
it's what the world needs.
It really is.
But you you brought, youmentioned two things that I want
to just comment on because Ithink they are so important.
Number one you mentioned howyou know if you have a surgeon
who you're working with and theyare, they're just they're being
(26:53):
emotional in ways that you knowyou're thinking there's in ways
that you're thinking there's alot going on with this right.
It is such a great example whenI am speaking to my student
shadows that are in here andthey're talking about Ashley, do
I want to go to med school?
Do I want to go to PA school?
Where do I want to end up inhealthcare?
Put yourself in those positions, right.
(27:15):
So, like trauma surgery, I wastalking to a trauma surgery PA a
while back and she said youknow, ash, I realized that I am
willing to be there and doeverything I can to try to save
that patient's life, but I don'twant to be the one that calls
it.
Alyssa (27:28):
Yeah, that has to be so hard I can't imagine.
But that's, that's the way thatsome people think, but not
everybody.
But if that's not, if that'snever like told to you, then how
will you know to think that way?
Ashley (27:42):
Perfect, and so I'm so glad you brought that up because
you're absolutely right.
In the OR, you get to assistand you get to be involved and
you get to make some of theseawesome clinical decisions, but
at the end of the day, it is upto that surgeon to go and tell
that patient about their limitedtime left on earth most likely,
you know and that it's justhard.
So I'm so glad you brought thatup.
Thank you so much.
And then number two youmentioned just losing that spark
(28:04):
in medicine, and that isexactly we are trying to get
back into the heart ofhealthcare.
Right, the heart of healthcareis just inspiring people to want
to help others medically andchange their lives outside of
our hospital, outside of our OR,outside of my clinic, just
enjoy themselves because theyare healthy and they understand
(28:26):
things.
So I'm so happy to be able todo that here on shadow me next.
And I'm also so excited foryour platform because you are.
You are inspiring the nextgeneration of healthcare workers
, of CSTs of first assist.
Alyssa (28:38):
Tell us about what you got on your plate.
Ashley (28:41):
Tell us about what you got coming up.
Alyssa (28:42):
I am so excited.
I've been thinking about it thepast probably month since
everything has been growing.
I'm like, how can I make thisinto something that I can spend
more time on?
First, because I do work fulltime and I can spend more time
on and help people and be ableto genuinely like make a change
(29:04):
in healthcare where people arepassionate about their jobs and
passionate about helping.
And if you know about the job,maybe it's something you don't
want to do.
Now that you know more about itand you're hearing how it can be
, the stressful environment, howtense it is maybe I'm not for
that, I don't think mypersonality can handle that Then
(29:25):
you know you're not going intoit first, whereas I'm sure so
many have, and then they realizehow difficult it is and their
personalities just don't matchwith it.
And that's okay, there'snothing wrong with that.
But you don't know what youdon't know.
So if you have no idea whatthis job entails, then you don't
(29:45):
know what you're gettingyourself into, and I understand
that.
And then you that's when westart losing the passion and
there's just an extreme lack inhealthcare and people that are
passionate about what they'redoing and helping people.
So I just think I anyways, so Iam so excited to launch this
(30:06):
platform.
I've already started creating awebsite and app where we're
going to teach them all thedifferent instrumentation, why
they're used, when they're used,and not only that, the sutures,
so that they understand thesize of the sutures and what
order it goes in.
So many of these things werenever explained to me either,
but and it's okay because, again, if your preceptor doesn't know
(30:29):
, they can't teach you that.
But I know this stuff and I amso willing to share everything
that I know.
Anytime anybody goes into aroom with like my surgeons I
always work with if I'm off thatday, I am the first one to say
who's in my room, who is it?
Okay, hey, you want me to sendyou my notes?
I have my notes in my phone.
I already fixed the preferencecards that's another thing I do
(30:51):
at work that I took on, whichpreference cards are basically
just that surgeon's preferenceson a card that have all of the
disposable, disposables and thereusable instrumentation on
there, and then there's somenotes in there just of specific
things.
So I've been kind of revampinghow the preference cards were at
the place that I'm at now.
(31:11):
So I fixed that.
But here's all of my notes,here's all of my information,
and anybody knows they can callme on the weekend, they can
shoot me a text.
I'm going to help you.
You're still my colleague,you're still my coworker, but I
can't text you back.
I'm always on my phone, we'reall always on our phones.
Come on, so if my colleague, mycoworker, is asking me a
(31:34):
genuine question.
That's going to help them maybenot look as stupid so they
don't feel like they don't knowanything.
I'm there, I got you and theyknow that and they're
comfortable with reaching out tome and I'm happy that they are
and I hope they continue to dothat.
But I just, I just want toshare my knowledge so that
everyone else can have thatpeace of mind, because you don't
(31:57):
always have the best preceptorand you don't, and your
preceptor may not understand tothis extreme, but I do.
I'm excited to create kind of aplatform that's easy for you to
go to through an app and I'mgoing to call it same thing.
It's going to be beyondassisting and just helping
healthcare really get better andbe able to really drive that
(32:20):
passion again and just helpinganybody going into the field,
because it sounds like so manyER doctors are messaging me
Everyone in healthcare.
It really relates to anybody andif you want to know about your
procedure and you're not evenworking in the OR, then we'll go
into depth and I'll describewhat a surgery is, all the
(32:43):
things that we use in thatsurgery, how we position your
arm, what equipment we put yourarm in for a total shoulder, but
it depends on the surgeon.
Some surgeons use a Mayo stand,another one uses a Tramono, one
uses a spider.
There's so many differentpositioning devices out there
that we use and it's differentfor each surgeon, even though
(33:03):
it's the same case.
There's just so much that goesinto it and so much that you
need to know and try tounderstand, and I have so many
ways to help the OR be moreefficient.
This will help turn over times.
It'll help your efficiency.
It makes everyone happier.
The surgeons are happier, whichmakes the staff happier.
(33:24):
I've worked so many differentplaces that you really start to
learn what works and whatdoesn't.
But my way doesn't have to bethe perfect way.
I love hearing from otherpeople's comments how they do
things.
I'm like oh yes, that is a great.
I'm going to try that next time.
But you have to have that openmind also.
I feel like going into anything, but you have to, especially
(33:47):
coming into this career, and ifyou're thinking about it, you
have to remember that things areconstantly evolving and
changing.
Everyone does thingsdifferently.
Just because one surgeon does itthis way doesn't mean the next
one has to do it that way.
They can do it however theylearned, however they want.
So me assisting, I'm not goingin there telling one surgeon
(34:09):
like, oh, you need to be doingit this surgeon's way.
That's the last thing youshould say, by the way.
But has there been a situationwhere my knowledge has helped
Absolutely?
Because if your surgeon comesin and maybe is just like, have
you ever seen this or that orwhat do you think, Then I can I
(34:31):
can say, yeah, I've seen this,this has seemed to work for this
person, you know.
And then this person does this.
I've had them ask me does Drso-and-so do this?
Because they're, they just wantto know.
They're not in there with eachother.
That's not usually what happens.
So that's something that we see.
It's very I feel like it's veryunique knowledge that I have,
(34:54):
because I am not just in onespecialty and a lot of us aren't
.
I've been in every case underthe sun, except for hearts.
But I do vascular still.
I've done an aorta by fem case.
I've done a fem fem, a femoralto femoral bypass.
(35:14):
I've done fem pops.
So I still do vascular.
I just have never done openhearts.
I've done procurements, We'veprocured the heart.
I've done fem pops.
So I still do vascular.
I just have never done openhearts.
I've done procurements, We'veprocured the heart.
I just have never done openheart surgery.
I've never cannulated, I'venever done any of that.
But I've seen so many thingsworking at a level one trauma
center.
You see so many things, somethings you wish you'd never
(35:35):
would have.
Ashley (35:37):
But you still see it.
I'm so sure, I am so excitedabout your platform and about
what you have really curated.
I was going to say created, butit's just like you've been
saying.
It's after decades ofexperience and knowledge and
being open to discussion withother people.
You have curated all of thisand it's information.
(35:58):
Obviously, that's great for forpeople in the OR, but also for
students, um, for pre-healthstudents to get to see what they
want to do you mentioned, justfor patients or just the average
Joe who's interested in thissort of thing.
You know, you get to explainthings without the gore, alyssa.
Thank you so much for doingthis.
Alyssa Ellis, beyond Assistingon Instagram, tiktok, facebook
(36:22):
soon to be her website, which Icannot wait to share along with
you, alyssa, it's been a joy,it's been a pleasure and I am so
grateful for what you're doingin and for medicine.
So thank you.
Alyssa (36:34):
Thank you for having me.
Thanks so much.
Ashley (36:36):
Thank you so very much for listening to this episode of
Shadow Me Next.
If you liked this episode or ifyou think it could be useful
for a friend, please subscribeand invite them to join us next
Monday, as always.
If you have any questions, letme know on Facebook or Instagram
Access.
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