When you work in the emergency department of a Level I Trauma Center, you get to know your co-workers fast.
The multidisciplinary trauma team at MU Health Care treats more than 50,000 people every year, and many of the patients have serious, time-sensitive injuries. For MU Health Care nurses Jenn Burke, Jodi Carroz and Courtney Roland, at-work relationships quickly developed into a lifelong friendship. The trio recently returned from a 12-day vacation in Ireland.
"Courtney had just traveled to the Virgin Islands with a friend, and I mentioned how I’d love to do a friend trip," Jenn said.
Jenn and Courtney started throwing around ideas for a location and soon decided on Ireland.
"We just ran with it," Courtney said. The duo started asking other friends from the ER if they wanted to go, and Jodi decided to join.
After months of planning, the trio, along with Jodi's friend Megan, set off for the Emerald Isle. Jenn and Courtney spent a few days in New York City before meeting Jodi and Megan in Killarney. The group also made stops in Dublin, Kilkenny, Kinsale and Dromoland.
The group's favorite location was the Cliffs of Moher. "It was so amazing that we went twice," Jenn said. The ladies also emphasized how the trip helped the group bond. "Experiencing a new country is always interesting and a little scary," Courtney said. "But there is truly something special about experiencing a new culture and traversing foreign terrain that brings you closer together. I think we are much closer friends and co-workers after this trip!"
The trip has benefitted the ladies personally, and Jenn said it also has benefitted their patients. "There is a certain level of trust you have to have in your co-workers – especially in an ER where things happen fast," she said. "To know that you can absolutely depend and rely on your co-workers when you and your patient need them is a pretty great feeling. This trip helped us further our trust, which allows us to take better care of our patients."
While the ladies are back to work saving lives in the ER, they're already dreaming up their next trip. "We've talked about Greece next year," Jenn said. "Dr. Beckett also runs a lot of mission trips all over the world, and we've talked about going together on one of those."