Paige O’Neil
Cardiac Telemetry Nurse
Texas Health Fort Worth
1. What did you want to be as a child, and how did you ultimately choose your career?
As a child, I wanted to be a veterinarian. After having multiple family pets, I decided that I would be too attached to the animals and become the crazy cat lady if I was a veterinarian. So, in high school, I had the privilege of taking care of my grandfather and grandmother in my parents’ home, and I realized that taking care of others was what I was meant to do in life.
2. What is a typical workday like for you?
I am a bedside RN on dayshift. I clock in at 0630 and begin my shift with report briefings.
I then check vital signs on my patients and assist them in getting ready for breakfast. I complete head-to-toe assessments of each patient and administer medications at various times throughout my shift. Educating patients and making sure they have the tools to succeed outside of the hospital is also a large part of the workday.
3. What is the biggest challenge of your work?
The biggest challenge of taking care of other people is knowing that sometimes there is no solution or simple fix to the problem at hand.
4. What do you like most about being a Texas Health employee?
I love the sense of family here at work. I know I can count on my co-workers and supervisors to help with any situation. There is always room to grow in this organization, and I know that I am valued.
5. What do you do when you’re not at work?
My husband and I love to attend concerts. We also spend a lot of time at home with family and our dogs. We currently do not have any children, but we have two 9-year-old fur babies that we love just as much.
6. What is something unique about you that most people don’t know?
When I was 12 years old, I won state in a tractor-pull competition. And to this day, my husband and family still tease me about it.
