EMS Week 2020 - Christal Tressider

Christal has been a paramedic since 1992. "I worked for a small town's system where I learned very quickly how to stand on my own two feet as a first responder. As most people understand, in a small town it doesn't take much to get outnumbered with one ambulance. One bad car accident and you learn quickly that it's not just about the patients but about your fellow first responders, and what they require when you're the only paramedic on scene."

A few years later a "ride along" with a professional at HALO-Flight was the moment when Christal realized she wanted to be part of the Team. She furthered her education to meet the criteria for employment, and joined HALO-Flight in 2004. Still motivated by the Mission, she returned to school and completed her nursing degree.

Additionally, she holds certifications as flight nurse, flight medic, critical care nurse, and teaches a variety of disciplines as sub-specialties of the air ambulance industry.

Her fondest memories are a reflection of the professional path she has chosen. "I recall from my 911 days, simply being a reassuring voice to a new parent who had trouble with bottle-feeding their child, to being there for my fellow first responders."

As a flight nurse with HALO-Flight, Christal recalled a day when the team was dispatched to a primary care hospital for an inter-facility transfer for more specialized patient care. "When I walked in and introduced myself to the sending RN," Christal explained, "she said - oh, Christal, I know who you are. You are the reason I want to be a flight nurse myself."

Christal credits mentors she has had along her professional path. "If I do nothing else in this life, I would  like to have the same impact on others. By letting people know that they're not alone on their worst day."

She added that the EMS situations are not exclusively the patient's worst day. "I remember as a young medic being terrified by the enormity of the situation and how great it felt to have someone as a calm in the storm. The comment made by the nurse who said she knew me wasn't a pat on the back as much as it was comfort knowing that I did my job."