I'm a hospital executive who started working 12-hour ER shifts. I finally learned why my staff ignored my emails.

I'm a hospital executive who started working 12-hour ER shifts. I finally learned why my staff ignored my emails. Linda Matzigkeit trained as an EMT. Courtesy of Linda Matzigkeit This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Linda Matzigkeit, chief administrative officer at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. It has been edited for length and clarity.I felt helpless during the pandemic. The hospital where I work was losing front-line clinical staff quickly, as moms pivoted to stay home with their kids during remote schooling. I wanted to do something and realized the best way to make a difference would be to work on the front line.I've always been interested in healthcare because I'm a people person who enjoys helping. I never wanted to be a nurse or doctor, but thought — for a while — I'd become a pharmacist. During COVID, I started asking a few trusted colleagues what the fastest way to become a contributing member of our clinical staff would be.The answer was unanimous: become an EMT.I didn't tell my instructor I was in leadershipMy son was away at college, so I was an empty nester. I had time. Still, I was scared I wouldn't actually be able to become an EMT. That fear was well-founded: the course ended up being extremely hard. It was a lot more work than I thought.I went to EMT school two nights a week, from 5-10 p.m. On weekends, I picked up training shifts on ambulances and in emergency rooms. That lasted for about six months, until I passed my national certification. It took Linda Matzigkeit six months to get her EMT certification. Courtesy of Linda Matzigkeit While I was training, I didn't mention that I was in hospital leadership. I wanted to be taken seriously. I didn't want my instructor to think I would take this course and never use it.Still, I think he could tell something was up. Whenever I didn't get an A on an assignment, I'd go talk to him until he finally told me, "There's no valedictorian of the EMT course. You're doing great."I worked long shifts in our emergency department, but wasn't paid moreOnce I was certified, I started working shifts in the emergency department of the hospital where I'm also chief administrative officer. Despite that job title, I still had to do 100 hours of EMT orientation. Getting through that on nights and weekends was tough, but I did it. Working 8- or 12-hour shifts just affirmed for me how busy our clinical staff is. I would start IVs or catheters, or hold patients during procedures. Sometimes, I was caring for scared parents. Like many moms, I've had the experience of waiting too long in the ED with my child, so I just tried to keep things moving for them.I'm a salaried employee of the hospital, so my time in the ER wasn't paid additionally. From a financial standpoint, I think of it as volunteering.I realized my emails were going unreadMy biggest takeaway from working in the ED is that, in leadership, we had to change how we communicated. I was used to sending emails and assumed people were reading them. But in the ED, no one is sitting long enough to read their emails.I started to think about how we could reach staff more effectively. We introduced a new internal communication tool that's similar to social media — staff can get quick updates and notifications on their phones.I also started providing talking points for the start-of-shift huddles that frontline staff hold. In the fast-paced environment of the emergency department, face-to-face communication is more effective than an email.The experience is humbling, but I'm proud tooBecoming an EMT and working in the emergency department humbled me. I always want to be faster at placing IVs or catheters, but I'm never going to be as skilled as some of our staff, especially since I don't work as an EMT as much as I'd like. I aim to do a shift once a month, but that doesn't always happen.Every time I share my story, someone will say, "I've always wanted to be an EMT." I tell them to do it. Becoming an EMT showed me I can do anything I set my mind to. I've been able to make a difference for our clinical staff and our leadership. I've learned that I can dream big and execute on it. If I put something out into the universe, you bet I'm going to accomplish it. Read next Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Kelly Burch has been writing about personal finance for more than a decade.She's particularly interested in how finances impact the most intimate parts of a person’s life, from educational and reproductive choices to love, immigration, or estate planning. Kelly has written about these topics personally and explored them with experts, including entrepreneurs, multi-millionaires, financial planners, and more.Kelly is a first-generation college graduate and homeowner who integrates her personal experience creating financial stability into her reporting. She’s a career journalist, with work appearing in “The Washington Post,” “The Chicago Tribune,” “Boston Magazine” and more.Kelly lives in rural New Hampshire with her husband, two children, and two dogs. When she’s not behind her desk, she can be found getting lost in the mountains and lakes around her home.Follow her on Facebook or Twitter, or learn more here. as told to Health Careers More