Watching her grandfather, a tobacco farmer, struggle with COPD inspired Karen Ward to pursue a career in respiratory therapy, but she said she always knew she was meant to care for others.
“My purpose is to care for others,” she said. “I have been a caregiver for my immediate family. I like working with patients, and health care is my calling.”
The sleep disorders lab coordinator at ECU Health Roanoke-Chowan Hospital, Karen began her career as a respiratory therapist. One of the administrators, however, encouraged her and her team to expand their education.
“He would come around telling us we should know more than one field,” she said. “Around that time, our hospital planned to open a sleep lab and that interested me. The hospital paid for me and others to go to Atlanta, Georgia to learn about polysomnography and I did that along with respiratory therapy for a while. For the last 10-15 years I’ve done nothing but sleep.”
In the 40 years since Karen joined her team, she said she’s only had three managers – but a lot of other things have changed.
“The technology has changed,” she said. “The type of ventilators we use and the sleep lab equipment are different.”
She said communication has also evolved with the technology.
“There were no pagers, no cell phones when I started. For EKGs, we’d have to print them out and then cut out the parts we thought were important for the doctor,” she said. “We’d have to dictate what the doctor said and our charts were paper.”
And because there were no cell phones, Karen said when she was on call, she had to keep her landline close by in case of emergency calls.
“At home I’d have a long telephone wire into the bedroom so if they called me in the night, I’d hear the phone ring,” she said, adding, “I could have never done shift work when my children were young without the support of my husband and parents.”
What hasn’t changed, however, are the close relationships Karen has forged in her time with the system.
“This is a small community, and everyone knows everyone,” she said. “We have all been together through many life changes. When I started here, I was engaged. Now I will celebrate my 40th wedding anniversary in October. I’ve had children, I’ve had family members pass away. Three of my colleagues have been here as long as I have been, and I’ve made some long-lasting relationships and friendships. My manager now was once a student I helped train in respiratory therapy.”
Her advice for new team members focuses on the close bonds forged in community hospitals.
“Consider working in a smaller hospital – the relationships you make are different,” she said. “Everyone knows your name. You work hard and you still see critical patients, but the friendships you make are invaluable. My best friend and I met 40 years ago in respiratory therapy.”
In the future, Karen hopes to one day retire on her grandfather’s farm, care for her family and enjoy her hobbies of gardening and caring for stray animals.
“I am very tenderhearted, and I have a passion for animals,” she shared. “I worked with the local humane society and everyone in Ahoskie drops animals off at my house because they know I will get them to a good home.”
“When I die,” she added, “I hope I will be told, ‘well done, good and faithful servant.’”