Happy March!
It has been a while since our last spotlight, and we are proud to highlight this next individual for all that she has accomplished thus far. Our first spotlight of 2022 is dedicated to a healthcare professional from our Allied Professionals division, Abeer, or “Abee,” for short.
Without further ado, let’s meet Abee!
Hi Abee!
Abee has been in the healthcare industry for over two decades and has been with our Allied Professionals division since 2020, working as a CT technologist. She started as a medical records clerk helping with birth certificates while getting her general education at Foothill College. Once she graduated, she entered the healthcare field working as a CT technologist where she has been for the last 17 years.
During her time as a medical records clerk, Abee was also raising a newborn son with her late husband. Her original plan was to become a college professor, but having a child forced her to think about a new career. Having met all the pre-requisites for the x-ray technician program at Foothill College, she applied on a whim not thinking she would get in. With a glowing letter of recommendation from her work supervisor and to her surprise, she got in.
Foothill College was considered a top x-ray technologist program in the nation when she applied. The program was also considered “extremely strict and disciplined” but “I’m extremely grateful for my education, the care it taught me, the discipline and the core values of being in the field,” Abee said. Abee was one of the youngest students in her class, but she welcomed the challenge. By her sophomore year, she had earned the respect of her toughest professors through her studies, skills and knowledge. And by graduation, she was at the top of her class and was voted by her classmates to speak at their ceremony.
When Abee entered the field as a CT technologist, she worked at a trauma center where she originally interned as a student. The only difference, she was struggling to grasp the concept of the role while working in the field. Abee said, “I’m not the type of person who learns pressing buttons. I need to know why.”
Until she met a travel CT tech who really taught her how to be a CT technologist. The travel CT tech promised Abee she would be a fully functional CT technologist by the end of the week. “I’m very adaptable,” Abee explained, “I know how to mold with the people I work with. As long as there is effective communication, I can be flexible on my end to get the work done.” By day two, she was already scanning patients properly with confidence through the hands-on lessons she learned from the travel nurse.
“Piece of advice: The key to being a good CT tech is you have ten minutes to complete your exam. Be thorough, get what you need to get done – no matter how critical the patient is – and make them feel like the most important person in the world.”
As a CT technologist, the responsibilities are, according to Cleveland Clinic, “must be able to accurately interpret a physician’s scanning instructions, administer contrast materials, prepare and operate the CT scan equipment, and position the patient to capture the appropriate images.” Working at a trauma center, Abee’s responsibilities also include the challenges of working with trauma patients and the protocols surrounding COVID-19.
Additional challenges Abee must face are unruly patients who may be intoxicated or under the influence of drugs. Out-of-the-box thinking is required for CT technicians when attempting to scan unruly or trauma patients. How are they able to scan this critical patient safely? Luckily, Abee’s skill, knowledge and communication between providers allow her to navigate these challenges with ease.
However, in 2015, her husband suddenly passed and forced her to “make an adult decision with my sons,” said Abee. After taking some time off, she was ready to get back into the field but faced another challenge. Having a gap in your resume tends to look negatively on an application at first glance and the result can mean no interview. “Unfortunately, you can have 20 years of experience and you take a year off then your resume doesn’t even get looked at,” Abee explained
With little luck in applying to jobs, Abee saw another opportunity working with staffing agencies to find employment for her. She’s heard other travelers talk about working with staffing agencies in the past, but she assumed it only meant physically traveling stateliness. Abee has been a “traveler” since discovering the opportunity – eventually leading her to KPG Healthcare.
“I can’t say enough about how great Dhaara and Zach have been!” Abee said proudly. Dhaara is Abee’s Allied Professionals recruiter and Zach is the President of the Allied Professionals Division. “At KPG, you get more of the personalized attention and experience. You have someone in your corner,” Abee explained, “I felt that the moment I spoke to Dhaara for the first time. It was refreshing to have something like that.” She mentioned she could foresee ending her career with KPG.
Abee is thankful to have found this opportunity of working with staffing agencies. She felt it was a pivotal moment in her life; it gave her the positive momentum to go into work and “that positivity spilled into other aspects of my life.” Overall, Abee is finding joy in her travel assignment working with her wonderful colleagues and people of all backgrounds. She feels a tremendous passion toward her work, she said, “a couple of positive words, to vent or to cry – I’m getting paid to provide an honorable service.”
When she isn’t providing honorable services to patients, Abee can usually be found exploring the Santa Cruz coastline or wandering amongst the redwood giants at Henry Rowell Redwoods State Park. She enjoys capturing the natural wonders of California and finds it brings a sense of therapy. With everything Abee has been through, there are two things she takes priority in: self-care and practicing gratitude and reflection on the blessings of life. Whether that’s nourishing the body with Epsom salts or sitting in silence, these are important rituals Abee has developed to take better care of herself and her sons.
Abee, from all of us here at KPG Healthcare, we want to thank you for your continued dedication toward your craft and for providing the absolute best care for your patients and communities in the Bay Area. We are thankful to have someone who represents KPG Healthcare in such a positive light be part of our Allied Professionals team. We can’t wait to see what the future has in store for you – keep it up!
Advice for future CT Technicians:
- Take the time to understand the scanner through and through; continuing to evolve as the technology evolves.
- During a stressful shift, take time to break away, even for just a few minutes; take a few deep breaths, and reflect on something positive you contributed despite that stress.
- Most importantly, remembering not to forget the humanity in our profession. Patients are dealing with their own stress and fear about their health. One CT scan may change their life in an instant- forever. The best advice I was given was, “You have 10 minutes to perform a quality scan and simultaneously make the patient feel like they are the most important person at that moment.”
Interested in working with our Allied Professionals team? Make sure to check out their website for the latest assignments or by contacting!
Phone: (310) 374-7178 ext. 4
Email: [email protected]