Life in the Emergency Department

FORT BENNING, GA – “In the Department of Emergency Medicine (ED), you have to have that turn and burn mentality,” said Capt. Carolyn Baremore. The clinical nurse officer in charge (CNOIC) began on the floor when she first pcs’d from Fort Gordon in February 2020.

“Day shift started off with a checklist every shift to make sure equipment is functional, treatment carts were stocked and linens were stocked,” said Baremore. “Over the course of the day, the tempo would pick up and it would be fairly non-stop until change of shift.

“Night shift, I would come in ready to hit the ground running for the next 4-5 hours until we could clear the board or clear the waiting room.”

Baremore thrived in the fast-paced environment, routinely working overnights where life and death often hung in the balance.

“The best part of working the floor is the variety you see,” said Baremore. “It’s also a good thing when you get to a septic patient and you get to see the interventions you’re doing for the patient take effect and see their condition start to improve.”

Baremore was born in East Lyme, Connecticut – a small beach town on Long Island Sound. She comes from a family with a long history of military service.

“Both my grandfathers served in the Navy, one great uncle in the Army and one great uncle in the Coast Guard.”

But she is groundbreaking nevertheless.

“I believe I’m the first woman to serve. I am not part of a medical family,” continued Baremore. “I am the go to person for all medical questions.”

She transitioned into the administrative position from face-to-face patient care three months ago.

“I like both. I enjoyed coming in and being able to take care of patients for 12 hours and then go home,” said Baremore. “However, I have enjoyed seeing the business side of the house and being able to collaborate with other departments and head nurses to identify issues and develop solutions.”

She wants beneficiaries to know Emergency Department staff work diligently to treat each and every patient who seeks care.

“What constitutes an ‘emergency’ is different for everyone,” explained Baremore. “That’s why we have a triage process. We will always see every patient who checks into the department, but we can’t guarantee wait times.”