“My original plan was med school. I wanted to be a plastic surgeon,” Joel said. “But chemistry wasn’t my strong suit, and I had already taken so many courses that aligned with nursing. My family is full of nurses, and they encouraged me to consider it. It just made sense. In my heart, I feel like I have a calling to nurture and help people. It’s just kind of something that I do — always have since I was little.”

That decision would lead Joel not only to a career he loves, but to a team that feels like home.

 Finding his place in the Emergency Department

Joel has been a registered nurse in the Emergency Department at Ochsner Baton Rouge for just over a year. But from the moment he walked through the doors, he knew he’d found something special.

“Immediately I kind of felt like, this could be my second family,” he says. “Everyone was very warm and welcoming. Whether it’s a charge nurse, fellow RN, or even an LPN, they’ve always been easy to talk to and point me in the right direction. They’ve helped me with where I need to go for my own growth and development, and I am so grateful.”

That sense of camaraderie is more than just friendly; it’s foundational to how the team works, especially in high-pressure situations.

“You never know what’s going to come through the door, so you kind of have to stay ready at all times. When a critical patient comes in, you just give someone that unspoken look like ‘Hey, we got this.’ And everyone jumps in. We call it a swarm. Six people in the room, and everyone just knows their role.”

Flexibility that supports life outside of work

One of Joel’s favorite aspects of working at Ochsner is the self-scheduling model, which allows him to build a routine that works for his life.

“I stack my days consecutively.  I work my six-day stretch which is three days each week, and that fulfills the full-time requirement. Then I get eight days off in a row. I can basically plan a whole vacation around that without having to use any time off. I really enjoy it.”

 Looking ahead: A new expansion and a growing team

With a new Emergency Department expansion underway, the team is preparing to welcome more patients and more team members.

“We’ve added about eight more beds, and we’re going to need more hands to help manage them,” Joel said. “Our goal is to maintain a 3:1 nurse-to-patient ratio, and that would be ideal for everyone. Our charge nurses and our leadership team really have our backs.”

 Join a team that feels like family

Joel’s journey may have started with dreams of surgery, but it led him to something even more meaningful: a purpose-driven career, a team that feels like family, and a place where he can grow every day.

“I’ve still seen things here in this ER that I hadn’t in my whole three years at a Level 2 trauma center in Mississippi. And I think some of that has to do with Ochsner’s reputation. Even before coming over here, I was well aware of the Ochsner name, so when it came time to move here to Baton Rouge, it was kind of a no-brainer. I knew I wanted to work at an Ochsner facility.”

Ready to find your purpose in emergency medicine? Join Joel and the team at Ochsner Baton Rouge. Explore emergency nursing careers and be part of our growing, mission-driven team.