Licensed Vocational Nurse, Andres Perez

[00:00] Michelle: With so many unknowns in the world, it was nice to talk with someone who knows himself so well. Licensed vocational nurse, Andres Perez knows his motivation to be a nurse, knows his scope of practice, knows he loves emergency nursing, and knows he wants to continue his education to be a registered nurse. He also knows what brings down his stress level: music. Between the voice and the violin, he's got self-care literally at his fingertips. After speaking with Andres, I know he'll be great at whatever he does. In the five-minute snippet: he KNOWS the Power Rangers will not save the earth! Here's Andres Perez. Well. Good morning, Andres. Welcome to the podcast.
[01:04] Andres: Good morning. Thank you for having me.
[01:07] Michelle: Well, it's my pleasure. I have been really excited to talk to an LVN ever since I started this journey because my sister Yvette is an LVN, and she's been one for over 20 years, and I have so much respect for her. And of course, I would have loved to interview her. And she is, like, super camera shy, so she's like, "no" every time I ask her. So when I saw you on Instagram, I just scooped you up right away because you look like you have a very interesting life and also a very interesting career.
[01:47] Andres: Thank you. I appreciate that.
[01:49] Michelle: Yeah. So I saw in your bio that you initially had gone to school for business, and then you changed your major to psychology, and then you decided on nursing. And so tell me kind of how that transpired and what or who kind of inspired you to be a nurse.
[02:11] Andres: Yeah, absolutely. So my dad, growing up, my stepdad, I've known him since I was four years old, and he's retired military, and I really wanted to do psychology with kind of like the Wounded Warriors or working with veterans on that aspect of it and then started working, started going to school and I noticed that psychology was a lot more of dealing with patients that would kind of cycle through. So they would do their meds, they'd become compliant, and then they would start to feel like, oh, I don't need the meds anymore. So then would go off of the meds, and then they would relapse. So it was just a continuous cycle, and that was something that I struggle with. I want to see you get better, and then I want to move on to my next patient. I had a hard time with mental health, so then I started working in restaurants and kind of went towards, I really like serving people. Even though it's a menial restaurant job, I like making sure that people are taken care of. So I did that for a good couple of years and ended up leaving the restaurant industry and was kind of in between jobs. And my aunt, who had gone through the LVN program, did her Bridge program, and was an RN, was like, why don't you apply at the Davida Dialysis Center as a tech? They'll train you, and then you can take for your licensing or, your know, they'll do all that, or you can do the CNA program. And I interviewed with Davida and didn't get the job. So CNA program was and I am eternally grateful for the path that I chose because I absolutely love nursing. It's one of those things where it's definitely that it's a calling thing. And ten years ago, I probably wouldn't have been the nurse that I am now had I gone into nursing when I was younger. So it's been a long time coming, but I really enjoy it. It was kind of like a one-off. Like, I need a job, but then I ended up really enjoying it.
[04:40] Michelle: I love how you made the connection with your server position and nursing. I think there are many similarities. I think probably a lot of nurses start out maybe their first jobs as a server or a hostess or a host or whatever in that industry, working with people and wanting to do exactly what you said, just take care of their needs. And it's kind of that instant gratification that nurses really kind of love or nursing personalities. And I would think there's also a lot of similarities with that in emergency room nursing because you kind of said, like, I like to take care of something and then move on to the next one.
[05:30] Andres: Yes.
[05:30] Michelle: And so talk about how you got involved in emergency room nursing.
[05:35] Andres: So, funny enough, when I did my LVN back in, it was 2018, because I graduated in 2019 when I finished the program at the adult school here in Visalia, everyone that I worked with and was like, you should apply for the emergency department. You would really like it. I feel like you have the personality for the emergency room. You're really with it. We trust you a lot. So you would probably make a really good LVN in the emergency department. And for the longest time, I was like, putting it up. I was like, no, I can't do blood and guts. I like my med surge. I like my break relief. I like my little comfort zone. I was content. And it wasn't until we started the break relief and I went from a twelve-hour shift to a ten-hour shift. So I went from three days a week to four days a week, and I was like, okay, that's fine. And then the unit I worked on was very busy. It was a high acuity, high census type. Like, we could have anywhere from twelve to 18 patients as a CNA, and then the nurses would get four or five, sometimes even six patients that were all like, maybe an ESI of two. So they were high acuity, and it wasn't always like, the best situations, but it was stressful. So then they went and moved us to eight, and I was like, So you mean to tell me that I have to be here five days a week in a high stress environment? Granted, I picked up all the time, but that was my decision. So now I have no break from being here. I clock in, I do my 8 hours, I clock out, I go home, and then I'm still trying to unwind. So it went from enjoying my job to stressing about having enough time for myself. So I ended up leaving the acute care setting and went to long-term care. And I had one instance in long-term care that I was like, maybe I can do ER, maybe I can do it. I had a patient who was really sick, was on, like, three liters, four liters of oxygen, and was barely making 90%. And I remember telling people, I was like, I don't think he's safe to be here. We would admit him. I would take care of him for two weeks because I was the admitting nurse. And within the first week, I'd send him out because he wasn't stable. And so after that whole situation played out, I looked at the ER and looked at their applications and applied. And it took a minute for me to get in. And then once I started, it was like it clicked. It was like a match made in heaven. I've never felt so accepted by a team before so quickly, and I haven't had the learning curve anywhere else. And I'm good at it. I hear it all the time. Everyone's like you're really good. We trust you more than we trust some of the RN's. We trust you. We trust your clinical judgment, and we like when you're in the spots that you're in because sometimes we pass patients through there who are really sick and you catch it, and we can trust that you catch it. So it was one of those things where it was really like, I had to get comfortable being an LVN, and then I could step into that ER position.
[09:31] Michelle: Yeah. How long do you think that took you to get comfortable in your skills and your assessments and say to yourself, like, I think I can do this. I'm getting it. I'm pretty good at it. How long did that take?
[09:48] Andres: For me, and I can only speak for myself. I think the situations that I was in and the positions that, you know, having the four years of MedSurg as a CNA really helped me become comfortable on the MedSurg unit as an LVN. I didn't have to worry about where things were getting to know people. I was able to kind of step into the role as an LVN without any of the other stress. So I was able to focus on my assessments. I was able to focus on what I can and cannot do within my role and my scope and what I really did need to pass on to the RN. And then going to the skilled nursing really ramped up my assessment skills, because, like I said, I was the admitting nurse, so I accepted, and it was during COVID so I accepted all of the patients. For two weeks they were mine. So I did their initial assessment and then I did their Medicare charting assessments, and so for two weeks they were mine. And I could tell when there was a change. And on top of that, we had dialysis patients that would come and go from the facility. So I had to be really aware of what blood pressure is too low for them, what's their baseline is. It is a huge variation. I want to say two years was the perfect spot amount of time, but I also feel like the situations and the things that I dealt with also kind of helped push that forward a little bit faster.
[11:33] Michelle: Sure. Wow. Yeah. And I like how you said that your experience as a certified nursing assistant really helped you in your position as an LVN, and that cannot be understated. I think that's true for so many medical professionals that start out in a position like a CNA or a tech. Because when you work in a hospital, part of the learning curve is just learning how a hospital works. Right. Just learning the different disciplines that you work with.
[12:07] Andres: Absolutely.
[12:07] Michelle: Learning the routines. And when you have that down from your experience as a CNA, moving into another position is just so much easier because you already have all those other things that if someone didn't work in healthcare and they went right from nursing school to a job in the ER,  I could see them becoming so overwhelmed. Absolutely.
[12:37] Andres: Absolutely, and I would see it as a CNA on MedSurg, we had nurses that were fresh out of nursing school, and this was the only hospital in a 300 miles radius that would hire them because we are a teaching hospital. And I had a nurse who I was really good friends with who went to State University, a really good medical school, and he was a mechanic or a construction worker before that. So his clinical judgment skills were a beginner at best. So I remember there were a good couple of times where I would walk into the room, he's like, what do you think I should do? And I'm like as the CNA, I'm like that's yours.
[13:27] Michelle: Like, wow, that's heavy. You're putting that on me?
[13:30] Andres: Like, maybe call a rapid, but you could also call the charge it's. You learn a lot. And being able to do that, I think, propelled me forward a lot.
[13:44] Michelle: Yes, I could see that. And again, a lot of what you said earlier really resonated with me in terms of going from twelve-hour shifts to ten-hour shifts to eight-hour shifts. Because, man, I hear you like one of the hardest things I did in the last eleven years of my career. I was working twelve-hour shifts, which the days are long, as you know. But then you have more time off.
[14:11] Andres: Absolutely.
[14:12] Michelle: And going to eight, man, that grind is difficult. You're trying to find the time to do things in two days that you didn't do in five days. And as you said, working in a really heavy unit with high acuity and a lot of stress, that's not enough time to de-stress. So, yeah. Wow, I could really appreciate that so far. What do you love doing in the emergency room? Like, what's the thing that gets you really excited?
[14:49] Andres: Generalized, I think IVs. It's one of those things where and I don't know if it's because I've done, like, I'm really in tune with my sense of touch, but I'm really good with IVs. There's been a couple of times where I'm like, there's a vein there. I can't show you where, but there's a vein there. And I poke it and I get it and it flushes, it draws, and whatever we need to. But I think more specifically, I think catching a stroke patient when they walk in through the door and they're still being assessed by the provider and getting a large bore IV in them to where they can go straight to CT, and we reduce that time. I've done it only a couple of times because I try not to be in the way, but the few times that I have caught it or that a cardiac alert and they already have a line, I've already drawn blood, and I'm able to expedite that process for the patient. I think that part just really gets me going and I'm like, I'm helping.
[16:01] Michelle: Yeah, again, it's part of that instant gratification. And I share that thrill, I guess you could say working in the NICU, working in Peds, those lines are really difficult to get, especially when kids come in sick and dehydrated. And I know the ER where you work has a really high population of pediatric patients. And it's just so satisfying when you need that line right away for like you said, you need further testing, you need medications, and to have somebody so skilled to be able to do that is just so valuable. We get a lot from it as providers, as nurses, and you get a lot from it too, just that satisfaction of perfecting a skill. And like you said, being able to help really quickly and really effectively. So that's cool. What else in the emergency room do you like? You guys deal with a lot of traumas. Is that kind of your thing? Or how do you feel about that?
[17:14] Andres: So I guess it's a Title 22 that LVNs are not allowed to help in traumas, from what I understood. So occasionally I will get called to go in and establish IV access on a patient during a trauma if they're having a really hard time. So I'll establish IV access, I'll get a blood draw, and then I kind of just bow out, and I'll either watch from the sideline, but I would love as an RN, I would love to get into the traumas. I think we do a lot of things right and there are a lot of opportunities for improvement, and I would like to be a part of that.
[17:55] Michelle: Do you think when you graduate from nursing school you're going to go into emergency nursing?
[18:02] Andres: Absolutely. I really do enjoy it. I feel like when I did my LVN and I stayed on MedSurg for a little bit, I think the same aspect would be easier for me as being in the ER going on three years and now having my RN, I know the flow. My nurses trust me. I know where things go or where things are. So then it's just learning the new scope. It's learning how to be a registered nurse rather than an LVN. It's learning my rules and regulations that I can work within as an RN rather than, where do I get this IV tubing on top of who can I trust? On top of my patients desatting or decompensating, and I don't know who I can call. So I think minimizing my stress level while learning would be super beneficial for me.
[19:03] Michelle: Yeah, absolutely. You talked about your nurses trusting you and just talk about that for a minute. How important is that and how do you earn their trust?
[19:17] Andres: I think I've always been the type of person that will do what's asked of me and then find out the nitty gritty later. So if you're like, hey, I need IV access on this patient, don't ask questions. I know they haven't been seen by the provider, but just get IV access to them. And then it's like, oh, okay, do it. It's within my scope. My RN is asking me if I get IV access on the first try, and it comes to be Stem or a STEMI and they're going straight up to the cath lab. And my nurse caught it, but I didn't. Or it's like, hey, I think this patient is decompensating. I don't think they're appropriate. I'm not sending them to the waiting room. I think they need to be somewhere being monitored. And then their blood gas levels come back completely out of whack or this patient doesn't look right and they're in DKA or something. It's one of those things where it was hard-earned, my nurses, definitely. Not that they didn't trust me to begin with, but there was a lot of, like, do you know what to do in emergencies? Like, we know what to do. But do you know, I think proving time and time again that and then it's one of those things on top of that where it's like when emergencies happen, who's screaming and yelling and who's holding it and giving the orders and making sure that hey, I need you to go get the crash car. I need you to start compressions. I need you to get the Ambu bag, and I need you to do this. So it's one of those things where it's like, can you hold yourself and hold your composure when your patient vasovagal's in front of you and then starts seizing? Or are you going to be the person that's running in circles and tearing the place apart while the patient is decompensating? So I think that makes a big difference as well. And I hear it all the time. People are like, how are you so calm when a patient passes out? And I'm like, I'm freaking out on the inside, but I am out. I am hoping that I have enough staff to help me so that way I don't have to leave the patient. I'm like, I need a vital machine. I need this. Let's put the feet up. I'm freaking out on the inside, but it doesn't do anybody any good for me to freak out on the outside and then the patient starts to freak out. So I think learning my nurse is learning that I can help the madness a little bit, not be so mad, really. And you can count on me to do things. You can count on me to get things done. So I think that was all, like a big part of my nurse is trusting me.
[22:25] Michelle: Yeah, and that relationship with your team is so important. And so you heard me laugh when he said, you're freaking out on the inside. And I'm like, absolutely. That's probably every nurse. And we're so good at staying really calm on the outside because we need to because the patient like you said, if we freak out, the patients are probably freaking out. And if we do it, it's like, where's that trust in us as providers?
[22:58] Andres: If the nurse is freaking out, I'm freaking out. Who's in charge here? You know what I mean? It's one of those things where it's like, who's the adult?
[23:06] Michelle: Yeah, absolutely. And so that relationship with the nurse is so important. But talk about some of the other disciplines that you work with in the emergency room.
[23:16] Andres: Yeah, we cover a huge, because we are a teaching hospital. We have the attendings, so the head physicians, we have the first, second, and third-year residents. Every July 4. July is super fun because fresh grads come in and they're like, I want to order a Cat scan for everything. And then we have the medical students. So we have the physicians who have graduated medical school, and they're in their residency. And then we have the medical students who are still in medical school, and they are getting experience working under the attendings and the residents. And then we have the nurse practitioners and the physician assistants, and then they have their students. And I think that's it for the provider level. We have an amazing pharmacy team who works alongside us and are a godsend for me every day. I'm like, hey, I know I just called you five minutes ago, but this lady says she can't take ibuprofen. She's like, the one thing does it's fine. And I'm like, okay, thank you. I think our pharmacy team is, like, amazing.
[24:44] Michelle: I agree.
[24:45] Andres: And then we have our respiratory team, who, hands down I don't know if it's like, a special certification to be in the ER, but they are always like, you talk about being calm on the outside while sticking a tube down someone's throat. They are like the steadiest hand. I'm like Lord, thank you. Watching them work is so impressive.
[25:13] Michelle: I agree. Man, we loved our NICU RTS. Yeah. So much respect.
[25:20] Andres: Absolutely. And then nonprovider or nonpatient care, we work with security and we work with Housekeeping, and they're all just as vital, helping keep us safe and patients safe and keeping the department clean. And it's one of those things where it's like, you don't think about it, but can you imagine having to flip these rooms and take the trash out and sweep the mop the floors and restock the soap dispensers and the alcohol sanitizers, and we wouldn't even have time for patient care. It's really one of those things where we work with a broad spectrum of people, and I don't think patients necessarily notice how important every person is to the team.
[26:13] Michelle: Yeah, no, you make a good point about the patients not really knowing who the entire team is. And that was the same for the NICU. There's so many people behind the scenes, the social workers, the case managers, the pharmacists, which our patients never saw because they didn't go in the room unless there was a code. And it takes a village to take care of the patient.
[26:40] Andres: Absolutely.
[26:43] Michelle: Well, you talked earlier about the different settings in which you worked. You mentioned skilled nursing and your Ortho, neuro floor, med surge, and now you're in the emergency room but say that you couldn't work in the emergency room. Is there another area that interests you?
[27:03] Andres: Absolutely. Funny enough, I've always been partial to the ICU. I've just never worked a shift in the ICU as a nurse to say, this is kind of like my jam right now. The emergency department is my jam. Like bread and butter. Love it. Eat it on the daily. But I think when I did clinicals this past eight weeks, I did a rotation in Fresno at the Level One trauma center, and they have various levels of ICUs, and I did a couple of rotations in their trauma ICU. And I think if I couldn't do emergency, I think either, like a trauma ICU or a medical ICU would probably be the next best thing.
[27:57] Michelle: Do you think you're an adrenaline junkie?
[27:59] Andres: You know, having performed during school and getting the adrenaline rush from there, maybe I mean, I feel like every performer has some kind of a little bit of adrenaline junkie in them and I think we're in fixed right now.
[28:20] Michelle: I think that's so well, you talked so obviously you've gone through LVN school and now you're in RN school and talk about kind of the differences, the different experiences of those two schools.
[28:37] Andres: Absolutely. So my LVN school was through the Visalia Adult School and I had some of the best instructors. Not that my instructors now aren't amazing. I mean, the experience and the knowledge set are amazing as well. But I had tough as nails, I think my director was in her 70s when she was teaching us and we had a surgical first assist and then an LVN with long-term care experience for decades. And then another nurse who was a walking encyclopedia as I'll describe her, with the utmost respect, she could break patho down to the cellular level on almost any disease process and so they expected a lot. So you had to be at that level. And I remember care plans would be 15-20 pages and seven or eight of that was just patho because your patient had two or three pathos or disease diagnoses. Clinical, we were the only school in all white. Our hair was always up gelled, with no flyaways, and minimal makeup for the girls. Men had the clean-cut shaved, no 5:00 shadows. It was very almost militant. But I think seeing the nurses that I graduated with becoming RN's and moving forward, we are a really smart class and the classes before us are really good nurses and I would trust them with my life. I think nursing school now is more, I think, because I'm in the Bridge, they kind of already know that you have that base, that foundation. They're just building on it. So the expectations are still very you have to meet this level and we expect good from you. But learning the differences between LVN and RN I think has been the biggest struggle for me only because I practice it in clinical and then I go back to my job and I'm like, I can't do any of that stuff I did yesterday. I was pushing IV Zofran yesterday and today I'm like, I need the registered nurse for IV Zofran, please. Yeah, it's one of those things where it makes you excited for what's to come.
[31:39] Michelle: Absolutely. And I know the instructors that you're referring to, the LVN instructors, I saw them many years and I worked with a couple of them for many years and they are like the OG nurses.
[31:55] Andres: Right.
[31:56] Michelle: And they do have that expectation that is kind of going away in nursing of your image. You're always a nurse when you're in the hospital or whatever setting you're working in and also when you go out in the community.
[32:15] Andres: Absolutely.
[32:17] Michelle: Yeah. And I think we're losing some of that in nursing. So those things are not bad. And I think it might be good to bring some of them back, but wow, definitely that brings back a lot of memories. So you've been in nursing now for a few years and you know the ins and outs and now you're preparing to be a registered nurse. So talk about what you think we're doing right in nursing and what you would like to see changed.
[32:54] Andres: For what we do right. I definitely think our compassion is there and I think our want to do better and help people. I think our caring is what we do right. And it's almost to a fault. Me and my roommate were talking about it the other night and it's like we care so much that sometimes it's hard to not bring it home or it's hard to not like. And in the emergency department, we see it a lot where we see these patients that come in either a couple of times a week or a couple of times a month and it's like, what happened? Why are you back? What can we do to help you not be here so often? And that sounds so horrible, but it's like we don't want you to utilize the emergency department unless you absolutely have to. And if you feel like you have to multiple times a week, then let's figure out other avenues. Let's see what we can do to make sure that you're getting what you need at home. And from there, I think it's also a part of what we could do better is maybe including patients more in the responsibility and accountability aspect, making sure that it's like we understand that we are doing everything we can for you, but you also have to give us the same energy and better. Healthcare is one of those things where we can do a million things better and it's hard to pick just one.
[34:30] Michelle: Yeah, we can always change, for sure. And I like what you said about compassion. I do think that nurses by nature have that compassion down and that's what makes us great nurses. And we also have to be careful of compassion fatigue.
[34:52] Andres: Right.
[34:53] Michelle: Like you said, bringing it home and letting it affect your mental illness or your mental health, you don't want it to go to mental illness, you want to stay healthy.
[35:06] Andres: Right.
[35:07] Michelle: And I wanted to touch on some things that you do that I was really interested in. You're a musician?
[35:15] Andres: I am.
[35:16] Michelle: And yeah, you play the violin and you sing and talk about that and how that helps you.
[35:25] Andres: Yeah, I've been singing since I can remember since I was like little, little. I picked up the violin when I was eleven and I fell in love with it. I found a band called Celtic Woman and they have a fierce fiddler and she's given me a lot of the passion and desire to continue with it. And I can definitely feel when I need to bring my violin out and give it a good couple of hours of just playing, and some people can even tell. They're like, you're kind of crabby. Are you okay? You're being a little mean. And I'm like, I haven't played my violin in three months. I am not okay. And it's crazy how much music can influence us. You see the studies of playing music for patients and playing music from their decade and the benefits of music. But when you don't feel good or when you're not having a good day and you play one of your songs, or you just play something that brings back memories or nostalgia or something, and it can just lift you out of whatever funk you're in, I had gotten sick. Nursing school has made me the sickest I've ever been. I've never been so sick before in my life. My mom even mentioned it the other day. She's like, You've been sick a lot this year. I'm like, I know it's the stress, but I got sick earlier this year, and I was sick from February to May, just like a constant cough and flu-like symptoms. And I got admitted for a couple of days, and I couldn't sing. It was one of those things where I was coughing so bad that I couldn't sing, and I was so depressed. And I remember the day that I was driving to work or I was driving to clinical in Fresno. So I had an hour-long drive and I had my warm tea with honey and now was on my way to work I remember having just my playlist on and I started singing and I was able to finally sing and I cried from Goshen to Traver. And it was like this huge release of built-up energy, and you almost take it for granted when you don't, because people I mean, you do carpool karaoke every day, like, on your way to work, on your way to the grocery store. People don't realize, like, how therapeutic music can be. And for me, it's been one of those things where I've been doing it for so long that when I can't it really hits you, but it definitely helps. And it's one of those things where I'm like and it's my one thing when my coworkers I'm like, do you want to sing about it? Like, no.
[39:06] Michelle: It's so cool that they know you so well. And I can just imagine the drivers on the 99 just watching you
[39:14] Andres: Six-foot, burly, football-looking player just.
[39:18] Michelle: Absolutely singing at the top of his lungs.
[39:22] Andres: That day that I drove to Fresno was absolute, they're like, I'm surprised CHP didn't pull me over. Like, Are you okay?
[39:30] Michelle: I love it.
[39:32] Andres: That's a full concert sometimes.
[39:35] Michelle: It's amazing. I love it. No, and everything you said is so spot on. There's been so many studies and so much research on the value of music for our mental health, and we know that definitely for our patients. I read many studies on the value of music for premature infants and sick infants and all the healing benefits. So, yeah, you're spot on for that. Well, you've told us a lot today. You definitely know your scope and you know your job well and you know that you're going to be an amazing you know, other than being an amazing know, what are your plans for the future? What does your future look like?
[40:29] Andres: Funny enough, I was listening to your podcast with Alicia, who I worked under, and I adore her. She's amazing. She taught me how to do the ultrasound IV, and I'm constantly like, hey, can I need an ultrasound? You're the best ultrasound person we have. This patient's really sick. I need an IV, and I trust you only. And I'm like, thanks. I had an amazing teacher. Kudos to her because she is wicked smart and owe her everything that I like, the nurse that I am is partly because of her. And it was listening to that and how she projected out her plans and her future thinking about mine, and I'm like, what am I going to do? I definitely want to continue pursuing music. I have no degree in it. I have nothing to show for these two decades worth of musicianship. So I think I want to get my RN, get situated in the emergency department, kind of get some credentialing, like maybe my TNCC, the Emergency Room Nurse association, kind of build that repertoire of nursing for ER for myself, and then definitely want to do my bachelor's. I go back and forth all the time about whether I want to do my master's in education or master's and then do my NP, but I definitely want to go back to school and do my music and get something to show for that. And then I think once I can do that or once I do that, then I can kind of reevaluate whether I'm ready for my master's in nursing and where I kind of want to do it. So maybe I'll teach in the future.
[42:45] Michelle: I see a bright future for you, Andres, as a nurse practitioner.
[42:53] Andres: I got that a lot during my LVN programs. They're like, you could be a nurse practitioner. Like, you would be a yeah. And I'm like, I don't know if I want that responsibility going for my RN.
[43:05] Michelle: Well, just work a little while in your specialty and see where it takes you. But you've been fantastic. I have so enjoyed talking with you, and you've brought so much information and just value to my audience today. So thank you so much for that.
[43:24] Andres: Thank you for having me. I really appreciate it.
[43:28] Michelle: You're welcome. Well, you know, at the end, I warned you we do the five-minute snippet. And you sound like you're up for it. It's a lot of fun. And we know a little bit about your off-duty side because you shared all that with us, but we'll get to a little bit more. So are you ready to play?
[43:47] Andres: Absolutely.
[43:48] Michelle: It's just five minutes. Okay. So there's a lot of would you rathers in here so okay, so would you rather have the Transformers or the Power Rangers to help defend Earth?
[44:06] Andres: Definitely Transformers.
[44:10] Michelle: Okay. I like it. Power Rangers to me seem a little bit juvenile. I don't know.
[44:15] Andres: It's funny because listening to the watching the remake come out, I'm like, it's been 20 years and we can't get better villains. They're all in spandex. But yes. No, I think Transformers.
[44:29] Michelle: Okay, so we did talk about your musicianship and this goes along with it. Who would you want to have a private jam session with?
[44:38] Andres: Definitely that violinist from Celtic woman. Her name is Nesbitt. If you haven't heard of her, check her been. I think she's like, I started playing the violin late at the age of six and she's been playing ever since. She's amazing.
[44:58] Michelle: And I've watched them many times on my local PBS and they are amazing. You mentioned that you had a roommate and so this question goes along with that. Have you ever had a roommate? And if so, what did you hate about it? Hopefully, your roommate's not listening.
[45:18] Andres: He's probably going to listen to it later, but it's going to be honestly, me and my roommate, we've been friends for the last ten years. We met when we worked in the restaurant industry, and then we kind of fell out of touch and met back up when we were both CNAs. And I think the biggest would probably be having that alone time right now. He's on his way to San Francisco and I have the apartment to myself and I'm like, the opportunities are endless. The whole sofa and bring my violin out, my neighbor, but no one's here to interrupt me. I can play my music. I can do whatever. The possibilities are endless.
[46:11] Michelle: That's so important. Yes. Okay, here's a would you rather,  would you rather be a 911 operator or an ambulance driver?
[46:23] Andres: Oh, no, I think an ambulance driver.
[46:30] Michelle: I kind of pegged you for that one.
[46:33] Andres: Yeah.
[46:33] Michelle: I was like, he is like a little bit of an adrenaline junkie.
[46:37] Andres: Get me there now. Done. We're there.
[46:40] Michelle: Yes. Okay, let's see. What's the number one thing on your bucket list?
[46:49] Andres: I don't even have to think about that one. When I was in senior in high school, our English teacher kind of broke up the monotony of senior year, end of the year stressor, and was like, hypothetically, I give you $10,000 and you have to spend all $10,000. I want an itinerary. I want a PowerPoint presentation, where you would go, what you would do, how you would get there, et cetera. And so I think my biggest having music being at the forefront of my life and Celtic women being such an inspiration for me, Ireland has been at the top of my bucket list since senior year. I've been pretty close to going a couple of times, and then it ended up not working out. But I think after school for my RN, and once I get that license, definitely going to take at least a month off and run over there.
[47:56] Michelle: That would be epic.
[47:57] Andres: It would be amazing.
[47:59] Michelle: Okay, we have 30 seconds. So would you rather discover oil or gold on your own land?
[48:07] Andres: Oil. It's more valuable oil.
[48:11] Michelle: Yeah. And it keeps on going. Right? Very cool. Okay, 15 seconds. Would you rather come across a bear or a mountain lion in the woods?
[48:23] Andres: Either way, I'm going to try to pet it. Probably a mountain lion a little bit.
[48:31] Michelle: Oh, Andres, I love your humor, and you've been so amazing. I'm so glad that I got to talk to you too.
[48:41] Andres: Thank you for scooping me up on Instagram. I was like, this lady wants to talk to me today.
[48:48] Michelle: Remember? I was, like, interviewing you on your break. I was like, Nothing like an impromptu interview. So who are you? Where do you work?
[48:56] Andres: What do you do?
[48:58] Michelle: Yeah, you went right along with me, and I so appreciate it. So thank you. Yeah. I hope you have a great rest of your day.
[49:06] Andres: Thank you.
[49:09] Michelle: Thank you.