CASPER, Wyo. — Casper native Joe Zeitner started his healthcare career several years ago as a hospital housekeeper. Now, thanks to hard work and determination, he’s started his new job as an emergency room nurse.
According to a release from Banner Wyoming Medical Center, Joe started working there in 2017, even though he originally had little to no interest in a healthcare career. However, the housekeeping job offered good pay and benefits.
During the first three years, he got to know the ER doctors and nurses well, and with the staff’s encouragement he decided to pursue his CNA license to train as an emergency room tech.
After another three years and a growing family, he decided it was time to push himself even further. “I just felt like I wanted to push further,” he said in the release. “And the leadership here was so supportive.”
In 2021, he enrolled in nursing school at Casper College, and this year he started as a new nurse grad in the WMC’s Emergency Department.
Joe’s long work through different departments at the hospital has given him a unique experience and perspective, the release said.
“I know what it takes to be on the support staff side,” he said. “I’m just so grateful for the team at all levels.”
During school, he gained new experiences while working in different departments in the hospital. However, he always enjoyed the ER most.
“This department is home,” he said.
Joe and his wife have three daughters, ages 6, 4, and 2, and are expecting a fourth child later this year.
