The Shift: From the Bedside to the Bigger Picture

By Mitch Lartigue

For nearly two decades, I lived at the intersection of urgency and humanity—as a critical care nurse in trauma rooms, recovery bays, and the sky, caring for people in the most vulnerable moments of their lives. In those rooms, I learned what crisis really feels like. I learned how to keep calm when lives depend on it. And I learned that showing up with both skill and heart is never optional—it’s essential.

But over time, something else started to call me.

Not away from care, but toward prevention. Toward readiness. Toward the systems that protect people before they ever need the ICU.

That calling led me to pursue a degree in Disaster Science and Emergency Management—because I believe deeply in the power of preparation. I believe that the same vigilance, precision, and empathy I brought to every bedside can be applied to emergency plans, community outreach, and operational leadership.

This transition isn’t about leaving something behind. It’s about carrying it forward—every lesson, every code blue, every family member I held space for, and every split-second decision that taught me how to lead with clarity and care.

Now, I’m stepping into a new kind of service.

One where I use my clinical lens to inform policy. Where I advocate for safety before disaster strikes. Where I help teams, systems, and communities respond better—because I’ve been there. I’ve seen what happens when we’re prepared… and when we’re not.

I don’t take this shift lightly. Nursing shaped me. It built my backbone. But emergency management is where I know I can grow, contribute, and protect on a broader scale.

This is my next chapter. And I’m ready for it.