Welcome back to Creepalachia. Tonight, we’re scrubbing in and heading deep into the world of emergency services. Our guests? Kristen and Caitlyn — two badass, battle-tested nurses from the Appalachian ER frontlines. From trauma training to patients who think they’re werewolves, this conversation has everything. Buckle up.

The Werewolf in Room Three

Let’s start with this gem:

“I had a patient one time who, in his mind, was a werewolf.”

This was Caitlyn’s welcome to the world of nursing. Brand new in scrubs, heart probably pounding, and a patient convinced he was running with the full moon. “You have to weigh your options,” she said, “Do I tell him he’s not a werewolf and risk losing his trust? Or do I play along so I don’t become part of the enemy pack?” And that’s the job — not just saving lives, but navigating delusions with enough grace to earn someone’s trust in the middle of a crisis.

From Cake Boss to Code Blue

Kristen didn’t start in the ER — she started in the kitchen. With a culinary science degree and a beloved restaurant to her name, she served the community with food and warmth. But when COVID flipped the restaurant world on its head, Kristen woke up one day, 40 and fearless, and walked herself into nursing school.

I’m a servant,” she said. “I think that’s my mission from God.”

Now she’s slinging IV bags instead of cupcakes and finding joy in a very different kind of serving.

Caitlyn’s Origin Story

Caitlyn didn’t always want to be a nurse either. She was married, anticipating a life as a single mom, and needed something stable. Nursing school was a leap — one she took just as her life flipped upside down. Divorce, full-time work, school, clinicals, and four kids (one of them in utero during finals) later — she’s a trauma-certified, forensic-trained, absolute force in the ER.

And she’s a SANE nurse too — a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner — collecting forensic evidence and, more importantly, giving survivors a voice.

“It’s a very vital job… It takes a strong person to do that.”

What Even Is an RN?

Kristen broke it down: an RN (Registered Nurse) is trained for higher-level assessment, critical drips, and direct interventions. LPNs (Licensed Practical Nurses) have a different scope, more limited in those critical, high-pressure moments. RNs run the show in the ER — evaluating, responding, and working hand-in-hand with doctors under tight, titrated orders.

Speaking of titration — no, not a fashion trend. It’s adjusting medication levels in real-time based on how a patient responds. Life and death often depend on getting the math just right.

“It’s like a game… except the game is saving a life.”

School is a Beast

Forget Grey’s Anatomy montages. Nursing school is grueling. Both Caitlyn and Kristen described it as one of the most mentally exhausting challenges they’ve ever faced.

The tests are brutal, with digital programs that punish wrong answers by diving deeper into your weaknesses. The infamous NCLEX — the exam that determines if you can actually be a nurse — is a 4-hour psychological labyrinth. Your necklace might get banned for making noise. Your hair might get searched. You will cry in your car.

Because despite the grind, the classmates become your people — your ride-or-die study group, your emotional support, the only folks who truly understand what you’re going through.

The Guts It Takes

For every triumph — like passing boards or saving a crashing patient — there’s a trail of sleepless nights, missed birthdays, and coloring anatomy charts at 3 a.m. Kristen called it “a meat grinder,” and she meant it lovingly. What comes out on the other side? Resilient, razor-sharp, deeply compassionate nurses.

People like Kristen and Caitlyn.

So the next time you’re in an ER waiting room, know this: behind that badge is someone who might have gone through nursing school pregnant, while working 12-hour shifts, while studying all night — who might’ve had to convince a patient he’s not a werewolf, and who still shows up with a calm voice and steady hands.

That’s Appalachia. That’s the ER. That’s Creepalachia.

Have a wild story from the ER, nursing school, or just life in Appalachia? We want to hear it.