I used to be a very well mannered individual. Then two things happened:

1. 
   

   I went to nursing school.

   
   
2. 
   

   I got a job in a Level I trauma center OR.

Somehow, during the course of those two things, the filter that every “normal” individual has auto-installed in the brain began to disappear. It still worked, but sometimes the reaction was significantly delayed. I noticed an increased frequency of my mouth running ahead of my brain, and I was cracking jokes that I would have never cracked in my former life.

I also noticed that I wasn’t alone. Many of the surgeons and anesthesia staff I worked with also lacked this filter. I worked in various operating rooms in the United States and figured the humor would vary based on geographic location.

It didn’t.

Whether it is a small private surgical center or a large Level I trauma teaching institution, the operating room is a glorious melting pot of individuals who have been trained all over the world. Surgeons, anesthesia, residents, staff, students, and others come from a variety of institutions. Each has their own way of handling the stress that they deal with.