Daniela Lovato
Chapter 9: Is Anybody in Control here?
Study Case
October 28, 2014

1. I do think I could handle the stress that air controllers face every day on the job. I wouldn’t be able to face it right now of course, but if I was trained, why not? They wouldn’t allow just anyone to be able to be an air controller without the proper knowledge and education/training. If you are properly trained for this particular job then you know what you are up against and should have no problem in doing the job. Although I am sure that this job isn’t for everybody and I am not sure it would be for me. It is a lot of pressure and you have a lot of lives that you are responsible for. 2. I think the overall stress that air controllers are faced with everyday is the fact that they have so many people’s lives in their control. One minor setback or something so little, or any decision or mistake can cost a major tragedy. That would be my biggest worry if I were an air controller. 3. I don’t understand what Pete Rogers means by “almost like a mini convention of type A personalities” but I am guessing he means that it is a reunion where they can come together and share ideas. They all perform the same job so they understand each other as opposed to someone who is not an air controller. To me this is a good thing because they can all come together and share their stresses and experiences and give each other support. 4. Yes, there are times I am faced with circumstances that most people would call stressful, although not as stressful as being an air controller. I am an insurance verifier at a hospital and although the “title” seems easy, it is not as easy as it seems. You have to make sure each patient’s insurance is going to cover them for whatever reason. Insurance’s has different guidelines, some need authorizations, others need referrals, others need 24 hr notices and any insurance can change at any time. It is my job to keep an eye out for that particular insurance and make sure it is up to date on the patient’s record because if the insurance changes and I am not aware then that is money that the hospital will lose. I’ve seen patient’s bill come up to 1 million dollars. When I first began there it was jaw dropping how much money hospital bills are and how much insurance actually covers you. This is not a life or death kind of stress, but it is still stressful and I feel accomplished at the end of the day when I perform my job accurately, or when I solve a problem.