Hail to the Duck - A Little Senseless Babbling...

I recently answered a question from another blog site about a favorite movie quote. That was an easy one. The quote was from a 1978 movie called Convoy, in which actor Kris Kristofferson played a truck driver nick-named ‘the Rubber Duck’. He was asked why the Rubber Duck. His answer was something like “well, my daddy always told me to be like a duck. Stay smooth on the surface, and paddle like the devil underneath”. I never forgot that, and I almost live by that to this very day. Here’s an example…

I’m a critical care CV-RT (cardiovascular RT). It really just means that I’m part of an advanced team that practices more advanced, and more invasive skills in critical areas of the hospital. This often puts us in some very intense circumstances, especially when we;re dealing with an airway issue. (We do our own endotracheal intubations). Everyone who knows me knows that I often say “no one’s allowed to panic until I do”, especially when things are starting to get a little tense. In fact, the more chaotic the situation gets the quieter, and calmer I get. I do that for two reasons. 1) because it allows me to remain calm so I can deal with the situation without allowing my mind to get rattled. 2) because it forces the rest of the staff assisting me to calm down and be quiet just so they can hear what I am saying, and asking for, etc. The scene is still full of chaos, and still intense but on the surface we’re all calm, quiet, and running like a well oiled machine. We’re smooth on the surface, and paddling like the devil underneath. That practice can often save a life…


J. D’Urbano, RCP, CRT
Clinical Specialist, CV-RT
Phoenix, Arizona