The ProRodeo Sports News - April 19, 2019

AWAY FROM THE ARENA

Barrett, McFarland combine nursing and rodeo careers Funny Bone Clay Guardipee photo Bullfighting and working as a trauma and surgery nurse have a lot in common for Montana cowboy Kaleb Barrett. Both are an adrenaline rush with the goal of keeping people safe.

BY MATT NABER I f laughter is the best medicine, then who better to have in the arena than a medical professional who can provide that laughter? That is where bullfighter Kaleb Barrett and rodeo clown Trent McFarland come in handy. Both have found their roles in rodeo and in hospitals. Barrett is a registered nurse first assist (RNFA) who works with trauma and surgery in Montana, while McFarland works as an operating room nurse in Alabama. “The parallels are crazy, because when I fight bulls, I try to keep guys out of the hospital, and in the hospital, I’m trying to get people out of the hospital,” said Barrett, 35. “It’s very fulfilling, I get to work in two avenues that really fill my heart.” Although they live, work and rodeo on opposite sides of the country, McFarland’s and Barrett’s experiences are similar. “With a good clown act you have to think through the steps and how things could go, put plans in motion to roll with the flow and be prepared for what happens, and it’s the same in the operating room,” said McFarland, 38. “You’ve got a plan to go after, but if it changes you have to roll with it.” Lightening the mood while remedying the situation is basically the same, whether it’s for a crowd, a cowboy or a patient.

ProRodeo Sports News 4/19/2019

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