Meet Our July Alumni Spotlight: Brianna Becker, RN
In this interview, Brianna Becker, a 2023 graduate of the RN program, shares insights into her journey from working in EMS and the Fire Department to becoming a registered nurse. Brianna discusses the factors that influenced her decision to pursue nursing, her career progression, and the unique challenges and rewards she has encountered along the way. Her experiences highlight the importance of education, adaptability, and the profound impact nurses can have on patient care.
Q: What influenced your decision to pursue a career in nursing?
Brianna: I worked in EMS and the Fire Dept. for many years. I loved my time on the ambulance, and considered going through paramedic school instead. However, I am very drawn to education and there are so many more opportunities to be involved in education within the nursing field vs in EMS. I admit, I was a little hesitant because the worlds of Emergency Medical Services and nursing are so vastly different, but having had the experience of working for so long in pre-hospital services has allowed me to bring a different perspective to nursing and the ability to share that, and at times bridge the gap between the two different but necessary areas of medical care.
Q: How has your nursing career progressed since you graduated? What positions have you held, what was your favorite and why? And what are your responsibilities in your current position?
Brianna: Prior to graduating, I worked in the Emergency Room as an ER Tech. Immediately after graduation I had the opportunity to go to the Cardiac Cath Lab. Typically, this is not an area that will take a new grad, but everything just came together and allowed me this amazing opportunity. It was definitely my favorite because I was able to see and learn a new specialty and learn a new set of skills. I also had the most amazing team to work with. The teamwork and camaraderie was something that I will always treasure, and is the standard I measure everything else against. Unfortunately we moved out of the state, so I had to leave the Cath Lab. I now work in a large Emergency Room. I have an average of 4 patients at a time, but can get up to 6. There is always a wide variety of ages, demographics, and medical issues that I am working with. It keeps it interesting and challenging for sure.
Q: Have you specialized in any specific area of nursing? If so, what drew you to that specialization, and what are the unique challenges and rewards it has brought?
Brianna: I am currently working in an Emergency Room, and working to get back into the Cardiac Cath Lab. I really do love both because they have some similarities. They both require critical care and the ability to think on your feet. You have to be able to evaluate all of the signs/symptoms presented and be able to quickly determine what is important and treat it to prevent worsening conditions of the patient. But being able to quickly make a difference for the patient is so rewarding. People in the ER come to you because they don’t know what else to do and being able to help them through that process and either fix their issue or set them on the right path can have a huge impact on the patient.
Q: Are there any particular moments or experiences in your nursing career that have stood out to you or shaped your professional growth?
Brianna: Education has always been so important to me. It has been eye-opening the number of people that I have taken care of that have no idea about their medical condition or medications. Because of that, I now focus on taking extra time to really sit down and explain what is going on, and at time of discharge make sure that the patient truly understands what the next steps are and why they are important. So often the information they get is the “what” but never the “why” and often it is the “why” that makes the difference in compliance. Without that compliance, there are often huge consequences in both long and short term that can really affect the patient’s life and health.
Q: Can you share an especially memorable time caring for a patient and why that sticks with you?
Brianna: I recently had a pre-teen that had choked on some food, and still had some caught in their throat. They were so scared because they couldn’t swallow and were having to constantly spit up because they could not swallow anything, including their spit. It is a scary thing to go through, especially for a kid. Their mom was also very scared and anxious. I remember walking in to see the kid crying and hyperventilating. All I could see was terror in their face. I sat on the bed next to the kiddo and faced them. I picked up their hand and gave it a squeeze. Told them, “I know you are scared. But I am not scared, and until I am scared you don’t need to be. We are going to fix this. I need you to breathe with me. You can freak out when I do, deal?” And we sat there taking deep breaths together until they were calm. I remember sitting there and watching the terror slowly fade, and their pupils return to normal size. At that point I could actually start the assessment and work on treatment. But I was not going to be able to effectively do anything until my patient was able to be calm and trust me. After everything was complete, it was so rewarding to be able to watch my patient walk out in a completely different state than when they walked in.
Q: How is working as a nurse different from what, as a student, you expected nursing to be?
Brianna: This probably stems from lack of knowledge of what nursing really is, and is skewed from my time in EMS. But I really thought that nurses had a lot less control over the care they provided. That they were unable to do anything without doctor’s orders. That has not been my experience. In the ER especially, the doctors rely heavily on the assessment and concerns brought up by the nurse. There is also a lot of nursing protocols that are complaint driven that the nurse has the ability to just get started without having to wait on a doctor to see the patient. Nurses are really able to make a huge difference in the care provided to the patient through their assessments, nursing judgement and advocating for the patient.
Q: Have you pursued additional education or certifications since graduating? If so, why did you pursue it and how has it enhanced your nursing practice and career prospects?
Brianna: Since graduating nine months ago, I have not had much opportunity to pursue additional training. I have had ACLS and PALS, both of which were very necessary for my jobs. I was waiting to get through orientation and being settled into my job to continue to take classes. Since moving, I have had to repeat that process, but I hope to start my BSN in the fall.
Q: Have you set any personal or professional goals for yourself within the nursing field? How do you plan to achieve them?
Brianna: Professionally I have a long list of things I would like to accomplish. My next step is to complete my BSN, which I am planning on starting this fall. After that I would like to get my CCRN. Following that, the next step is getting my MSN. I have other smaller classes and certifications I would like to take and will work in as I am able.
Personally, it is important to me to be involved in the education and orientation process for the staff within my department. I have experienced both amazing and awful orientation and preceptors. This process, more than anything else in my experience, shapes the experience and perception of new people and is the fastest way to either make or break that employee. Because of this, I want to be involved in making the process better and ensuring that my area is able to retain high quality nurses.
Q: What is your favorite way to spend free time when you are not working as a nurse? Any special ways to de-stress? Fun hobbies to help unwind?
Brianna: I spend a lot of time reading books. It is so easy for me to get lost in a new book and unwind that way. I am also enjoying exploring my new town and meeting new people. As for fun hobbies, I really love scuba diving! There is nothing more relaxing than floating along under water, watching your bubbles float up and away and looking at the underwater world.
Q: Are there any skills or knowledge areas that you believe BTC’s nursing programs should focus on to better prepare future graduates for the realities of nursing practice?
Brianna: I think there is something to be said for learning how to speak up to doctors and other nurses and stand up for what you are seeing or concerned about. It is so intimidating for so many, and something that I see a lot of new nurses struggle with. Getting to practice that, in a safe environment, could be really beneficial.
Q: What advice would you give to current nursing students who are about to embark on their career path? Are there any key lessons or insights that you wish you had known when you were starting out?
Brianna: Do NOT try and study at home. It is so easy to get distracted with all the things that need to be done. Your time ends up being broken up, and your concentration is just not there. Nursing school is really hard, and being able to maximize your study time is really important. Utilizing the library or another spot away from your other responsibilities can be incredibly helpful. Find a small study group or a partner. Sometimes being able to bounce ideas off of each other is helpful. But if the group gets too big, then it ends up being a chat session and is not helpful. Also, find a way to make what you’re learning fun. The more weird/funny it is, the more likely you are able to remember it.
Q: What would you tell someone today that is trying to decide whether to go in to the nursing field or not?
Brianna: This is a field that is both very hard and very rewarding. There are so many opportunities. If you find that you don’t like one area, there is always something else you can switch to instead. There are countless things you can do and try. Different shifts that are available. Endless career opportunities. You can make such a huge difference in people’s lives. It is also a hard career. Being responsible to care for others does take a toll on you. Not being able to talk about all of the things that you see can weigh you down. There will be moments that will bring you such unbelievable joy, but there will also be moments that will break your heart or enrage you. You need to have a good support system that can lift you up, even if they don’t know all the details. And it is hard, but you can’t let your career be your whole identity. It will burn you out and ruin you as a nurse. Being able to maintain those outside interests, hobbies and relationships will help you be a better nurse.
Brianna Becker’s journey from EMS to nursing underscores the versatility and profound impact of the nursing profession. Her dedication to education and patient care, along with her experiences in various medical settings, offers invaluable insights for aspiring nurses. Brianna’s story is a testament to the rewarding, albeit challenging, nature of nursing, and the critical role of continuous learning and adaptability in the field. If you would like to share your story about any of our programs or would like to tell us what you’ve been up to since graduating, we would love to hear it! Just email Haleigh at hgray@bolivarcollege.edu with the subject line “Alumni Spotlight”.