Finding My Place in Emergency Nursing
Surrounded by family who worked in healthcare and inspired by parents who served as missionaries, Amber developed an interest in nursing at a young age. From joining her dad for “Take Your Daughter to Work Day” to going with her parents on medical mission trips as a teenager, she witnessed firsthand the impact nurses have in their communities.
Today, Amber thrives in the Bronson LakeView Hospital (BLH) Emergency Department (ED). The environment is fast-moving and keeps her on her toes. Yet in the middle of that pace, it’s often the small, human moments that stand out most. Read her story below.
Amber’s Story
My first job with Bronson was as a nurse on the Bronson Methodist Hospital (BMH) General Medical Unit (GMU). Though I had been a nurse for about a year when I started, my time on the GMU really shaped me into the nurse I am today. After a few years there, I transferred to BLH as a float RN. When I floated to the ED, I knew I found my place. About a year later, I transitioned into a full-time ED nurse role.
Growing up, I had family who worked in healthcare, and my parents were missionaries. I remember going to “Take Your Daughter to Work Day” with my dad one year. I met some nurses and they seemed so confident and capable. When I was in high school, my parents’ work shifted toward medical missions. We went on several of those trips together as a family, and I saw firsthand the impact nurses had on people’s lives in some of their most vulnerable moments. I wanted to be part of that… to help in the same way they did.
By the time I got to nursing school, I knew I was on the right path. Those classes just clicked for me. I was getting the best grades I’d ever gotten without feeling like I was struggling. I felt proud realizing I had found something that matched the way my mind works. In school, we learned about interdisciplinary care, but it didn’t fully click until I was on the job. Nursing is really like a dance… you’re constantly managing multiple patients and coordinating with several consulting services at once. It’s really a team effort!
Working in the Emergency Department is everything I didn’t know I needed. It’s fast-paced enough to keep me engaged, unpredictable enough to keep me thinking, but still has a rhythm to it that I’ve come to really appreciate. It is also incredibly mentally demanding. You’re constantly having to think ahead and anticipate the worst-case scenario, while also multitasking on a high-level.
Some of the most meaningful moments of my work are when patients are experiencing grief or loss. In those moments, when I’m able to manage the physical aspect of their care while also truly connecting with them – offering empathy, emotional validation and presence – that’s what stays with me. Those interactions remind me why this work matters so much.
For our ED team, teamwork is essential. As a small hospital, we don’t have extensive layers of support, like a dedicated code team, trauma team or charge nurses. Because of this, we really rely on each other every single day. Everyone steps in, checks on one another and makes sure no one is “drowning.” That level of teamwork is something I’m really proud to be part of.
At the end of the day, I feel fortunate to have found my place in the Emergency Department. It’s challenging work, but it’s also deeply meaningful.
