Paving a New Career in Emergency Nursing
After living abroad and working in various industries like education, translation and international business, Jill made a late but life‑changing pivot into healthcare. Today, she works as a registered nurse in the Bronson Battle Creek Hospital (BBC) Emergency Department (ED). She thrives in the fast‑paced environment and loves the wide variety of patients and cases she encounters each shift.
Choosing a New Direction: Jill’s Story
Jill grew up in Portage, but was out of the state for a long time, living and working in places like the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Turkey, France and New York City. She has a BA in Russian and French from Indiana University, a CELTA certification from Cambridge/Royal Society of Arts and an International MBA (2004). "I've done a lot of different things in my career and never expected to work in healthcare."
In 2021, after moving back to Michigan, Jill made the decision to go to nursing school and become an emergency nurse. In the summer of 2022, she was hired at Bronson Battle Creek Hospital as a Nurse Extern. Six months later, she was hired full‑time.
What she enjoys most about working in the ED is the pace, the need to think on your feet and the variety of work. So far, her youngest patient was just a few days old and her oldest was 104. Jill explains that "The ED is a 24-hour facility with new shifts starting every four hours – no two days are ever the same and nothing happens at a set time." People outside of healthcare often ask what it’s really like to work in the ED. Her answer is usually simple: “whatever crazy stories you’ve heard about emergency departments — they’re all true!”
Taking The Next Right Step in Her Nursing Career
A few years into working in the ED, Jill decided to pursue board certification to become a Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN). Becoming certified allows her to dive deeper into emergency care and become even more prepared for the wide range of situations seen in the ED.
Regarding earning the CEN certification, Jill says, “I’m constantly encountering situations where I can apply what I learned, and it helps me feel more confident and capable in my practice. For any nurse thinking about pursuing a specialty certification, my advice is to go for it! What you learn in preparing for it will benefit you in ways that may surprise you — and ultimately, it benefits your patients. What if that one thing you remember in the right moment can make all the difference?”
Moments of Impact
According to Jill, "The work we do in the ED can be incredibly challenging." One moment that reminds her of why this work matters so much happened when a 12‑year‑old girl came up to her in the ED and asked if she could give Jill a hug. “When she did, she thanked me for saving her grandmother a few weeks earlier. In reality, I was just one part of the incredible team caring for her grandmother, but that moment meant the world to me. It reminded me that even when we don’t always realize it, our work can have a lasting impact.”
