GETTING TO KNOW A BHC NURSE
Samantha Brunkhorst, BSN, RN
Cardiology and Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery
I
grew up in a rural community in Foristell, MO. I went to Wright City school district for grade school, then attended to East Central Community College for general education and finished my Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Missouri Western State University. I grew up in a family-oriented environment, doing everything together with a close family.
Why did you get into the health care field? I decided to go into the health care field after my mom fell and broke her ankle. I assisted her until EMS arrived to take her to the hospital and was the go-to person for questions from family and instructed my brother to call 911 and what to say. I decided to try Health Occupations in high school to see how I would like it and fell in love with helping people. What interested you in your particular specialty? I actually grew up with a heart condition and felt at home with cardiac patients knowing some of the things they go through. I also love that the heart is like the battery pack of the body – if it’s not working right, it can cause other body systems to not function properly. What is the most rewarding part of your job? The most rewarding part of my job is helping people when they need it most and getting to work with my amazing coworkers. I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without my coworkers and all the things they help me with. What is the most challenging aspect of your job? The most challenging part of my job is working nights – resources are more limited and when I have to call the doctor about a patient, I know I’ll be waking them up. Luckily, I have an amazing team to help whenever things get tough. What has changed in your field since you started practicing? The technology for heart patients seems to change on a daily basis. From what I can recall, there’s been the micro pacemaker that was a smaller pacemaker device available for special cases, a new access site for heart caths known as
“snuff-box” access, another new pacemaker type known as a subcutaneous pacemaker where the wires are under the skin instead of implanted directly into the heart through a vein. What do you see changing in the next 5 to 10 years? I could see our charting system changing, as well new advances in open heart surgeries and cath procedures and even more devices available to help patients with cardiac issues. What do you enjoy doing outside of work? Outside of work I enjoy being on the farm with my family. Currently I have about 26 chickens and have a cattle company with my husband and our family. I enjoy playing with my daughter and seeing all the new things she discovers since she loves being outside. I also enjoy crafting and gardening. What advice would you give someone looking to become a nurse? Never give up and give it your best. There will be times when you may want to quit because things may get hard – we do deal with very sick patients at times who need a lot of care but it can be one of the most rewarding things to help people when they need it most.
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