SHE SLIPPED into her car, her shoulders and her spirits slumping from the weight of the shift that just ended. In no hurry, she turned the ignition, not to back out but to roll down her window, creating an escape route for her thoughts. She reviewed the most stressful cases one by one, turning them over as if on paper, inspecting every line for hints. What went right? What went wrong? How could it be different next time? As she finally left the parking lot, she sifted through what she found, tossing out what she couldn’t change, making a mental note of what she could. She would write it down later and review it with the team the next time they were together.
It’s a glimpse into the life of Mandy Currier, a dedicated registered nurse at Lincoln Medical Center’s emergency room (ER). However, her journey to this moment began long before she ever set foot in the ER.
While in nursing school, Currier cared for patients as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) at Lincoln Care Center and Donalson Care Center. She then went on to work as a floor nurse at Donalson upon obtaining her license as a registered nurse. Currier knew that if she worked as a CNA first, she’d take that experience into her future nursing career.
“I feel like to be a good nurse, a leader, and a role model for new nurses, you need to start from the bottom and build your way up. CNAs are very hardworking members of your team,” Currier shared.
As a nurse, she worked at both Lincoln and Donalson care centers. Currier taught educational and CNA classes at Donalson, worked in the ER at the old hospital, and then returned to skilled care. But when the new hospital opened, she started in the ER, finding that her previous experience at the old hospital and in skilled care and home health prepared her for the ever-changing cases in the ER.
Currier said, “It’s something different every day. You don’t know if it’s going to be a stumped toe or a major medical emergency, so you’ve always got to be quick with your thinking and critical skills. It’s just very fast-paced.”
In a small-town community, the odds are great that you might know the patient or their family. That familiarity makes dealing with critical care situations even more difficult.
“You have to separate yourself from that at the time and then go back and go over things and decompress after the fact,” she explained. “A lot of times, we decompress as a group after the fact and just review things.”
However, on an average day, Currier’s work as an ER nurse involves cases that aren’t necessarily deemed critical by the strictest medical standards.
“When people talk about emergency nursing, they first and foremost think about saving lives. Yes, we do, but nursing includes so much more,” Currier stated. “It includes being a caregiver, a support person, a shoulder to cry on, a hug if needed, education to the community, and a listening ear when all the emotions are running high.”
And the ER nurses need some of the same.
“Nurses are real. We have emotions and feelings. We have bad days, too. Sometimes we need a hug, too,” she said.
Currier’s greatest desire as a nurse is to help people, and there was never a more challenging time to do that than during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She reflected, “COVID was really bad. I wasn’t in the ER during COVID; I worked in ICU (intensive care unit). Already, that was a really bad time for nursing because there was not much you could do to help people. I told my family that when I signed up — when I wanted to be a nurse — it was because I wanted to help people. And then, just being in that situation, there was not much we could do. It was out of our hands. We were doing all the medical stuff we could do for those patients, but you just couldn’t help them. That was probably the most stressful part of my nursing career.”
Currier is known to advocate for her patients and educate them about their medications and diagnosis. Even helping them understand what the doctor tells them is important to her. Still, the patient and the patient’s family are dealing with pain, confusion, and a suitcase full of emotions. It’s often the nurses that bear the brunt of their anxiety.
“Being a nurse is hard. We’re human. We make mistakes, but just know that I will do everything in my power to help you in a time of need. Every time I go to work, I am so thankful that I’m able to help and give back to our community. I just hope I can lighten someone’s load or brighten their day.”
Behind most emergency response workers is a family sacrificing the presence of their loved ones on holidays and special occasions.
Currier said, “My family is very important to me. I’m grateful for my husband, Shawn, who listens to and supports me. I’m proud of my girls, Sara and Camryn. They understand that, as a nurse, the ER doesn’t close, so we have to be there. I do miss out on things from time to time.”
As one shift gives way to the next, Currier knows that the weight of the daily challenges is balanced by the difference she makes and the lives she touches. She knows that each day will bring new challenges, new patients, and new opportunities to make a difference. She knows she just wants to help people. GN