Brianne M. Casey (N ’16) attributes much of her career success and the person who she is today to the time that she spent at ĻӰ studying to become a nurse: “I owe them my career.”
Casey worked as an ER Nurse for for several years and said that it was very influential to her personally and professionally. On the professional side, her experiences in the ER allowed her to connect what she learned in the classroom with professors like Helen Zebarth and Director of Employee Wellness and Healthcare Navigation Lisa Darsch to real-life situations. She was also led to understand what she considers to be the most important part of being a nurse: education.
“I learned in this ER, that yes, restarting hearts, stopping bleeding, and administering pain medications is PART of being an ER nurse,” said Casey. “The real role of a nurse is to empower and to educate patients, so that they may improve their health themselves.”
Because of this realization, she created a start-up called , which “focuses on producing media that provides healthcare information to patients that is easily accessible and easy to use.”
She has also begun to prioritize mentorship and education of nursing students and nurses: “As a nurse, I had a terrible and stressful transition from the classroom to real live patients. So I now assist new nurses with this transition through precepting and mentoring.” Casey explains that it is sometimes hard to advocate for your patients, do your job, be a liaison between families and patients, while also witnessing some of the worst moments in a person’s life.
She hopes that by being a member of the Alumni Board of Directors, she will be able to continue to share experiences and opportunities with others in the Shenandoah community and expand her knowledge and teaching further. She is also grateful for the support that Shenandoah has afforded her over the years. “My alma mater has been involved with me well beyond graduation day,” said Casey. “Every time I ask for help or advice on something they directly connect me to faculty, staff, or advisors associated with the university with the expertise I need.”
Casey enjoys raising and training horses and dogs, which she says has been passed down from her parents, and she is currently working as a travel nurse, which she says is a dream come true. She is researching new places to settle down and, as always, new opportunities to educate nurses and students through her in-person expertise and her start-up.