HealthLinks Upstate Sept/Oct 2019

48 | www.UpstatePhysiciansSC.com | www.HealthLinksUpstate.com SHEA SHULLER, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CCRP Classes she took in high school convinced Shea Shuller to pursue a career in nursing. “I knew I wanted to be a nurse ever since I took anatomy and physiology in high school. I also enjoy caring for others and felt nursing would be the ideal career for me,” she said. When she graduated from nursing school in 2010 from USC - Upstate, she thought for sure she wanted to work in obstetrics. “I loved working with new mothers and newborns, but I could not find a position in that area, so I accepted a position in cardiology. I have never looked back,” she admitted. Since heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, she said she feels passionate about being able to educate patients on heart disease prevention. She finished her MSN at Gardner-Webb University in 2014. Her advice to aspiring nurses is: “If you are in school, do not give up. Nursing school is challenging, but I feel that the stress in school only prepares you for the real world of nursing. I feel that taking care of someone in the hospital setting requires critical thinking skills, and your judgment could potentially save someone's life.” AUDREY HUFF, MSN, RN For Audrey Huff, nursing definitely was a call- ing. She was working as a unit secretary for over nine years and was perfectly content when she felt the tug to make a career change to nursing. She began her career in the emergency room and then went on to cardiology. After eight years in cardiology, she went to work for Pelham Medi- cal Center, where she is now, in med-surg. During her time at Pelham Medical Center, she obtained her BSN and later her MSN. “The BSN degree was instrumental in shaping my concept of evi- dence-based practice. The MSN degree showed me the possibilities of what I could do with a graduate degree in nursing, such as entrepreneurship,” she said. Huff recently established her own business – Phenomenal Health Care Solutions, LLC. “I am working on a few ideas and should have it all running within the next six months to a year. I have a good 15 years to work before retirement, so I am excited for what the future holds.” Her advice to aspiring nurses: “The complexity of problems seen in pa- tients is oftentimes overwhelming. As nurses, we must always seek to make something, anything, better for the patients each time we encounter them.” AMY FRITZSCHE, BSN Amy Fritzsche said her favorite part about working in the emergency room at Cherokee Medical Center in Gaffney is taking care of a variety of patients – from children to adults and even the elderly. But being an emergency room nurse was not what she originally saw herself doing. “I actually wanted to be an anesthesiologist. In high school, I had the opportunity to follow one. That day, he advised me to become a nurse and potentially a certified registered nurse anes- thetist. So when the time came, I applied for nursing school,” she said. While in nursing school, she worked for a pediatrician’s office and loved it. Her first job out of college was on the pulmonary floor at Spar- tanburg Regional Medical Center. Fritzsche said that the best advice she received was from a nurse who took care of her while undergoing a small outpatient procedure just be- fore she started nursing school. “Her advice was that when I get to the end of my rope, and I think I can’t do any more, just pray and God will be there for you.” She concluded, “Being a nurse is a calling. It’s not a career a person should enter into lightly. However, should anyone decide to become a nurse, they will receive the reward of helping out their fellow man.” T H E P U L S E O N UPSTATE NURSES HealthLinks Upstate wants to recognize nurses as the backbone of our medical community and thank them for all their efforts! GWEN PAINTER, ADN, RN Gwen Painter’s first love in nursing came in the form of hospice care. She was a part of the management team at Hospice of the Carolina Foothills and worked in hospice for 15 years before becoming an adminis- trator at Elite Day Center in Spartanburg, which is where she works today. “I love working with these senior and special needs adults,” she said. “I learn from them every day.” She became a certified nurse aide right out of high school and worked in nursing homes for several years. “This one elderly gentleman, Doc Wilson, who I would sit with, kept telling me I could do more and that the only thing that kept me from having the position that the visiting nurse had was education. He told me I could do her job; I just needed the degree. I received my LPN from Spartanburg Community College in 1996. I worked in nursing homes and hospitals for seven years. I wanted to case manage and needed my RN for that line of work. I did a bridge program and received my RN.” She advised aspiring nurses to work where their passion is and to continue their education. “The medical field changes daily. Keep your skills and knowledge up-to-date,” she said.