First A Nurse: No Matter Where, No Matter What | Page 21
The plane was dark and peaceful as the passengers on the
international flight dozed off or watched movies. Newly
pregnant Bridget Burns-King and her husband were on their
way to Italy to enjoy the last vestiges of freedom before
becoming parents.
A couple of hours into the flight, as she slept, her husband
noticed a group of people gathering near a passenger several
rows ahead, so he went to inquire. He woke his wife with
a nudge and this Spartan Nurse was immediately “on duty.”
A young man was lethargic, confused, sweating profusely,
and not answering questions appropriately. Observing that
he was close to losing consciousness, she took the man’s
vitals. She talked with him and found out that he was
observing Ramadan; he said he had been performing
strenuous work all day and hadn’t had any food or water.
He refused cola and juice, but Burns-King was able to
persuade him to drink some water with lemon. His condition
improved, and he was closely monitored during the
remainder of the flight.
Always on Watch and Aware
With the crisis averted, she returned to her seat. But not for
long. “I thought that I was going to go back to my seat and
get some sleep; but that lasted less than an hour.” She was
awakened by the woman sitting next to her. She pointed to
a passenger who appeared to be having seizure-like activity
and was unresponsive.
“Nine weeks pregnant and nauseated, I climbed into the
center row of seats to reach her. I took her pulse, and then
began talking to her, trying to get her to focus on us. I got her
vitals, placed an oxygen mask on her, and she soon ‘came to,’”
Burns-King says. “I didn’t sleep the rest of the flight, but such
is the life of a nurse—always on watch and aware.”
Her nursing education at MSU prepared her well for this
experience. “In these types of situations, you just know what
to do. You don’t stop and think about it. You just act,” she
says. “Being a Spartan Nurse is part of who you are. Every
experience you go through as a nurse builds upon past
experiences, and better prepares you for future emergencies
or situations.”
Educating People to Lead
Healthier Lives
“I went to MSU because of their reputation as a great school
for health professionals. I wanted to further my education
past the baccalaureate level. Getting my master’s enabled
me to better my skills as a nurse and also add new skills as
a nurse practitioner to be able to diagnose, treat, and care
for people throughout their lives. I work to make difficult
times easier for people.
“I’m always a teacher; and being a nurse is a huge part of that.
I want to educate people about leading healthier lives and
making healthier decisions,” Burns-King adds.
A Journey to Care for Others
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