Shelly Mathews, CRNA, said she was drawn to nursing because of the variety of options available. “I was so indecisive about what I wanted to do with my life, and I saw nurses could do a lot – go into any field, work with all kinds of patients. This seemed like a good fit,” she said.
After graduating from nursing school, Mathews was working at Bergan Mercy in the intensive care unit. One shift, she saw a woman running to a code and then coming out a few minutes later, visibly happy.
“I could tell she loved her job, and so I asked her what she did,” Mathews said. “She told me she was a nurse anesthetist and explained what she does – I knew right then that’s what I wanted to do.”
Mathews began working at Nebraska Medicine in 2017. She says she appreciates her colleagues and the flexibility of her schedule. “I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to work with, it’s a wonderful place to work.
“For anyone that even remotely is thinking about nursing, I would encourage you to shadow a nurse,” Mathews said. “There are so many aspects of care, from floor nursing to the ICU and of course the anesthesia field.”
When not at work caring for her patients, she spends time at home with her husband and five grandchildren. She also enjoys quilting and bike riding in her free time.
While it is sometimes stressful, Mathews said she has no regrets about her career choice, and providing compassionate clinical care for her patients has been personally rewarding and fulfilling.
“CRNAs are rock stars,” Mathews said. “And people generally like anesthesia providers – we’re the ones taking care of you throughout procedures, and we’re who you see when you wake up.”