Serving as a Military Nurse: Q&A with Sue Berto

Nursing has always been Sue Berto’s passion, 在军队服役让她在很多方面做出了自己无法想象的改变.

Now, as a nursing instructor at Herzing University-Kenosha她很高兴有机会帮助她的学生找到通往职业的道路 rewarding nursing career.

We talked to Sue to learn more about her military nursing experience以及回到平民生活是什么感觉.

你为什么选择参军?你服役了多长时间?

我一直想参军，甚至在很小的时候. Growing up, 我会看关于军队护士的电影和电视节目，以及她们如何照顾软件下载的退伍军人. I thought, “I want to do this.“软件下载的军人应该得到软件下载所能给予的最好的照顾. I think that is what made me decide finally to serve.

I served for 12 years in the Army, from 1988-2000. In 1990, 在沙漠风暴行动期间，我的部队被派去支援德国战区的医院. I was stationed there for seven months, 在一个医疗/外科单位工作，为受伤和生病的士兵提供护理.

你参军之前是做什么护理工作的?

I worked in a post-op surgical unit in a hospital. I also had a lot of experience in home health nursing. 我早期当护士的经历让我接触到了各种各样的疾病和伤害, which I think helped me when I became a military nurse.

Since I had several years of nursing experience 当我加入时，我已经被授予了中尉军衔.

What it’s like to be a military nurse?

军队护理与平民护理完全不同. 在军队里，你是病人的护士、朋友、知己——几乎就像家人一样. 他们远离家人，依靠你在他们身边.

Also, 你并不总能获得在传统医院所能获得的供应, especially in a field hospital. You learn how to deal without things.

军人护理与平民护理最大的区别是什么?

最大的不同是你与你的战友和你所服务的病人之间的友情. In the civilian world, 当你换工作的时候，你总是说你要和某人保持联系, but you rarely do.

In the military, you do. You live in the same barracks, eat at the same canteen, work at the same hospital, cry together and laugh together. You are a very tight-knit family. Everyone who was in the military understands this.

What was challenging about being a military nurse?

我认为最大的挑战是当我被部署到沙漠风暴时，我把我的孩子留在了美国. They were young – about 7 and 4 years old. That was very difficult for me.

你对那些从军队护理转回平民护理的人有什么建议吗?

Yes! Take time to get to know your friends and family 再说一遍，不要指望他们理解你所经历的一切.

What was the biggest reward of being a military nurse?

当我在法兰克福的时候，我照顾过一个驻扎在卡萨布兰卡的士兵. He was suffering from PTSD. I stayed by his bedside at night during my off time, so that he would see me sitting there when he woke up. I knew that seeing me there calmed him down. 他出院回美国的那天，他给了我一块他的贴片，也要我给他一块. He said, “This way, I will never forget the nurse from Wisconsin, who sat with me and who literally saved my life.”

你对那些想成为军医的人有什么建议吗?

I would say do not hesitate to join the military. You will never regret it, 你会从与现役军人和退伍军人一起工作中获得很多经验和知识. We owe them our lives. 通过分享你的知识和关心他们，给他们一些你的知识.

我热爱我的事业和我在军队的时光，我不会改变任何事情. 2000年从军队退役后，我对行医有了完全不同的看法. 我喜欢做一名护士，我觉得这是一个真正有意义的职业.

如果他们今天叫我去服役，我马上就去. It’s what I can do for my fellow soldiers.