“I like working in health care because I love taking care of others,” Megan Boyd, a registered nurse in the cardiovascular intensive care unit (ICU) at Mercy Health – Springfield Regional Medical Center, shares. “I enjoy figuring out puzzles and fixing things. I’m a fighter and will fight for my patients.”
Megan was drawn to working with patients in the heart field during college. In fact, she did a clinical rotation at a large hospital in the cardiac ICU trauma center.
“Seeing critically ill patients with heart diseases and the immense amount of knowledge that went into caring for them made me drawn to the field,” she shares. “I saw a lot during that rotation and couldn’t stop myself from trying to learn as much as I could about heart diseases and treatments.”
For Megan, being a nurse is her calling. She says it’s a part of her. The most rewarding aspect of her specialty is seeing patients get better.
“They could be hooked up to several machines and drips after having open heart surgery. But then, they’ll be walking the halls all within three days. I help them get better and be able to go home,” Megan says.
When asked if she’s ever been inspired by a patient, Megan recalls the following memories.
“Multiple patients have inspired me during my time working in the cardiovascular ICU. Patients have come in without a pulse and we’ve been able to get it back. After that, the patient pushes themselves and winds up being well enough to leave the hospital. Patients like this are the reason I do what I do.”
Looking back on the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Megan realizes the impact it has had on health care providers like herself.
“Nothing could have prepared me for this pandemic,” she shares. “Working as a critical nurse for eight years prior to COVID-19 has given me a lot of experience with death. We see a lot of cardiovascular ICU critical patients who don’t make it. However, the amount of death my coworkers and I have witnessed is more than anything I could have been prepared for.”
She adds though that “our effortless teamwork between doctors, nurses, respiratory therapy and other departments has shined through this pandemic. Working together with these individuals is what has kept me going. We truly have the best teamwork around. After all that I’ve been through I hold everyone tighter, tell them I love them more and keep my team close because that’s what you’re going to need to get through tough times. We lean on each other and get through it.”
When looking toward the future, Megan is excited to continue to grow the heart program and be a part of amazing collaborations.
“I am also passionate about teaching and mentoring new nurses,” she says. “It’s a really hard time to be a new nurse – they are getting exposed to things that took me years to understand. Being an advocate and mentor for them is important to me.”
Outside of work, Megan enjoys spending time with her three children and husband, going to new places, watching sporting events and swimming in the summer.
Happy American Heart Month! Learn more about the cardiology services we offer at Mercy Health.
Also, at Mercy Health, nurses mean the world. Learn how you can join our nursing team today.
