Caring about people spurred nursing career for Upstate pediatric ER nurse
Every year, from May 6-12, nurses are recognized for their service and dedication to caring for others and improving the health of patients nationwide. Throughout the National Nurses Week, healthcare organizations celebrate their teams and people across the nation thank the nurses who have made a difference in their lives. In Good Health—Rochester’s Healthcare Newspaper profiles two local nurses who are testament of the work nurses do every day in the field.
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Suzanne Buck, registered nurse in the pediatric emergency department at Upstate University Hospital, has always enjoyed caring for people and helping them. That’s what attracted her to the career.
“My mother was my encouragement and rock to give me the confidence to apply to nursing school,” Buck said.
Her support was important. At many nursing schools, hundreds of students apply for a limited number of spots. In addition, the academic rigor of nursing school challenges even top students to excel.
Despite these kinds of difficulties, Buck earned her LPN in 1987 at then Crouse Irving Memorial Hospital and then her RN. Buck worked at Crouse in telemetry and neurosurgery and later the emergency room. In 1994, she moved to Upstate’s emergency department.
For a year, she worked at Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital and Georgia Baptist in Atlanta when her husband’s work transferred him to Atlanta. In 1997, she returned to Upstate and has worked there ever since, first in the ER and for the past eight years primarily in the pediatric ER.
Her draw to help people “has remained unchanged throughout my career. I will always be there for family, friends and anyone that needs me. Nursing is a fulfilling and rewarding career. I care for my patients from my heart. I love my patients and career more each day. I am a strong, confident, respected and competent leader.”
As an ER nurse, Buck has a different day every day. This kind of diversity “has brought extraordinary experiences to my career,” Buck said. “I will never take my nursing cap off as I walk out of the hospital; I will always help someone who is in need.”
She has transported a patient who was rejecting a new liver to Boston by plane; delivered a baby; pulled a patient out of the waiting room bathroom after an attempted suicide; performed CPR in a grass field for over an hour on an Army soldier after a serious motorcycle accident; and went to Stony Brook for 19 days during the pandemic to give relief to the overworked nurses.
But what she considers most important is her underlying traits that nursing has helped her develop.
“I am compassionate, respectful, adaptable, passionate for learning, have strong critical care skills and collaborate well with others,” Buck said.
She hopes that more people looking for a career or a career change view nursing as a diverse career for anyone, regardless of age, gender and current level of education. For one thing, nursing offers opportunities, from bedside care to community care, to teaching, to education and leadership.
Buck encourages anyone who is interested in nursing to “shadow at a healthcare facility to ensure nursing is the career you want,” she said. “Explore different schooling opportunities and whether you want bedside nursing or an advanced degree for nursing administration.”