Nearly four decades of nursing – knowledge to share

Long-time nurse reflects on her career helping patients and teaching others.

By TJ Banes, IU Health Senior Journalist, tfender1@iuhealth.org

On a typical weekday, IU Health Methodist nurse Elizabeth Burns instructed Camille Hedd how to hang a secondary IV medication. Hedd was completing nursing school at IU Indy and working as a patient care intern at IU Health University Hospital. She hopes to work in ICU.

Teaching students and new nurses is part of Burns’ role as a preceptor. She also teaches a trauma core class on spinal cord injuries and is a stroke certified nurse.

“I knew from first grade that I wanted to be a nurse. I never wavered. My mother was a pediatric nurse, and my dad was the director of the blood bank at Methodist when I was growing up,” said Burns. “When I was young, I was fascinated by medical shows and have always felt a need to help others. Nursing was a natural fit for me. I like how challenging my job is every day, said Burns, the second oldest girl of six children. “I babysat my siblings and many families in my neighborhood. My faith taught me to help others and those in need.” Throughout high school she volunteered at special events at the Indianapolis Children’s Museum and was a medical explorer, a program providing hands-on experiential learning in the healthcare field.

“Once a week we came to Methodist Hospital to see different aspects of the hospital,” said Burns.

She started her career with IU Health Methodist Hospital 36 years ago and has worked in neurological critical care ever since.

“Nursing has changed quite a bit since I started - from paper to electronic charting, and advances in technology and equipment (we now have a bedside CT scan for patients that are too critical to travel),” said Burns. “With advances in medicine, we can deliver better care and save a lot more patients. We are also better at preventing hospital acquired infections.” A typical day involves bedside care along with reporting on patients and participating in physician rounds.

Burns said a highlight of her role at Methodist Hospital is working with a great team of coworkers. “It’s important in nursing to have teamwork and NCC has the best. It is also rewarding to see someone get better after being critically ill,” she said.

Outside the hospital, Burns is married and the mother of two sons and a daughter, who is also a nurse for IU Health.

“Nursing is not easy, but it can be rewarding, you must trust your instincts and you have to care for yourself because it can affect you physically, mentally, and emotionally. Do something you love on your days off to help manage the stress,” said Burns.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking, gardening, cooking and being with family.