Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Doweidt.
Hi Brittany, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Growing up I always knew I wanted to help people, but I was unsure where exactly I wanted to be. I received my first degree from Tarelton State University in 2016 in Biomedical Science. Originally I wanted to become a physician, but while getting to apply to medical school I knew at that time in my life I was not in right mind set to risk committing to 16 years of school total and not love what I do, so I took a step back and decided not to apply for medical school. From here I began working at CARE Fertility in the Andrology Lab helping to prep specimans for artificial insemination, as well as freezing specimens for cancer patients. I learned a lot working in this field, but as time went on I knew I had a different calling to do something more. During this time I also got involved in the hit TV show American Ninja Warrior, which led me to competing on the show during seasons 8-11 and meeting my now husband Thomas Doweidt. American Ninja Warrior has now been apart of my life for 10 years this year and has enabled me to do some amazing things and meet some of the best people that I not only call friends, but they are truly my family. I no longer compete on the show as my husband helps to build, test and design obstacles for the TV show, which is considered a conflict of interest. On the positive end though I still get to be apart of the show and now test obstacles for them to ensure the shorter female athletes competing can complete them. As for my career I have now been a registered nurse for almost 4 years. After spending time at CARE I knew it was time I furthered my career. I started the accelerated BSN RN program at University of Texas-Arlington and graduated with my 2nd bachelors and RN in Dec 2022. After graduation I began my nursing journey at Texas Health in the ER. It was a little scary at first, but the ER is truly a place I can call home. My ADHD and adrenaline junkie lifestyle make it one of the best departments for me to work in. After finishing around 18 months at Texas Health I felt good enough to begin doing some travel nursing. I have since worked in the ER on 2 different native Indian reservations (Working with the Navajo Nation in Dilkon AZ, and the Crow Reservation in MT). I had truly amazing experiences helping the native people and have made life long friends, and honestly it made me realize that we truly do have areas that need help in United States. A lot of individuals here do not have running water or electricity. Things we take for granted everyday some people do not even have the access to get. It truly is eye opening. At this time I have switched units/fields, as the ER can me mentally draining and sometimes you have to step away for a bit. I am working at PAUSE doing vitamin IV’s, as well as I have just accepted a position to work at Baylor Scott & White-Trophy club in their PACU department to then hopefully get trained in the OR to perhaps 1 day become a first assist in Surgery. For now this is where I am in my life with an abundance of opportunity and I can not wait to to see what comes next!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Life growing up was not always the easiest. I grew up with a single mom who worked several jobs to keep us afloat. Sometimes food was scarce, but I will say my mom and grandmother did everything they could to make sure I had the most normal life I could growing up.
My dad and I did not have a great relationship growing up. My dad had a drug problem when I was young , which made it difficult for us to connect as I got older and understood what was really happening. Eventually things did catch up with my dad. He went to prison for many years, and honestly it was the best thing for him. He came out clean as a whistle, got a job and has been doing great building a new life for himself. We have an awesome relationship now, which I am so thankful for, because often times most people do not even get that.
Growing up under privileged was hard, but I am thankful, as watching my mom work so hard instilled in me at a young age that no one will hand you anything. If you want something bad enough you work your butt off for it and find a way. The only thing that makes something impossible is if you believe it to be so. I like to share my struggles with others, as I know someone is going through some of the same things I went through and I believe it is important that other know it doesn’t matter who your parents are or where you come from your future is yours to decide.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Currently I am a registered nurse with 2 degrees (1st-Bachelors in Biomedical Science, 2nd-Bachelors of science in Nursing). I started my nursing journey as a nurse extern on an Oncology unit at Texas Health Resources. I helped to bath, feed and ensure our patients were well taken care of while getting treatment. After I graduated for my nursing program I knew Medsurg/Oncology was not where I wanted to be and took a nursing residency in the ER at Texas Health Resources. The ER is a very different world that most people truly do not know what happens within those walls. The Emergency Room taught me some of the best skills I would need to be a successful nurse. I learned amazing time management, triaging critical patients from non-critical, as well as if someone is not dying right away it can wait.
After completing my residency I decided I wanted to begin travel nursing which lead me to my first travel contract on a Native Indian Reservation in Dilkon AZ working with the Navajo Nation. I was presented with the opportunity to help open a brand new hospital/ER for the nation (which have been trying to open the new hospital for over 10 years). The hospital was absolutely beautiful and so needed for the Navajo Nation. Many natives would have to drive over an hour just to get medical care and this facility allowed easier access to care for so many individuals. I stayed on this reservation for about 1 year and it was truly amazing. From here I took a break and worked at a free standing ER for a bit back home in Texas until I got the travel bug again and headed off to Montana to work with the Crow Reservation for 6 months. The crow reservation was a great experience, but also different. Many individuals here haven’t had running water in years and if include the snow and crazy weather it can be difficult to get medical care. Overall, both my experience were great. It allowed me to learn about multiple different cultures and see different parts of the country. It also showed me that many of the things we have such as electricity, running water, and access to things is a luxury that most people take for granted. Never in my life would I have considered people not having access to these things in the United States, but it is here and it is real and we should all be more aware and grateful for the things we do have .
At this point in my career I feel the things critical care nurses see are indescribable and things no person should ever have to see, as it can be a heavy load to bear at times. I would not trade anything I have experienced, but I would love to further educate individuals about life in rural healthcare, as well as the things healthcare providers truly see and do, because it does take a special person to work in this field.
I am most proud of stepping out of my comfort zone and reaching for new experiences and opportunities. We as humans find comfort in routine and consistency, so choosing to go to places I never would have thought, like the native reservations and serving under privileged people has helped to mold me into a better healthcare provider. I also want to be there for people on their worst day. Even if I am having a terrible day myself, I will ensure everyone I take care of is feeling better and that if I can make them smile at least once that is a win in my book.
I often tell people to try the things that scare you. Once you get comfortable you stop growing and I believe we should continue to grow over our lifetime, so get out there and do something that scares you, because you will never know the result if you don’t try.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
A couple of books I highly recommend to people are Atomic Habits by James Clear and Boundaries in Marriage by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend.
1. Atomic Habits is an amazing book that can help you to learn how to instill good habits, break bad ones and develop a process beginning with small building blocks to help you build a successful future. Most individuals have a big goal such as, I want to own a Lamborghini, I want to become an entrepreneur, or I want to buy a log cabin in the mountains. All of these are fantastic goals, but people often find themselves wondering how to get there and Atomic Habits can help establish the stepping stones needed to get to our BIG goals, by learning to set small ones first.
2. Boundaries in Marriage is something I picked up, because marriage and interacting with your spouse in a healthy manner is vital and there are always things we as people can work on to strengthen our marriage and communicate better with one another. Anyone who says they have a perfect marriage…. Well I believe that to be false. Marriage takes work, communication and trust, which are things we can all work on throughout our lives. This book will open your mind to different aspects of your relationship and maybe give you a different way to look at things within a relationship. I would recommend this to people whom are single, married, divorced or even just dating, as this book can give guidance, regardless what stage your are at in your life.
Pricing:
- Atomic Habits $20
- Boundaries in Marriage $20
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Bhanks_ninja
