Staci Gilbert, officially joined the Parkview Samaritan team as a flight nurse in December 1998. She became the manager of flight and EMS services for Parkview Health’s Samaritan Medical Transport program in March 2021.
Read the feature on Staci that appeared in the Journal Gazette.
As Staci tells it, she’s been committed to being a caregiver since she was five. “I’ve never even contemplated doing anything else in my life, other than being a nurse,” she said. “It’s my job. It’s just what I’m meant to do.”
She offered a behind-the-scenes look at the pace, the mindset and the self-care regimen that allows her to “do what needs to be done” day in and day out. This includes running, kickboxing and being on the water. These things allow Staci to clear her mind, process what’s been and what needs to be. “Then I free my mind, breathe and let things go,” she said.
Staci shared that it helps that her husband, Andy, also worked in the field, and understands what it means to have a bad flight. A bad day.
Perspective
“Growing up, I was the one who took care of everybody, I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” Staci said. “I wanted to make sure people weren’t hurting and when they were, I knew what to do.”
Learning those techniques came from her education and training, but also from personal experience. “I got hit head on when driving home from work one night,” Staci shared. Following the accident, she had to learn how to walk again.
She found herself in the position of “loved one” when Andy became ill early in their marriage. He became so sick, in fact, they had to fly him on Samaritan to the hospital.
“So, I can not only be sympathetic, I can also be empathetic, because I’ve been in those shoes,” she said. “I’ve been the family, I’ve been the patient. I know what it’s like.”
These experiences have also strengthened Staci’s connection to the health system. “Parkview took care of me as the nurse and caregiver. Then, they took care of me when I was the patient. And then, I leaned on my Parkview family when my husband was sick. It’s come full circle.”
A special bond
Staci is quick to point to her co-workers when talking about the essentials of her work. “We carry a lot of baggage, and over the years, the suitcases have gotten full,” she said. “The flight crew is such a close family that we’re all able to talk and unload that baggage, so we don’t have stress that weighs us down. You have to work through it or else you couldn’t do what we do.”
The nurse still carries one reminder of the value of her efforts. “There’s a chart I still carry. I keep it in my flight bag. A family was hit on their way home and we flew the mother in. She was pronounced dead in the ER, and then the son came in by ground, and I had to turn around and care for him. The chart reminds me that life changes in a second. You don’t know what’s going to happen. Life is short and you should live to the fullest. Don’t sit back and let it pass you by.”
Staci is honored by her ability to provide potentially life-saving care. “We’re part of these families’ worst days, and to know I play a part in that, there is pride in that,” she said. “I feel blessed to have the knowledge and experience to help, and that this was the path I was given. At the end of the day, I know I’ve done the best I can for these people and that they’ll have another day.”
Looking back, Staci feels blessed to have traveled the road she has. “If I could have that five-year-old beside me, I’d tell her not to give up on being the nurse she wants to be. I love what I do. I love my life. I love the time I’ve worked at Parkview.”
This short documentary was created as part of Parkview’s celebration of 35 years of Samaritan. You can learn more about the milestone here.
