Brenda Blixt
First steps into a rewarding career
When she was 5, Brenda Blixt created her own little hospital for injured dolls, including some with "broken bones." Empty tissue paper rolls made the perfect casts.
But it wasn't until a decade later, in 1991, that she first stepped into a real hospital. "I remember thinking how big it was and how easy it would be to get lost," says Brenda, then a freshman at Central Cass High School in Casselton, N.D.
She and students from throughout the region came to MeritCare for one reason: to explore careers in health care. Under the wings of dedicated professionals, they listened, shadowed, observed and asked.
"Asking questions is so important," says Brenda. "A program like Youth Medical Experience is a great opportunity to do that,"
Brenda's path to nursing took flight. In high school she worked as a nursing assistant in a nursing home — and enjoyed it. She went on to the University of North Dakota for her bachelor's degree in nursing, including an internship at MeritCare that further refined her career path.
Today, a 10-year nurse on MeritCare Hospital's medical-surgical unit, Brenda holds herself to high technical standards. Yet she's never lost her love for patients. "Laughing with them, answering their questions, getting to know their story, seeing them get better — I love it all," she says.
Her love for learning has continued. too. This year Brenda will receive her master's degree from Minnesota State University Moorhead, opening more doors through advanced-practice nursing. "No matter what health care career you pursue, it's still about helping people," she says.
And the greatest reward? It happens at the end of a long day when a patient asks a simple question: Will you be my nurse tomorrow? "It's the ultimate compliment," says Brenda. Something her dolls never gave her.