Nursing is a second career for Nathan Olmstead. After eight years in Human Resources, Nathan decided to become a nurse. He earned his Associate of Science degree in Nursing from Vermont Technical College and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Massachusetts. He joined Grace Cottage in 2011 as a graduate nurse. At Grace Cottage, he has worked as a staff nurse and charge nurse on the Inpatient Nursing Unit, and as an Emergency Department nurse:
“While I have loved all of my nursing jobs, my true passion in nursing is as an ED nurse. You see people at their absolute worst. You are able to be there, provide critical interventions, and truly save lives. I have been an ED nurse at larger hospitals, but I truly love working in the ED at Grace Cottage. I have been in many codes at larger facilities where there are so many people in the room, and it is extremely chaotic. However, at Grace Cottage, when we are in an emergent situation, we come together like a smooth running machine and get the patient stabilized and shipped out in a very efficient manner. I also have been able to use different nursing skill sets than if I was at a larger hospital. It continues to be a tremendous learning experience.”
In 2015, Olmstead was promoted to Nurse Manager. As nurse manager, Olmstead oversees the day-to-day operations of both the Inpatient Care Unit and the Emergency Department, providing first line management and supervision of the Nursing Staff, Unit Secretaries, and Outpatient Registration personnel.
“Grace Cottage is a truly remarkable place, like no other. We are very much all a work ‘family.’ As I mentioned previously, it is a great place to utilize various nursing skills you don’t often use in a larger facility. It is also a great place to learn and grow as a nurse. We service such a variety of patients, and we have an ED that is in such close proximity, that we have the opportunity to learn so much. I always tell people that Grace Cottage not only cares about me, but they also care that I have a family. There are few other places where I am able to grow professionally, and still have a very present home life with my wife and two children. That is priceless to me.”
