Saint Joseph Berea emergency department nurse Sherry Schwarz knew helping people in their time of need was her calling after a unique experience. On her way home from visiting her parents, she witnessed a car wreck on the interstate where a man overturned in his van. She was the first person on the scene.
“I went over to the van and called for EMS,” Sherry said. “I stayed with him the whole time and held his hand. I knew his arm was broken, and he kept saying he was going to pass out. I told him to keep talking to me and he never passed out. When EMS finally arrived, he didn’t want to let go of my hand.
“That’s when I knew I wanted to be a nurse because I felt like I could do more.”
Sherry moved back home to Kentucky and started working at Saint Joseph Berea in 2004 after becoming a nurse. She currently works in the emergency department, where she sees a variety of patients and their ailments.
“Sometimes it’s slow and sometimes it’s a full load in the emergency room, but we’re usually busy,” Sherry said. “We see a lot of different medical needs, from chest pains to difficulty breathing. When people come into the ER, they’re there because they feel like they need to be there, and we help them no matter what.”
Sherry was recently honored for her dedication by being named Employee of the Quarter.
“It felt great to be recognized by my peers; it was a blessing to me,” Sherry said. “I work with a great group of people. We’re like one big family. They keep me going every day, and, to me, coming to work is like getting to see part of your family.”
In her free time, Sherry is an avid hunter and runner. She has ran in two half marathons, one in Central Park in New York City and the other in Lexington. Sherry said she takes time off to go hunt during turkey and deer seasons in October and November.
“We don’t hunt to just hunt; we hunt to eat,” Sherry said. “With what we take down, we make summer sausage, jerky, steaks and we freeze it to share with family and friends.”
Sherry said she has shot a 10-point buck, but she said she got a nine-point buck that was larger than the 10 pointer.
“I get nervous when I see a big buck come into range and start shaking in my tree stand thinking, ‘Oh, it would be great to get this one,’” Sherry said. “I just love being outdoors and hunting.”
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