National Nurses Week: Mother and daughter on the front lines

It’s National Nurse Appreciation Week and we’re celebrating a mother-daughter duo from Goshen Hospital who have been on the front lines of this pandemic.

When Courtney Brickner was a child, she knew she wanted to become a nurse just like her mom, Erica Prough.

Now, they’re both on the front lines of global pandemic. Brickner is a registered nurse on the Labor and Delivery floor at Goshen Hospital, while Prough is the Director of Education and Practice for Goshen Health.

Both women started their careers on the Labor and Delivery floor at Goshen Hospital, decades apart.

“When she decided nursing, I was excited and proud,” Prough said. “To have her here at Goshen in the same unit I started my career in, labor and delivery, is a really cool connection. She’s doing a lot of amazing things. It’s neat to have that professional connection and personal connection with her.”

Prough joked that in nursing school, they didn’t spend too long learning about pandemics, but she’s been blown away by how Goshen Hospital and our community has responded.

“It’s so inspiring to see nurses and healthcare team has taken the challenges and risen to the challenge to care for our community in new ways,” Prough said.

For Brickner, these difficult times have only reinforced this is what she wants to do for the rest of her life.

“Even with this going on, it does solidify this is what I’m called to do to help others no matter the circumstances,” Brickner said. “As nurses, we all feel that. We’re called to help no matter what happens.”