Abigail Steiner has been a nurse for 12 years, and knows that wherever she is in the moment is where she is supposed to be — as long as she can help others.
Three major life events. Devastating circumstances. Most people would be knocked down, but Abigail Steiner came out stronger.
“Life has proven to me that in a fight or flight situation I fight. I do my best work in stressful, chaotic situations.”
Situation No. 1: The 2007 Westroads Mall shooting. Steiner was shopping in the mall at the time, and happened to be halfway through nursing school. She had planned to go into critical care, but after “seeing a lot” from the top floor of Von Maur during the shooting, she switched her focus to psychiatric nursing.
“It opened my eyes to the need of that specialty,” she said. “And it drove me to want to become a nurse who could lead with compassion, integrity and respect.”
Situation No. 2: Her dad’s passing in 2019. Steiner was a traveling nurse at the time, but returned to southwest Iowa to care for her dad when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She ultimately became his hospice nurse, and remained at his side until the very end. Although she said it was the hardest thing she has ever had to do, it gave her confidence that she could do more.
Situation No. 3: COVID-19, March 2020. Steiner had COVID soon after the pandemic began, but she went back to work in the ER later that summer because she wanted to be there for her patients and fellow nurses.
“It solidified my decision to go back into the ‘trenches,’” she said.
Although she has worked as a substance abuse/detox RN and an adult psychiatric/mental health RN, among other roles, in various types of settings over the past 10 years — and earned a nomination for the prestigious national DAISY Award last year — Steiner is nowhere near the end of her list of goals. In fact, she is looking forward to diving deeper into her SANE/forensic nursing certification specialty and obtaining her TNCC certification.
“I just have always been guided toward helping others,” she said. “It just feels right.”
Abigail Steiner has been a nurse for 12 years, and knows that wherever she is in the moment is where she is supposed to be — as long as she can help others.
