National Nurses Week

HARTINGTON — Some things are just in the blood.

It wasn’t in the original cards for Taylor Feilmeier, but the winning hand she holds now brought her back home to Hartington.

The Cedar Catholic alum returned to her old stomping grounds just a shade under three years ago when she replaced her mother, Brenda Miller, as the school’s nurse and found a calling that has locked her in.

“Those are some big shoes to fill because my mom is very outgoing and personable and she went to Cedar Catholic and Holy Trinity herself, so she knows pretty much everybody in Hartington,” Feilmeier said. “Coming back to fill her shoes was a little overwhelming. I feel like it’s been going really well and she’s an awesome resource. It’s been a real blessing.”

Feilmeier has been working at the school since the 2017-18 school year and before that she was a Neo Natal Intensive Care Unit nurse at the children’s hospital in Omaha for two years after working as a Certified Nurse’s Assistant.

Then her alma mater – she graduated in 2011 – came into the picture.

“I was getting married and working in Omaha, but I was engaged to a guy who lived here, and my mom was going to move to Omaha, so we were switching places,” Feilmeier said. “So, she said, ‘would you be interested in working at the school?’ Jeff and I knew that after we got married it would be a nice job to have in town since there aren’t a lot of options for nursing in town. Also, working in the school system would be a nice perk when I had kids, too.”

Except for the challenges thrown at society because of the coronavirus, this has become a perfect combination of timing and a new learning process.

“It’s way different than what I was doing in Omaha, but it’s something you fall in love with,” Feilmeier said. “I knew it was a possibility. I had heard my mom talk about how she loved interacting with the kids and what a great gig it was.” 

He goals changed when she decided to return to Hartington.

“I always thought of myself working at the hospital, but I am glad my mom opened my eyes and head to different ideas. You are still doing some of the same things and you get a lot more interaction and you get to see how those kids progress. While at the hospital, they leave after a week and you never see them again.”

She also is the nurse for Holy Trinity Grade School and West Catholic. She works in a clinic a couple days a week, too, and is going back to school to study to be a nurse practitioner. 

“Those kids, their questions are so sweet and innocent,” she said. “It is so fun to interact with them.

“I feel it’s all interconnected and I can get insight seeing them day-to-day. It’s easier to see what’s going on and what’s wrong. In Hartington, it is nice, too, because parents are always willing to help and if you have questions, they are easier to contact. In a big city, it’s not that easy.”

If she runs into a situation, Feilmeier knows she can reach out to her mother for help and guidance.

“That first year, she helped me with vision checks, BMI and dental checks,” Feilmeier said. “She knew she was leaving, and she wasn’t sure if I was going to take that job or not, but she came back to help me. Then I basically called her a lot that first year. She was always willing to help me.”

As time went on, she became more comfortable.

“The second year I feel I was calling her a little bit less and this year I feel like I really don’t call her anymore, because I have taken over,” she said. “I basically learned on the job. But she’s just a phone call away which is really nice.”