Selma Brkic, BSN, RN, in the Neuro ICU.
As a nurse on Penn Presbyterian Medical Center’s Neuro Intensive Care Unit, Selma Brkic (“ber-kitch”), BSN, RN, demonstrates an agility and curiosity shaped by her childhood as a refugee of war. Here, she shares her story.
In the 1990s, my parents and brother fled their home in Bosnia (then Yugoslavia) to escape mass genocide and relocated to Germany where I was born. Six years later, in the middle of the night, the German government forced us to leave our new home and return to Bosnia, where the situation was treacherous. Fearing for our safety, my parents sought asylum in the United States. It was ultimately granted when I was around 8 years old, enabling us to emigrate to the U.S.
Starting from Scratch
For the second time, my parents lost everything. We arrived in the U.S. with a single suitcase and settled in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. My parents spoke little English and my brother and I spoke only Bosnian and German. They immediately enrolled us in school so we wouldn’t fall behind despite our abrupt cultural and linguistic adjustment.
My mom and dad tried to shield us from the fact that we were living in poverty. People donated toys and household items and eventually we were able to afford our own apartment. It was difficult feeling like an outsider, but my loving parents kept me grounded and focused on the importance of family and getting an education.
Modeling Resilience
Brkic credits her parents, shown here, with teaching her resilience.
In Bosnia my dad had been an engineer and my mom an accountant, but neither degree transferred when they emigrated. My dad understood construction, so they started a business selling and installing windows and doors. They gradually expanded, adding services and employees and landing projects in other states and overseas. Their hard work enabled them to buy and renovate a house where they still live today.
What my parents learned in business and life, they shared with my brother and me. They instilled in us the importance of resilience, making smart fiscal decisions, and the power of education. They aren’t afraid to change direction and try new things.
New Possibilities
At 17, I was a runner with plans to attend a local college on scholarship until a serious injury ended my running career. It was a dark period but eventually through journaling, I realized I needed to stop feeling sorry for myself and continue my education. I applied to the University of Pittsburgh and was accepted.
Pittsburgh is where I found my confidence. For the first time in my life, when strangers heard my story they made me feel accepted. I loved reading and earned my Bachelor of Arts in English literature as a degree to fall back on. I knew I wanted to pursue a career in health care and after I graduated, started working as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) and technician at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center to earn money while I determined my next move.
I considered medical school and a master’s degree in public health, but ultimately felt nursing would be the right fit. My parents taught me not to put all my eggs in one basket and I liked that nursing offered the opportunity to try different things like research, intensive care, or mother-baby care.
Joining Penn Medicine
Selma Brkic, BSN, RN, off the clock with her furry best friend.
After Hershey, I joined the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) as a CNA and technician in the patient receiving area and operating room. I left to attend an accelerated nursing program full-time, graduating with my BSN and RN in September 2021. I passed my boards in October and started my current job in the Neuro ICU at PPMC that November. I love the floor I work on. My patients, colleagues, and administrators are my inspiration for coming to work every day. I can’t say enough good things about the teamwork here, and management is so supportive.
As a new Neuro ICU nurse, I had to complete a one-year residency program which included a research project with two colleagues. We examined the policy of changing intravenous lines every four days and the costs in labor, resources, and patient discomfort if the line was still clinically viable.
That project made me want to get more involved in quality improvement. I approached Chief Nursing Officer Jim Ballinghoff, DNP, MBA, RN, who was incredibly supportive of my career initiatives. Nursing has been my professional anchor in health care and I am excited to continue growing in this field and be a part of the Penn community!
Penn Medicine employees: Do you have a story to share about how you entered health care? Email Publications Manager Daphne Sashin at daphne.sashin@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.