Elizabeth Busch, LPN, Orthopedics Office Nurse Says Mason City Clinic Has Provided Work/Life Balance

I have always been interested in science and biology of the human body, and the social dynamics in health care-nursing allows me to do both.  The Mason City Clinic has enabled me to have a career in nursing without sacrificing my time with family by working daytime hours without nights, holidays, or weekends. I have been able to provide health insurance to my family. It’s the perfect way to balance a career I enjoy, and my family,“ said Elizabeth.

Four women stand smiling in an office hallway. They are wearing similar baseball-style shirts in different colors and name tags. The office has desks and paperwork visible in the background.
Elizabeth and fellow nurses in Orthopedic Department

Focused on patient care

“Each day I am either assisting in or prepping for a provider’s clinic. Prepping for clinic is putting together a chart for the provider, reviewing the patient’s history, reason for their visit, looking up any testing or imaging they have had that would help in treatment.  If I am assisting in running a clinic I room the patients, do appropriate history and intake for the patient and ask a few questions in order to better understand what their main issues are including the severity of their pain and treatments they have already tried in the past or a currently trying,” said Elizabeth.

Elizabeth likes seeing patients on road to recovery

“In Orthopedics, we will see patients two weeks post-surgery when they are at the beginning their recovery and progressing towards walking without assistive devices/ casts/ or splints. It’s good to help them and see them experience a return to a normal life after their injury,” said Elizabeth

Two people wearing helmets and casual clothing stand smiling inside a cave with stalactites and stalagmites surrounding them. The cave's textures and formations are prominent, and the ground is sandy.
Elizabeth touring an underground Mayan Cave in Costa Maya, Mexico with her husband Jamie

Mason City Clinic meant a lot to Elizabeth personally and professionally

“All of the providers and fellow nurses at the Clinic have impacted my work development and experience. We have all grown together in our careers and have welcomed in a lot of really great employees. I have met a lot of long term and lifetime friends. Each department has its own dynamic. When I started I was told the Clinic is like a mall, if one department doesn’t fit there are many others to choose from. That’s the most accurate way to describe finding the best fit for each person,” said Elizabeth.

“If I have ever wanted to add a skill set, the management has been happy to accommodate. They are willing to let you grow as much as you can. I have been able to add surgery assisting to my background. I have gone with physicians to outreach clinics which has allowed me to work with other teams and learn their processes, something that has been very beneficial in building my own skills to bring it back to our patients and providers,” said Elizabeth.

A group of people wearing helmets and life jackets ride in a yellow raft, paddling through whitewater rapids. They appear focused and determined. Rocky shores and trees are visible in the background.
Elizabeth white water rafting in Colorado with husband Jamie and daughter Presli

Likes meeting people of different backgrounds

Said Elizabeth, The most rewarding part of my job is being able to meet new people from different backgrounds every day. My day is never going to be the same, each day is a new experience.”

Lists family and travel as her favorite non-work activities

My husband and I have three daughters and a grandson. We love to travel and we try to do the most extreme thing we can wherever we go,” she said.

What would your colleagues be surprised to learn about you?

My oldest daughter and I have been working on our own podcast that’s a constellation of true crime, historical oddities, and ghost stories,” Elizabeth said.

Three people wearing helmets and climbing gear are smiling and posing together on a rocky terrain. They are dressed in casual outdoor clothing, and the background shows rugged rocks and sparse greenery.
Elizabeth hiking/zip lining in Colorado with husband Jamie and daughter Presli

Specialty care close to home

Up-to-date. Down-to-earth. Close to home. Lots of great reasons to make Mason City Clinic
your first choice for all your family’s specialty healthcare needs.

250 S. Crescent Drive, Mason City, IA 50401

Tel: 641.494.5200

Toll Free: 800-622-1411

Fax: 641.494.5403

Driving Directions

2440 Bridge Avenue, Albert Lea, MN 56007

Tel: 641.494.5200

Fax: 641.494.5403

Driving Directions