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Nurse, immigrant from Czech Republic cares for U.S. veterans

May 4, 2010

Petr Ruda
Petr Ruda graduated from BYU’s College of Nursing and now works as an ICU nurse at Salt Lake City’s VA hospital. See a video at give.byu.edu/ruda.

As final preparation for their careers, student nurses at Brigham Young University take a course that allows them to experience the breadth and diversity of the human condition.

In this course Petr Ruda, a native of the Czech Republic, focused on veterans. He was able to observe and learn ways to improve veteran care as a student nurse at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. “I’ve learned that veterans have specific needs, and I
want to help them,” he says. “These
folks really did respond to a call and sacrifice so much.” 

After serving as a missionary in San Diego, Ruda came to BYU, inspired by President Gordon B. Hinckley’s words: “You need all the education you can get” (see New Era, Jan. 2001). In Provo he met and married his wife, Jamie. 

Ruda says: “BYU makes me happy; it connects me to Heavenly Father—even by just walking on campus. This place significantly changed me, and I’m grateful to those who made it possible for me to come.” 

Ruda graduated in December 2009 from the College of Nursing and began working at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salt Lake City in February.