A Real-Life Grey’s Anatomy Love Story: Celebrating 10 Years Married as a Nurse & PA Couple
Every love story has its quirks, but ours feels a little like a real-life Grey’s Anatomy episode (minus the on-call room drama and medical soap opera twists). This blog is inspired by my podcast episode with my husband, Bryan, where we reflect on our journey as a nurse and PA couple, balancing scrubs, shifts, military service, raising three kids, and now, 10 years of marriage.
How It All Began
We first crossed paths at the hospital — me, a nursing student floating between units, and Bryan, a steady Orthopedic PA (and military man) who seemed to know everyone. My mom actually noticed him before I did, often nudging me with comments like, “He’s so smart, so kind to his patients, and he’s responsible with his student loans.” At the time, I brushed it off, but moms really do have a sixth sense.
From hallway hellos to awkward encounters, our acquaintance type relationship turned into something more. Healthcare has a way of bonding people quickly, and soon we found ourselves comparing stories from our shifts, swapping advice, and realizing that the chemistry was undeniable.
From Colleagues to Couple
Dating in healthcare comes with its own dynamics — unpredictable schedules, night shifts, and the emotional rollercoaster of patient care. But those challenges actually made our relationship stronger. We leaned on each other through long days, celebrated wins together, and found humor in the chaos. Bryan’s calm, steady presence balanced my whirlwind energy, and together we built a rhythm that worked.
I also had to adjust to Bryan’s military-influenced organization habits. His Type A personality and structure were sometimes at odds with my more spontaneous approach, but those differences taught us compromise and grace.
Life as a Healthcare Couple
After nearly two decades as a PA, Bryan has been the steady anchor in our healthcare journey. Meanwhile, my path has been more winding: bedside nursing, leadership roles, recruiting, teaching, and eventually entrepreneurship. In the podcast, we talk about what it’s been like for Bryan to support me through career pivots. He admits it’s been unpredictable and sometimes nerve-wracking, but also inspiring to see me build something that impacts new nurses in ways traditional bedside work couldn’t.
Being a dual-healthcare couple also gave us perspective on the sacrifices and demands of the profession. We understand what it feels like to miss holidays, work weekends, and carry the emotional weight of patient care. But we also share the pride of knowing our work matters — whether in scrubs, in a military uniform or behind a microphone.
Military Life & Marriage
One big layer of our story is Bryan’s military service. As a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force, Bryan has balanced deployments, training, and leadership responsibilities alongside his role as a PA. For our marriage, that has meant seasons of separation, resilience, and learning how to keep family bonds strong across miles. Military life isn’t always easy, but it’s added depth and grit to our partnership.
We share in the episode how these experiences shaped us — teaching us adaptability, patience, and the importance of making the most of time together. Whether it’s a weekend trip, a family dinner, or just decompressing after a long day, we’ve learned to cherish the small moments.
Raising a Family Together
Today, our love story includes three amazing kids and a busy family life. Parenting while working in healthcare has been both rewarding and challenging. From navigating childcare during unpredictable shifts to making sure one of us is at the soccer field or dance recital, teamwork is essential.
In the podcast, Bryan jokes about being the quieter parent, while I’m the planner and multitasker. But our kids see both of us modeling hard work, resilience, and the value of showing up for each other. That’s something we’re proud of.
The Entrepreneurial Leap
One of the biggest transitions in our marriage was my leap into entrepreneurship. After years of bedside and leadership roles, I decided to pour my energy into building resources for new nurses — my podcast, the New Nurse Society, workshops, and social media. Bryan admits it’s been an adjustment watching me step into the unknown, but he’s been my biggest cheerleader.
In the episode, we share some behind-the-scenes conversations — the fears, the excitement, and the joy of seeing this vision grow. For Bryan, it meant learning to trust my instincts even when the path wasn’t traditional. For me, it meant leaning on his steady support and encouragement.
Life, Love, and Laughter
Of course, it’s not all serious talk. We laugh about the quirks that make our marriage unique; like Bryan unwinding with a beer while watching our chickens, or me filling every spare moment with a new project or idea. These little details are what make our partnership real and relatable.
We’ve faced tough seasons, but our support for each other has always been our glue. We’ve made it through some interesting seasons that we can now look back on and laugh.
Lessons from 10 Years Together
Looking back on a decade of marriage, we’ve learned a few key lessons that might resonate with other nurse and healthcare couples:
Communication is everything. Long shifts, deployments, or business stress — it all comes down to honest conversations.
Flexibility is key. Healthcare and military life rarely go as planned. Adaptability has saved us countless times.
Time > money. While income matters, we’ve realized the true wealth is in time together which often manifest as weekends off, dinners with our kids, or spontaneous family adventures.
Support each other’s growth. Whether it’s me launching a business or Bryan advancing in the military, we cheer each other on.
Don’t lose the laughter. Humor sometimes really is the best medicine.
Why This Story Matters
For nurses, PAs, and anyone balancing demanding careers with family life, our story is proof that love and partnership can thrive in the chaos. It’s not always polished, sometimes it’s messy, challenging and unpredictable, but it’s real, resilient, and worth celebrating.
If yo u want more the behind-the-scenes stories, laughs, and lessons from our journey as a nurse-PA couple - be sure to listen to the full episode on the Life After Nursing School podcast.
And if you’re navigating your own healthcare love story, know this: it’s possible to thrive in scrubs and in marriage.
And - as always, I’ve got one hand for me… and the other for you.
Until next time,
Caroline
PS. Want more on this topic? Listen to Life After Nursing School Podcast Episode 34