My name is Amanda Seiler. I work in the Acute Care Department as the Director of Nursing. I have been employed at VGH for about 11 years total. I started in 2007 as a CNA in the Annex and then went to CNA/CCO on the hospital side while pregnant with my twins in 2008 and leaving in 2010. I came back in 2017 as a Registered Nurse working as PRN on the hospital side, then became a full-time Home Health nurse in 2019, adding Public Health nurse in 2020 during COVID, Benton County jail nursing in 2023, ADON in 2024, and now DON in 2025. I believe my biggest contribution to the team is that I have worked in many positions and levels throughout this hospital, so I have a variety of experience and knowledge to bring to the team. My job entails supervising my staff of roughly 80 RNs, LPNs, PST/CNAs, and Paramedics. I help put together our schedule and coordinate time off requests. I help with new hire orientation. Along with that I also complete employee evaluations at the 3-month mark and yearly. I will work with providers and social workers on skilled bed referrals. Planning our staff meetings and training courses are one of the funnier things I do. I play mediator among staff members and sometimes staff and members of the community. There are lots of meetings to attend throughout the month and year with groups inside the hospital and outside of the hospital. I do still help cover open shifts on the floor or in an emergency, as I love patient care and bedside nursing. What I love most about my job is that every day is different, and I never know what to expect. One minute you are replying to emails and the next you could be assisting with a trauma or code blue situation in the Emergency Room.
I chose to pursue a career in this field as I always knew I wanted to help people when growing up. During college orientation day, nursing was presented to me as a major/career where you would be able to do a lot and easily change your job within your field without having to go back to school. A recent a
chievement of mine is that I was recently promoted from Assistant Director of Nursing to Director of Nursing for the Acute Care unit of Virginia Gay Hospital. Not so recent achievements of mine include graduating from Vinton-Shellsburg High School in 2002, obtaining my LPN license in 2010 and my RN license in 2013, and becoming a medical examiner death investigator for Benton County in 2022.
One fun fact about me is that I am a twin that had twins. I have a twin brother name is Benjamen. I also have a large, blended family with four brothers and three sisters.I have four children. My son Jordan is 24 years old and works at Geiger’s Automotive and Diesel Repair here in Vinton as a mechanic. My next oldest son Spencer is 22 years old and works at Young’s Plumbing and Heating as an HVAC service technician. I have twins that are 16 years old and freshmen at Vinton-Shellsburg High School. My daughter is active in sports and competes in wrestling and soccer. My son is involved in all things gaming. They both work at Beast and Bird (check it out!). I have three cats: Fatty, Off Brand, and Kitty. My cat Fatty weighs 23 pounds! Jason and I have been in each other’s lives for the last 17 years and he is a mechanic at Ervin’s here in Vinton. We live in Vinton, not too far up the road from the hospital.
I love supporting my children in their activities. I love being in the water, so I have a pool and a hot tub I enjoy relaxing in. I love to take mini vacations with my family all over the place. I love trying new restaurants and all things food. I will never turn down a good ham, bacon, and mushroom pizza. I tend to be more of a homebody though so snuggling with my cats or kids watching movies is always a great time in my book. My favorite vacation spot is our family’s old cabin in Backus, MN. We try to go every summer to get off the grid and refreshen the soul. We also go to the Iowa State Fair every year with my mom as well. One thing on my bucket list is to try traveling to all 50 states. I think I only have 16 more to go! My goal is to travel in an RV as I retire.
Some of my favorite childhood memories growing up are spending time at Grandma and Grandpa Herger’s farm. It allowed us city kids some time to be farm kids and experience both sides of life. I also loved holidays and birthdays with extended family. Good times were always had on all sides
of the family. One thing I can’t live without is my children and my family. I am a member of the Wesley United Methodist Church in Vinton and serve on their Alter Guild. A cause that I am passionate about is breast cancer awareness. My daughter and I have helped with the VGH Party-in-Pink 5K the last few years. An experience that has had a lasting impact on me was receiving two Guardian Angel Awards while working on the inpatient hospice unit at St. Lukes. I will always cherish that experience and how rewarding those years of my nursing career were.
Amanda Seiler—Acute Care—Director of Nursing—11 Years of Service
VGH STRONG
