Why I Couldn't Stay on the Sidelines

After years of caring for older adults, leading healthcare teams, and supporting families, Brittany Nemec explains why those experiences led her to step into public life.

By: Guest Columnist Brittany Nemec

Editor’s Note: This article is part of South Dakota Voices, Turn South Dakota Purple's guest opinion series. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Turn South Dakota Purple.

If you would have asked me ten years ago if I’d ever get involved in politics, I would have laughed.

That wasn't my plan.

I was born and raised in South Dakota. I moved to Minnesota for nursing school because I wanted to become a nurse. I worked full time while going to school, first in long-term care and home health. After becoming an LPN, I went back for my RN while working full time at the Minnesota Security Hospital. Somewhere in the middle of all of that, my husband and I welcomed our son, Austin.

Life was busy. It wasn't always easy, but I loved nursing.

In 2015, we moved back home to South Dakota. I had worked in healthcare in both Minnesota and South Dakota, and coming back gave me a reality check. I could see the differences. I saw how much harder it could be for people to access healthcare close to home. I saw the challenges our nursing homes, assisted living communities, and healthcare workers face every single day.

For the past nine years, I've served as a Director of Nursing.

I've watched dedicated healthcare workers struggle to make ends meet while caring for everyone else. There were times when even my own health insurance wasn't very good because the facilities I worked for were doing everything they could just to keep their doors open.

The problem has never been that people don't care.

The problem is that we've built a system that makes caring harder than it should be.

As nurses, we want to spend our time taking care of people. Instead, so much of our day is spent trying to keep up with regulations, paperwork, staffing shortages, and budget limitations. Regulations are important, but when they become so overwhelming that they take time away from residents, something isn't working.

The truth is, I don't think enough people making decisions have spent time on the floor of a nursing home at six o'clock in the morning or stayed late because someone needed comfort after losing a loved one. They haven't had to tell a family there are no beds available closer to home or watch staff worry about paying their own bills while still showing up every day to care for someone else's parent.

I've watched healthcare workers with huge hearts go home wondering how they're going to buy groceries, pay rent, or afford reliable transportation. I've worked in healthcare most of my life, and there were times when even my own health insurance wasn't very good because facilities were doing everything they could just to keep their doors open.

That shouldn't be normal.

Somewhere along the way, I realized I kept asking the same question.

Who is speaking for us?

Who is speaking for nursing homes trying to survive? For people struggling with addiction or mental illness? For older adults who deserve dignity as they age? For the families trying to navigate a system that often feels impossible?

I realized I couldn't keep waiting for someone else to do it.

I don't want to be told what to think by any political party. I don't want to join a team just because that's what I'm supposed to do. I want to ask hard questions, listen to different perspectives, and make decisions based on what I see and what I've lived.

I know I won't have every answer.

But I know what I've seen.

I've seen hardworking people trying to hold together a system that asks more and more of them every year. I've seen residents who deserve more time, more attention, and better access to care. I've seen people complete addiction treatment who simply need someone to believe they can build a better life. I've seen families carrying burdens they were never prepared for.

Those experiences changed me.

That's why I chose to get involved.

Not because I wanted a title.

Not because I enjoy politics.

Because I believe someone needs to speak up.

Real change doesn't happen because we complain about it. It happens when ordinary people decide to step forward, even when they're nervous, even when they know they'll be criticized.

I'm still a nurse first.

Everything I believe about leadership comes from taking care of people.

I want a South Dakota where our kids receive a great education, where our seniors can age with dignity, where healthcare workers are supported instead of burned out, where people recovering from addiction have real opportunities, and where mental health is treated with the same importance as physical health.

I don't claim to have all the solutions.

But I do know this:

If people who see the problems every day never speak up, nothing will ever change.

So that's why I'm here.

Caring for people has always been my calling. Maybe this is simply another way to do that.

About the Author

Brittany Nemec is a nurse, a mom, and a lifelong South Dakotan born and raised in the state. She served as a Democratic delegate in 2026. Through her work caring for older adults and supporting families, she has seen firsthand the challenges facing South Dakotans. She believes in treating people with compassion, listening to different perspectives, and working together to build stronger communities for everyone.