Las Vegas resident and emergency room nurse Maggie Ausburn, 27, second from left, won the $500,000 grand prize on the reality show "Big Brother 6" last month. Here, she talks to host Julie Chen, left, as her boyfirned, parents and other contestants look on. CBS Photo. Maggie Ausburn, right, sits with her friend, Eric Littmann, left, during "Big Brother 6" production. The two live in Las Vegas. Fellow contestant Rachel Plencner sits in the middle. CBS Photo.

Las Vegan Maggie Ausburn thought she was doing her friend, Eric Littmann, a favor when she agreed to participate in a stunt for the CBS reality series "Big Brother 6."

Now, it looks like he was doing her the favor: Ausburn ended up winning the reality series' grand prize of $500,000, beating out 13 other contestants.

Ausburn says she didn't even audition for the series; instead, Littmann, her friend and a contestant, invited her to participate in a nonexistent stunt. That's when Ausburn was asked to become a house guest.

"We didn't have any notice," she said of the invitation. "It was exciting. I saw it as a once in a lifetime experience. It was a quick decision and I thought 'Hey, this sounds like fun.' "

As an emergency room nurse, Ausburn is used to making spur-of-the-moment decisions.

A resident for the past three years, Ausburn said she was first attracted to nursing as a premed student at the University of Massachusetts Boston. While working in trauma, "I realized I liked what the nurses were doing," she said. "I liked how the nurses were involved (in care) and really got involved with the patients," she said. "I really love the hands-on aspect of the emergency medicine, the action, the autonomy."

She moved here from Boston, and the city's high cost of living, with her firefighter boyfriend, their two English Mastiffs and 17-year-old bird, Max.

Born and raised in Sonoma County, California, Ausburn was happy to return to the West coast, so she could be closer to her parents and brother, who manages a vineyard.

"I grew up in a really small town, population 7,000," she said. "It was an apple town. When I was in high school I was like, gosh, I've got to get out of this small town."

She laughs because that small town is now in the heart of wine country.

"The wine boom came and the town kind of changed its focus," Ausburn said.

She hasn't had time to enjoy her winnings since the show ended; Ausburn has been on a media tour promoting the series.

She returned to her Northwest-area home last week and now that she's back, Ausburn is trying to get life back to normal. In fact, she recently threw a bachelorette party for her best friend.

"I'm still myself, there's nothing changed about me," she said. "It's odd to go places and be recognized. But everyone's been really nice, really great."