NURSING: A Career in Caring

“I don’t think it could be more satisfying,” said nurse practitioner Cathy Sellers about her choice of career. “The field is wide open...it’s such a tremendous field to go into.”

She points to her personal motto, written by Emily Dickinson “...If I can ease one life the aching, Or cool one pain...I shall not live in vain.”

A sense of compassion is one trait that those who choose nursing share, explained Nancy Probst, director of nursing for acute care at Bigfork Valley. Successful nurses have a sense that it is an internal commitment rather than just a career that will give a good salary and regular work.

Some other traits that Probst looks for in a nurse are flexibility, critical thinking and problem solving, taking responsibility, a good work ethic and an ability to work well with other people.

Diane Grahek, director of nursing for long term care, also looks for those who have a passion for their work. In the Eden Alternative environment of the Bigfork Valley Communities, staff “celebrate the lives of the elderly,” she said. Staff also advocates for individual choice for residents. “We can’t forget that this is their home,” Grahek pointed out. Choosing to be a nurse in long term care takes a certain kind of person, she explained. “They need to have that spot in their heart for the elderly.” In fact, nursing requires a combination of knowledge, skill and character. Although it is the physician who ultimately makes decisions about medical care, the nurse is frequently the patient contact who gathers information, recognizes problems and relays them to the doctor, and carries out instructions and follow up assessments.

Today those jobs are much more complex. When Probst began her nursing career, she was one of 56 graduates in the class of 1973 at the St. Luke’s School of Nursing in Duluth. There were no IV pumps or glucose monitoring systems to follow diabetics. There were not even computers, she recalled.

That has changed, giving nurses an enhanced ability to follow patients and get information quickly. And nursing education has changed, so nurses are able to use these many new resources.

Long term care attitudes have changed also, pointed out Grahek. Unlike previous guidelines which kept patients at a distance, now it is recognized that the elderly need relationships to make life worthwhile. “These formed relationships create community,which is the philosophy of Bigfork Valley,” she said.

Interested in the health care field, but not sure if nursing is for you? One great way to find out, suggested Probst, is to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) or Nursing Assistant Registered (NAR).

Classes are offered periodically at Bigfork Valley and the local community colleges, and are open to high school age and up. Working in a health care environment as a CNA is a way to experience the 24 hour/7 day a week nature of medical care and the type of work involved. There are currently 49 CNAs employed at Bigfork Valley.

There are several steps in nursing education, each one adds to both the skill level and variety of things a nurse can do in the hospital. A Licensed Practical Nurse has completed a one or two year program offered locally at technical or community colleges. An LPN can provide basic care, gather data and receive instruction in specific tasks. At Bigfork Valley there are currently 11 LPNs employed.

A Registered Nurse has completed a two year associates degree program. Locally this program is offered through a partnership between Itasca Community College, Rainy River Community College and Hibbing Community College. There are also three year degrees available elsewhere.

According to the University of Minnesota Health Careers Center, a registered nurse’s responsibilities can include “administering therapies and medications; participating in surgical procedures; managing units; teaching, assessing and counseling patients; responding in emergencies; and supervising others.”

At Bigfork Valley hospital, there are usually two RNs on duty at any time, said Probst. While monitoring patients in the acute care area, they are trained to recognize when there is a life-threatening situation and how to intervene before the physician arrives. Presently 17 RNs are employed by Bigfork Valley on its health campus.

An RN can continue in a four year college degree program which results in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing diploma. Students in four year programs can be non-traditional older students who have work experience and have entered as RNs, or in some programs, it can be a regular course of study for those entering as freshmen.

Across the northland there are a number of BSN programs including ones at Bemidji State University, College of St. Scholastica, Minnesota State University of Moorhead, Concordia College in Fargo, Winona State University and the University of Minnesota. RNs can also become certified in a specialty, some of which are listed in the banner to the left. Each certification has different requirements.

Graduate work in nursing is also available and leads to more in-depth knowledge of an area as well as the ability to provide more services directly to patients. Nurse practitioners have an advanced degree and can work with patients alone or jointly with other professionals.