Hometown Care
For Jacqui Nelson, there is no reason to be anywhere but the Carrington area.
Originally from McHenry, ND, the high school basketball star left the region only briefly to play her way through a nursing degree first at Lake Region State College and then at the University of Mary in Bismarck. She promptly returned to the Carrington where she worked as a registered nurse for more than ten years before she decided she wanted more.
“I loved patient care and I felt my position was getting too administrative,” explained Nelson, who is a senior Physician Assistant student at the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences. “I wanted to challenge myself and be more independent. I worked firsthand with the mid-levels in Carrington and thought it would be a very interesting career path to travel.”
| “They have grown up in the community; they have seen the need, realize the challenges and are eager to become part of the answer.” |
The UND physician assistant program, the only one in North Dakota, is the only one in the U.S. specifically geared to clinically practicing health care professionals, who have at least two years of professional experience.
They reside in their home communities during the training experience, coming to UND only for four, four-week periods and a week prior to graduation. Most of their 22-month program of study occurs in the hometown clinical setting under the supervision of their physician-faculty member. Most of these students come from rural communities, where, in many cases, they plan to continue working.
“Students who are planning to practice in their home communities come into the program with a high degree of determination,” said Mary Ann Laxen (FNP/PA ’91), director of the PA program at the UND medical school. “They have grown up in the community; they have seen the need, realize the challenges and are eager to become part of the answer. They know if they further their education, they can help fill that need.”
“I did a lot of research on what was out there,” Nelson said. “I chose UND because it was clinical-based, which meant I would spend less time away from my family. A PA here, Mary Hoff (PA ’95), had been through the program so I had a good idea of what to expect.”
Timeout
“Jackie embodies the type of student that we look for,” said Laxen. “She was already a longtime member of the health care community, she plans on working in her home community upon graduation, she is committed to life-long learning and she has the support of her family.”
As a wife and mother of three young children, going back to school was no small decision. Her family would lose her full-time nurse’s salary and they would be taking on the cost of her education. She would have to put on hold many of her community activities like being captain of the Midkota Ambulance Service, high school basketball coach and participating in her kids’ school boosters and religious education groups.
“My husband really had to step up,” said Nelson, who was usually responsible for the kids’ comings and goings. “But he tells me all the time how proud he is of me.”
When asked about what her kids think about all this, Nelson replies, “they are kind of inspired. I think this taught my kids that education is important. It doesn’t have to end after high school.”
The next level
“The PA program at UND has been great,” said Nelson, who will graduate in May. “I felt challenged and got to meet people from other states. Even though I learned in the field, the faculty members were always good about communicating.”
The program has done what she wanted. Nelson gets even more patient time at Carrington Health Center where she practices. Part of Catholic Health Initiatives, Carrington Health Center is a 25-bed acute care facility that includes laboratory, radiology, surgery, trauma, and emergency room, and other support services.
“I have even closer contact with the patients,” said Nelson. “I get to know them a lot better now.”
“PAs that return to their own communities do really well,” said Laxen. “They are already known in the community and their patients know and trust them.”
Upon graduation, Nelson will become one of the 70 percent of physician assistants practicing in North Dakota who are graduates of the UND program.
Amanda Scurry
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