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Mile Bluff Medical Center awards nursing scholarships by Amanda Emery
In 2001, Mile Bluff began awarding scholarships to WTC students who were enrolled in the Nursing – Associate Degree (ADN) program. In 2009, scholarships were awarded to Adrienne Baumgart and Sarah Sorenson.
Adrienne Baumgart One of the recipients is Adrienne Baumgart. She is a 2001 graduate of Necedah High School, and is currently in her third semester at Western Technical College, with plans to graduate in December, 2010. Right now, Adrienne works as a medical assistant at the Necedah Family Medical Center. Prior to that, she was as certified nursing assistant at Mile Bluff – Crest View Nursing Home. In her scholarship essay, Adrienne described what nursing means to her: “Being a nurse is caring for all types of people; any age, color or gender, and doing what is best for them in the safest and most confidential manner possible. This may mean helping them get well, or easing their pain in their last days of life. I chose to go into nursing to help individuals. I especially have the passion to work with geriatric patients.” Mile Bluff Medical Center offers scholarships so that ADN students, like Adrienne, can get one step closer to making their dream job a reality. Adrienne says, “I found out about this scholarship that Mile Bluff offers from working at the Necedah Family Medical Center. It means a lot to me to receive this financial assistance; it’s wonderful that this aid is available, and I greatly appreciate it.” Upon completing her degree requirements, Adrienne plans to take her registered nurse exam and says her ideal placement would be in long-term care or hospice. Adrienne is a mother of three, Joey (16), Kaleb (8) and Hope (6), and she says that if the program had not been offered locally, she probably would not have been able to pursue her dream of working in the healthcare industry. She explains, “I chose the ADN program at Western Technical College because of my family. Completing my degree through this program made family life easier on my kids than if I would have obtained a degree at a four-year school.” Balancing school, work and children can be difficult at times, but Adrienne gives a huge amount of credit to her husband, Jason. “I get a lot help from my husband; he takes care of every-day things around the house for me, and makes sure the kids get off to school and that their homework is done.” Adrienne continues, “Our extended family has been very supportive as well.” In closing, she had these words for students considering a career in nursing, “If someone is thinking about enrolling in the ADN program through Western Technical College, I would recommend it. However, it is necessary to be realistic and really, really want to do this type of work, and be prepared to put in a lot of time. In the end though, the time put in is very much worth it.”
Sarah (Hawkins) Sorenson The other recipient of Mile Bluff’s ADN scholarship is Sarah (Hawkins) Sorenson. She is in her third semester at Western Technical College (WTC), with plans to graduate in December. Sarah did not always have the passion to become a nurse. She explains, “When I finished high school in 2001, I originally had plans of going to college for physical or occupational therapy. However, I had some significant medical problems before I had a chance to begin my studies. Throughout my experience of seeing many different medical personnel, I realized there was one positive constant no matter where I went, nurses.” In her scholarship essay, Sarah further explained why she chose to become a nurse: “A motivation of mine in becoming a nurse was knowing that my interactions with patients and their families will not only have an impact on their life, but on mine as well.” She continued to say, “I completed my certified nursing assistant (CNA) training in 2002 as a stepping stone to a career in the medical field. However, after my own experiences in the hospital - both as a patient and a CNA - I realized that nursing would better suit me. I thought I would be good at it, and I enrolled in the ADN program at Western Technical College the following semester.” When asked why she chose WTC’s program, Sarah had this to say, “Completing my degree through Western Technical College was closer to home, less expensive and the schedule was flexible enough that it allowed me to work while attending school.” According to Sarah, the financial aid from Mile Bluff Medical Center helped her as well. “The scholarship definitely helped me financially. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to apply for it, because every little bit helps.” She continued, “Balancing school, work and family activities can be somewhat of a ‘roller coaster ride.’ It depends from day-to-day what I decide will be top priority. Some days it’s school, some days it’s family if they need me at home, and some days I have to go to work. In the grand scheme of things, every little bit helps to ease that roller coaster of activity.” Sarah has worked at Mile Bluff Medical Center for the past four years on the night shift in the Acute Care Department, and she plans to take the registered nurse exam upon graduation. After completing her degree requirements, Sarah says her ideal position would be in the Medical/Pediatrics Department at Mile Bluff. To anyone who is considering a career in nursing, Sarah has some words of advice, “I would recommend a two-year program; everything is so much more hands-on, and for me that was so much better. The clinicals took the concepts we learned from the textbooks, and made them concrete. I knew what I was doing, how to do it, and why I was doing it that way.” The entire staff at Mile Bluff Medical Center would like to congratulate both Sarah Sorenson and Adrienne Baumgart. Your co-workers can’t wait to see where your healthcare career will take you!
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Mile Bluff Medical Center/ 1050 Division St./ Mauston, WI 53948 / 608 847 6161 Mile Bluff Medical Center, 1050 Division Street, Mauston, WI 53948 608 847 6161 or Toll free in WI at 800 252 4377 © 2008 Mile Bluff Medical Center |
Mile
Bluff Medical Center has worked with Western Technical College (WTC) over the
years to promote rural nursing. The partnership has provided area students with
a number of learning opportunities, both in the classroom and in the healthcare
field.