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Just about everywhere in Nebraska is rural. As a result, the search and recruitment of physicians is often long and arduous, which is why Nurse Practitioners such as Manda Clarke, APRN-C, are so important in providing medical care in areas such as the Panhandle.
As many Alliance residents know, Manda is a native, graduating from Alliance High School before going on to college at Ft. Hays State University in Kansas.
“I wanted to major in physical therapy there,” she recalls, “but after I became a Certified Nursing Assistant over the summer, I fell in love with wanting to be a nurse.”
After graduating from nursing school, Clarke’s first employment was with Box Butte General Hospital. She was then employed by Family Physician Regg Hagge for two years. “He’s the one who encouraged me to continue my education to become a Nurse Practitioner,” she recalled. “When he left, I felt that was the perfect time to pursue my goal.”
Manda did so with the help of a BBGH scholarship each of the three years she studied to gain her certification as a Nurse Practitioner. “During that time I worked as a Clinic Instructor for the College of Nursing in Scottsbluff, as well as filling in at Box Butte General whenever they needed me. BBGH worked around my schedule at school, which was also very helpful.”
She said anyone going into the medical field for a profession “should be motivated and dedicated to your chosen field of work. There are times when you feel physically and mentally exhausted, but if you have the perspective that you are working for the benefit of the patient -- that’s what keeps you going.”
As soon as she gained her certification, Clarke started her practice as a Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) with the hospital’s Sandhills Family Center, where she is currently employed.
So, what is a Nurse Practitioner? Essentially, Mrs. Clarke can apply her advanced practice nursing skills in the areas of prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management of common health problems and chronic conditions. She assesses patients, orders diagnostic tests and therapeutic treatments, prescribes medications, and so on. “If the situation falls out of my scope of practice, that’s when I collaborate with other physicians or refer the patient to a specialist,” she said.
The first 2,000 clinic hours that Manda performs must have a collaborative physician who reviews all her dictation, in this case Dr. John Ruffing of Hemingford. “He is also the physician I call if I have questions and need to consult,” she said.
After those first 2,000 hours, a Nurse Practitioner no longer needs to be supervised, but will continue the collaborative relationship with a select physician.
Asked what she loves most about being a Nurse Practitioner, Clarke answered, “As a family health care provider, I really enjoy taking care of the entire family, from newborn to elderly. I especially enjoy the relationships I form with my patients.”
She said she wants to stay here in Alliance and continue working as a Nurse Practitioner and expand her role as a certified lactation consultant. “I very much feel that breast feeding is a key to health promotion and illness prevention for both the child and the mother,” she said.
Manda and her husband Jess (employed by Alstom Transport as an assistant cost controller) have two children: son Caeson, 4; and daughter Jaelynne, 19-months.
© Copyright by Double Q Country Radio
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