During the summer months, many staff members at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics are happily closing their books, marking the completion of their educational goals. They have earned associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and for some, doctorate degrees. These individuals are lifelong learners, curious people in search of knowledge and the opportunity to be better prepared for the challenges they will face in the future as health care professionals.

Attending college or graduate school while working full-time or part-time is no picnic. So, please pardon the euphoria you may encounter when talking to a recent grad.

Among our staff, several nurses will receive degrees or certifications this year. Kudos to all the graduates–even those who haven’t quite finished yet. Compass has taken the liberty of assigning their degree initials anyway. Here are a few of the details.

Lou Ann Montgomery, PhD, RN, BC — As Director of Nursing Education in the Department of Nursing Services and Patient Care, Montgomery is a role model for other nurses. In December, after eight years of study, she earned a PhD in Educational Psychology, adding to her bachelor’s and master’s degrees and certifications as a Clinical Nurse Specialist and a Critical Care Registered Nurse. She managed to complete all of her post-graduate work while maintaining full-time employment at UI Hospitals and Clinics.

"I participated in the hospital’s tuition reimbursement program and also received UI Staff tuition grants periodically along the way. My supervisors during the eight-year span–first Jody Kurtt and then Linda Everett–were extremely supportive. My colleagues and friends, Marty Craft-Rosenberg and Janice Denehy from the College of Nursing were also very supportive. Janice sent me e-mails sporadically along the way telling me to hang in there! She had a knack for knowing when I needed them most."

In September, Montgomery will reach her twenty-third anniversary with UI Hospitals and Clinics.

Mary Ann Miller, RN, MSN, CARN - Even though she has spent only half of her nursing career at UI Hospitals and Clinics, Miller is a twenty-one year veteran of UI Health Care. The nurse manager of Med Surg I, Behavioral Health Services Nursing Division, and Chemical Dependency Services, Miller will soon earn a Master’s of Science in Nursing, in the Administrative Nursing track.

"Hopefully, I’ll graduate at the end of the summer session. Right now, all I can think of is writing the paper! U.S.News & World Report has rated my graduate program first in the nation–first! Why wouldn’t I take advantage of that?" Miller said. "It has taken me six years to accomplish this. I was joyous to pass the GREs and a pre-requisite statistics class. Once I passed those two, I knew I could do it. I am very grateful to have had the hospital’s tuition reimbursement program to help. Donna Muller in Staff Relations and Development made the process so easy. I received great support from my mother, children, grandchildren, and a nephew. I hope I am a role model for my grandchildren to never stop learning something new! "

Anna Beadle, RN, BSN — Starting her career as a nursing assistant in the Emergency Treatment Center, now a nursing supervisor for Med/Surg II and a float nurse in Med/Surg I, Beadle first attended Kirkwood Community College where she earned her LPN and RN degrees. In May, she received her bachelor’s degree from The University of Iowa and plans to continue her studies toward a master’s degree.

"From the time I began working at UI Hospitals and Clinics, I was encouraged by the nursing staff to go to nursing school. I have had a wide array of experience here, ranging from neonatal to pediatric, as well as the adult populations. The tuition reimbursement program helped me as I went to school and worked full time since 1989."

Nona France, MSN, ARNP - For the past 18 years, France has been a staff nurse for inpatient child psychiatry. She has been attending graduate school for about eight years and will finish the ARNP program in July. " I have benefitted enormously from the hospital’s tuition program–taking courses in child development and psychology prior to taking nursing course work." France enjoys baroque music and plays the recorder.

Darcy Koehn, RN, MA, ARNP - Koehn, a staff nurse in Behavioral Health Services, earned her master’s degree in nursing in 1987. Now she is pursuing a post-masters certificate. "This certificate will allow me to sit for the mental health certification exam and eventually become licensed as an advanced registered nurse practitioner. It was a lot of work–24 semester hours–but it was worth it."

Koehn’s is interested in child psychiatry outreach services. "I am concerned about the children in need of mental health services who live in rural Iowa," Koehn said. "Perhaps some day I will be able to help them."

Amy Leitch, RN, BSN — In May, Leitch, a pediatric staff nurse, received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from The University of Iowa. She began her nursing career with an associate’s degree at Kirkwood, and has been working at UI Hospitals and Clinics for one year. Eager to learn more and continue to advance in her career, Leitch will begin looking at graduate programs soon. "I wanted to increase my career and educational mobility," she said.