Linda Satkoski
Back in 1968, Linda Satkoski was a member of the first
class of students to earn Associate of Science degrees
in Nursing from Purdue University North Central. Through
the ensuing years, 2,665 other nurses have graduated
with nursing degrees from Purdue North Central (PNC).
Today, she is Senior Vice President of Physician Relations/Patient
Care Services for La Porte Regional Health System (LRHS).
When Linda took her first job as a staff nurse, she
entered the field in an era of unprecedented advancements
in medicine, patient care, medical technology and health
management.
Despite changes in job title and responsibilities,
she still considers herself to be first and foremost
a nurse. “Nursing is an excellent profession,”
she says without hesitation. “It has been very
good to me. In every job it has always been about patient
care.”
Satkoski started her nursing education in 1966 –
a time when Purdue extension classes were held in the
Barker Mansion in Michigan City. When Purdue North Central
opened its current location in 1967, she was among the
first students who took their seats in new, state-of-the-art
classrooms. She can recite the names of individual professors
who made a lifelong impact on her and taught her the
skills and abilities she uses on the job each and every
day.
“My nursing education was absolutely fabulous,”
she recalls. “I had a great clinical education;
but I also learned leadership and management skills,
managing patient care at the bedside with critical thinking.
It was an excellent foundation.”
Through the years, Satkoski has worked with countless
nurses educated at PNC, and she welcomes them to the
LRHS staff. “PNC provides nurses with a solid
nursing education. We (LRHS) feel very fortunate to
have Purdue North Central as our neighbor and colleague.
A great number of our nurses graduated from PNC. Every
day, we rely on those nurses to care for our patients
and provide them with a positive experience at La Porte
Hospital.”
The medical field has relied on nurses to provide essential
care for generations. Their care is crucial to saving
lives, overcoming disease, preventing illness and ensuring
good health. The expectations and responsibilities of
nurses continue to grow, creating new opportunities
as well as new challenges.
Good bedside nursing and patient care have always been
essential, but today there is more collaboration among
healthcare providers.
Satkoski believes that “Nothing will replace
the good eyes and ears of a nurse.” From her vantage
point, she sees today’s nursing shortage continuing
in the years ahead and projects that the need will reach
a critical stage by the year 2020, thanks to an aging
population and increased demand to care for the boomers,
a growing reliance on outpatient care and a heightened
awareness of wellness issues and prevention.
To attract and retain nurses, employers will have to
be more flexible in their scheduling, be more open to
job sharing, allow some retired nurses back in various
capacities and be more receptive to ideas that utilize
the talents of the nurses at hand.
Today, she sees many more options open to others in
the field who have the right education and skills. That
is why she encourages the hospital nursing staff to
pursue their educational opportunities. The PNC Bachelor’s
Degree in Nursing presents an attractive option for
many nurses who want to grow.
“The bottom line is that we all want what’s
best for the patient. We encourage nurses to do what
is best for them. The hospital allowed me to pursue
my education. If I had ideas, I was encouraged to present
them. I definitely do the same for others,” she
notes.
This emphasis on education and critical thinking skills
helped La Porte Regional Health System earn the Magnet
designation awarded by the American Nurses Credentialing
Center (ANCC) - the highest designation available for
recognition of excellence in nursing. La Porte Hospital
was only the second facility in Indiana to receive this
honor.
Nursing presents a stable, rewarding career option.
Plus the communities benefit from having an active workforce
that includes well-educated, competent healthcare professionals.
Purdue University North Central is proud of its long
history of graduating many of the outstanding nurses
who work tirelessly in our region’s healthcare
institutions. Nurses like Linda Satkoski have made and
will continue to make a significant difference in our
local communities. We all are grateful to Linda and
the many nursing graduates from our local universities
who serve our region’s healthcare needs so admirably
well.
Reprinted from an editorial by James B. Dworkin,
Chancellor, Purdue University North Central
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