Nursing

At Rooks County Health Center, nurses care for a variety of patients, fully utilizing all of their nursing skills.  It’s not uncommon for a rural nurse, like those at RCH to begin their shift in the emergency room, assist in delivering at noon and then perhaps end the day providing one on one care for a child with a severe asthmatic episode.

​Rural nurses must be skilled in several specialties and at RCH our nurses also have access to current medical technology, which aids them in providing the highest quality patient care. 

Besides having a strong clinical knowledge, nurses in a rural setting also have to have an understanding of community capacity, assets, and policies. Nurses must be more creative about accessing resources and establishing a strong network of “whom to call for what”.

Changes to improve practice settings often happen quicker in a rural setting due to limited bureaucracy and the fact that fewer people need to be convinced of necessity. 

Looking after people they know instills a stronger sense of accountability in our nurses. Whether they’re at the grocery store, at church, or on the unit in the hospital they’re always the “nurse” in our communities. Rural nurses play a critical role in ensuring rural Americans’ access to quality health care.