The most recent Rural Experience for Health Professions Students (REHPS) participants were in Redfield between July 11 and August 4, 2017. This year, the career choices of the REHPS students were unique. Hannah Flanery, currently a student at USD, is the first clinical psychology student to come to Community Memorial Hospital through the REHPS program. Kristin Rokusek, a student at SDSU, is a family nurse practitioner student.
"I grew up in Scotland, South Dakota. I decided to be a nurse after being a patient and personally experiencing health care. I really liked the nursing care," said Rokusek. "Shortly thereafter I realized that a good family friend of mine was a nurse practitioner and, otherwise, that career wasn't really on my radar. So I interviewed her for a school paper and from that point on I decided I wanted to go to nursing school with the intent of becoming a nurse practitioner."
"I was always interested in how people think and how they respond to different things, so my program focuses a lot on how people respond to trauma and treatment from that," said Flanery. "I always thought psychology was interesting. When I started school I was in nursing, but I realized what I liked was talking to people. What I really wanted to do was talk to people and provide them that connection."
Rokusek said she found the REHPS program almost by accident.
"A few years ago I began to hear about the great need for providers in rural health and I honestly did some googling about rural health in South Dakota and just kind of happened to find the program, so I just put it on my to-do list for in the future," said Rokusek.
After arriving in Redfield, the two experienced many different aspects of rural health care as well as rural living.
"What is really interesting to me is seeing what my position might look like practicing mental health treatment in a rural environment," said Flanery. "It is an adjustment of meeting new people and figuring out what is really wanted or needed by people who live in the community and what our role is here. So far it has been really great."
Rokusek and Flanery laughed about arriving at the grocery store four minutes after closing time, dealing with roaming phones and learning the locations of places in Redfield. On their down-time, the REPS students visited the C&NW Depot, the Pheasant City Drive-Inn, the Mercantile, and every eatery in town.
Meanwhile, during the day, the students were exposed to rural hospital and clinic practices, South Dakota Developmental procedures, outreach and outpatient care, the Doland Clinic, the Emergency Room, and the nursing homes.
"I feel like we have almost been everywhere in the hospital. I do a lot of the observing and learning because some of this stuff my clients might go through," said Flanery. "Patients here have been very generous in letting Kristin and I observe a lot."
"For me, the most interesting has been the comparison of what I am used to in Rapid City acute care urban setting versus how rural care works and runs," said Rokusek. "In the acute care hospital where I work you treat the acute problems. When those are done being treated or can be treated successfully at home you say, 'Okay, now follow up with your primary care provider. Goodbye.' It's very fast-paced and, unfortunately, sometimes a money-making type of operation. But here it is different. They handle some acute problems and they do a lot of swing-beds. Let's say we have a 75-year-old man who broke his hip. We take care of him in the acute setting and now he needs a little extra time in therapy to get home safely. So he comes here in swing-bed for another week or two with physical therapy and such, and then he can go home. And all of that is it's own different payment system and it has just been very interesting hearing from the providers and the nurses and the management on how a lot of that works."
Rokusek said she believes that the providers' bedside manner is also improved due to the fact that they know the majority of patients outside of the workplace, whereas she herself is used to going an entire day in a larger hospital without seeing a single patient that she knows personally.
"That adds a personal element to the care that is provided, but I know that some of the providers have talked about how it can be really challenging because you have to abide by privacy laws and you don't want to overstep bounds," said Rokusek."People will ask you for recommendations in public places and that can be a big no-no."
Overall, Rokusek and Flanery said they have enjoyed their time at Community Memorial Hospital and in Redfield.
"Kind of a take-home moment is the dedication that everyone has here. This team and all of the people that work in the community — the dedication to stay here and provide care here — it takes a lot of effort and time and resources to provide care here, but it needs to be here because there are so many people that need it," said Rokusek. "There are so many people in this world that just want to hang up their hat and go home. If you work in a large area you don't invest that kind of care. People are invested here."
As for advice to other students looking into health care, both Rokusek and Flanery had something to say.
"Reach out to people. Mentors. It could be your teachers or a family friend or parents. It is a lot of years in education and making sure you have that social support is important. It is not just about studying all the time. You still need to have a life outside of it," said Flanery.
"I would just say to both explore and follow your dreams and don't let anyone tell you you can't. When you get an idea, like if you want be in a healthcare field, see if you can shadow someone to get a good idea. Even though you might get into something, don't let anyone say that you can't and don't let yourself think that you can't, because there are times when it is hard and there are times when you question why you are doing it," said Rokusek. "You need the social support, but you also have to have that internal drive that says this is the hard part, but once I get through this it will all be worth it. Take opportunities. This was kind of a fluke that I found [REHPS]. I didn't know if I was going to get in or not, but I tried and here I am. Not everyone gets this opportunity. Take risks and dream big."
Rokusek and Flanery also thanked the Community Memorial Hospital staff and providers for teaching them, the community members for having them and the businesses that donated gift-certificates and "goodies."
