Learning on the job
By Amanda Duchsherer
Digital Communication Specialist
amanda.duchsherer@minotstateu.edu
When Whitney Molina ’19 decided to take some time off in between graduation and her nursing career, she traveled to 10 different states and the Turks and Caicos islands.
“I knew I was going to be jumping into the workforce, and I knew it was probably one of the last times I was ever going to be so carefree,” the 2019 alumna said. “I wanted to make sure when I started working, I could fully dive into nursing and give it all I had.”
As she and fellow Minot State basketball teammate Kanesha Woods took their trip of a lifetime, Molina had no idea exactly how quiet the respite would be compared to her first nursing job. In August 2019, she began working at a critical access hospital on the Ft. Peck Indian Reservation in Montana, just months before COVID-19 began effecting the area.
“Just being in a critical access hospital, and then on top of a pandemic, it’s just crazy,” she said. “We were already short staffed and short supplied, and we do the best with what we have. And with the pandemic, we’re seeing an at-risk population being affected.”
Molina never intended to be working only 90 miles from her hometown of Hinsdale, Montana. She envisioned herself in a large city, far away from an area the Washington Post labeled the “middle of nowhere” in the United States in March 2018 — a point of pride for many in the area.
“It’s not the place I ever expected myself to be but being here now, seeing where decisions take you, I’m exactly where I need to be. I literally learn something new every day. That’s one of the cool parts about a smaller hospital, you really get to see all areas, and you get to discover what you really like to do. Just a couple weeks ago, I delivered a baby in a shower, and then a week later, I have COVID patients. It’s literally from zero to 100 in ages. One day you can work in emergency medicine and the next day you’ll be on the floor (the medical floor), and then you’ll be working in the long-term care unit,” she said. “I really see such a wide variety of patients and illnesses; it’s an incredible opportunity.”
She also never thought emergency medicine would be her favorite area.
“At my clinicals at Trinity Hospital in the ICU (intensive care), I thought I was an ICU nurse through and through,” she said. “And working in the emergency department, I just really love the emergency situations. I love the adrenaline of it. I don’t know if it’s because I used to play sports or what it is, but I just love to dive in and get in the zone.”
Having the opportunity to play collegiate basketball while pursuing a nursing degree is what brought Molina to the University.
“I have the ultimate pride for Minot State, even in the recruiting process,” she said. “A lot of schools, you tell the head coaches you want to do nursing and they say, oh no, sorry, but we don’t allow our players to do that. It was really important for me to take basketball to the next level and coming to Minot State, and them allowing me that opportunity, that alone is something I am so grateful for.”
That gratitude extends to the nursing department, from professors coming to her games and cheering her on; to the department helping her manage clinicals, schoolwork, and being a student-athlete; and to having support every step of the way.
“That alone prepared me for success, having professors that were willing to go above and beyond for me,” she said. “Having sports and learning to juggle and time manage is what really set me up for nursing in general. And I still have people from Minot or my teammates reaching out and checking on me, it’s awesome.”
About Minot State University
Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through
rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.
| Published: 12/11/20 |
