Amy Ekstrand believes in compassionate care, empathy

Aug. 30--OELWEIN -- Even in her leadership role at MercyOne in Oelwein, Amy Ekstrand still finds time to meet with patients and listen.

"I really am a hands-on type of nurse. I believe in compassionate care and I always take into consideration what a patent is going through ... how I would want to be treated if I was in their shoes," Ekstrand said.

That empathy is one of the reasons the Hazleton native was nominated for a Cedar Valley Top Nurse award.

"If you were to walk past a patient's room, you'd think Amy was a visiting family member and not a healthcare provider," said coworker Nathan Mork. "Amy understands great medicine doesn't come from a pill, a shot or nasty-tasting 'grape-flavored' syrup. It comes from an understanding mind, a patient spirit, a listening ear and a warm loving heart," Mork said.

Ekstrand got her taste for nursing while job shadowing at a nursing home after high school.

"I was just impressed by the way staff members took care of all the residents and realized that would be something I would be interested in. I loved to see that hands-on care and how well the consumers were improving and just seeing the smiles on their faces when they feel better," Ekstrand said.

She achieved her licensed practical nursing certificate and 10 years later took the next step and become a registered nurse.

"It's a very rewarding career because when you see patients improve in front of you day to day, it makes you happy knowing that you made them feel better. But is also taxing at times, you have to be very committed to your career because it can be overwhelming. It's tough sometimes," Ekstrand said.

Ekstrand returned to school for a bachelor's degree in management in 2016 and took a leadership position as nurse manager at MercyOne Oelwein's medical floor. She also oversees the outpatient clinics and is head of the infection control committee.

Still, she finds the time to meet with patients.

She starts off the day visiting patients in her unit, talking with them about their treatment and explaining their care. She then helps the other nurses with routine tasks and goes over insurance.

She said the Oelwein hospital is a good fit for her. She said she is able to wear a lot of different hats and get more experience than she would in a larger facility.

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