Courtney (Johnson) Ehlers has found herself journeying on a career path she thought she would never venture upon, but she appreciates the people and situations that have guided her there.
“I am very happy where I’m at. I think I’ve found my fit,” said Ehlers, director of women and children’s services at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls.
When the Yankton High School graduate enrolled at State in fall 1998, she thought she would become a doctor. The premed major did quite well as an undergraduate, earning degrees in both chemistry and microbiology-infectious disease in 2002. Her undergraduate work included research in microbiology and animal science.
“After I finished my first undergraduate degree, I wasn’t quite sure of where I wanted to go,” Ehlers said.
She took a job in cellular biology research at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. She enjoyed her study of hypertension in the kidneys. But at the same time, she realized she wanted something else. “I definitely knew I wanted to be on the front side working directly with the patient,” Ehlers said.
Career switch No. 1
She didn’t have to think twice about where to obtain her nursing degree.
“I had a couple acquaintances who had gone through the acceleration program. I had many friends and roommates from the first time who were nursing grads. SDSU had a good reputation for nursing education,” said Ehlers, who entered the 13-month acceleration program in Sioux Falls in August 2004.
“The amazing thing about SDSU, you have the exposure to all these realms of nursing. Accelerated gets you exposed to all the nursing roles,” she said.
But the only role Ehlers wanted was that of the traditional bedside nurse. “I wanted the ongoing care that you can have in a nursing relationship.” She worked in that role for five years at Avera. Her dream was to become a nurse practitioner in a rural area and entered SDSU’s DNP program in 2010 to make that happen.
“When I started my program, there was a leadership opportunity in pediatrics. Many colleagues encouraged me to apply and the Avera leadership encouraged me to continue my education,” so Ehlers proceeded in the DNP program after being elevated to manager of the children’s center and pediatric intensive care unit.
“I was doing one class a semester. I came to my last year (2014). I was about to do my clinicals when another opportunity opened in leadership.”
Career switch No. 2
This was for her current position, director of women and children’s services.
“Things just fell into fruition. As a student, my path changed, but I actually had enough courses to complete my master’s in administration. While I didn’t finish the DNP, I did finish my master’s degree,” said Ehlers, noting that graduate education has been valuable.
She admits, “as an undergraduate, I thought ‘Why do we have to take these different classes in leadership and financial roles in nursing?’
“But those beginning courses really set the tone. They bring with them a care that is full circle, continuous. I think the program SDSU put forward was a vision that was bigger than just a bedside. How do you make an impact that advances the entire profession? My impact isn’t just with the patients we’re caring for, but it also helps me to impact the future of nursing.
“We anticipate where we are going to take nursing. That was a piece I didn’t appreciate as an undergrad.”
Selected for yearlong fellowship
Ehlers finds great satisfaction in “being able to make a difference in what the nurses are doing at the bedside. My favorite thing here is being able to connect back to the College of Nursing. I’ve been a guest speaker at a couple undergrad classes. I tell them real-life stories of what we do every day as an administrator.
“For me, it’s being able to tell the story of how impactful a nurse can be. It’s a profession that is highly regarded and there are so many facets of nursing—nurse practitioner, administrator, educator.”
Ehlers was among 20 people selected for a yearlong fellowship with the American Organization of Nurse Educators. The fellowship includes several trips, including traveling to Washington, D.C., to lobby for the nursing profession, and a capstone project designed to benefit the fellows’ place of employment.