Linda Quaderer, Mille Lacs Band Elder, has been working to complete her Licensed Practical Nurse refresher course by job shadowing Jackie Jensen.
The experience, which involves 112 hours of observing and assisting Jensen, is part of the clinical requirement of the online nursing program at South Dakota State University.
Linda said, “It was helpful to find that I got lots of mentorship, lots of guidance, and I was encouraged to ask questions.” She likes the opportunity to get to know people and spend time with them. “It was a nice surprise that I didn’t have to rush.”
Jensen thinks that job shadowing is “a great way for people to get a taste of what’s out there.” She added, “There’s a whole world of opportunity in nursing and health careers.”
A resident of East Lake (District II) for the past three years, Linda is keeping her future plans open. When asked what advice she’d have for someone considering a nursing refresher course, Linda was definite: “I’d tell them to apply at the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.”