October/November - Coulee Region Women's Magazine

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From imaging rooms to labs to nurses’ stations, women find careers in a wide variety of medical professions in the <strong>Coulee</strong> <strong>Region</strong>. Olson became interested in the health care field after thinking she wanted to teach school. “My interest was science, math and biology, and originally I was planning on teaching biology, but a friend was in the field of clinical engineering and suggested radiology,” Olson says. “I have never regretted the choice.” Where patients and technology meet Having a friend diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease wasn’t a high point in Lisa Undahl’s life, but the situation was also pivotal for her professionally. At the time of her friend’s diagnosis, Undahl was working as a radiology technologist. But after she went to treatments with her friend, she knew she wanted a new focus in radiation therapy. Undahl, who is now a radiation therapist at Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse, completed a 12-month radiation therapy certificate program offered at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Radiology technology, or medical imaging, involves using methods like X-rays in a diagnostic setting, while radiation t h e r a p y i n v o l v e s delivering radiation to cancer patients, Undahl explains. To Undahl, the most important difference is that with radiation therapy, she gets to see the same patients over and over again. “You really get to know the patients and develop a rapport with them. I like that aspect of it,” Undahl says. “It is truly rewarding to assist patients with their cancer care journey. Greeting them with a warm smile and giving in-depth explanations so they get a full understanding of what will be occurring means so much to them and their families.” She stays updated on advances in radiation therapy through education, meetings and seminars. “We bring back what we have learned and discuss as a group what would make sense for our practice,” Undahl says. She also has the added responsibility of working as supervisor in her department, something she enjoys because she gets to make some decisions while remaining involved in direct patient care. “As a supervisor, I get to help coordinate patient care,” Undahl says. “Which involves making sure that the patient is well taken care of and making sure things go smoothly during their course of treatment.” A resource to the front line With a background in nursing, Camilla Jaekel comes into her new position as nursing practice enhancement specialist with Mayo Clinic Health System with a solid understanding of what nurses are facing in their careers. Her job involves a lot of research and policy writing. “Let’s say a nurse hears about a practice. It is my job to look at the literature, see if it would be a best practice for us and then write policies,” Jaekel says. “I work in the middle to tie it all together.” Jaekel has an undergraduate degree in nursing from Viterbo University, has a master’s degree in nursing teaching and is working on earning her Ph.D. in nursing research with an emphasis in informatics and standardized nursing terminology systems from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She is completing her degree completely online and loves to be able to communicate with others in the program from all over the world while staying in La Crosse and applying what she is learning. Jaekel’s number one priority is to be a resource to the nurses working on the front line. “I’m going to be there [for the nurses],” she says. “I know nursing well enough, and I’m passionate about it.” While Jaekel hasn’t been in her new position for long, she is looking forward to the challenges the job will present. “I am excited that this role is going to bring together various disciplines on future projects to enhance intercollaborative practice,” she says. “This type of practice will only improve the patient care that is provided throughout our health care system.” crw Growing up, Jessie Foss always thought she would work in the medical field. Instead, she spent six years in college trying a little bit of everything and eventually graduated with a degree in journalism. 18 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2011 www.crwmagazine.com
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Page 4 and 5: contents | October/November 2011 Wo
Page 6: | FROM THE EDITOR | Photo by Janet
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Page 12 and 13: 12 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2011 www.crwmag
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Page 16 and 17: Advance Your Career in Health Care
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October/November - Coulee Region Women's Magazine

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