Marten achieves OB certification

13 Jul Marten achieves OB certification

Harney District Hospital (HDH) Nurse Dawn Marten is now certified in obstetrics nursing. She joins Yolanda Ryckman, who is certified in professional healthcare management, Christy Sanders and Sherri Young-Scoresby who are both certified in emergency room nursing and Elaine Wulff, who is certified in medical-surgical nursing. These certifications validate a nurse’s knowledge and skills after many hours of studying and a difficult exam.

“This is quite an accomplishment and strengthens our nursing team,” said HDH CEO Dan Grigg.

We asked Marten to tell us a little more about herself and her certification:

How long have you worked at Harney District Hospital?

Since August 2014.

Where did you receive your education?

I graduated from Lane Community College School of Nursing in 1999.

What do you like about being in nursing?

For me, nursing is about the ability to touch people’s lives in a positive way, even if their circumstances are not always positive. Nurses have the ability to care for patients and their families in all circumstances and make the best of the situation they are in.

Tell us about the process of becoming certified in obstetrics (OB) nursing? Why did you choose to pursue this certification?

In order to become certified, you have to have work experience in the specialty that you are pursuing certification for, and you have to take and pass the certification exam. Once certified, you need to complete a certain number of Continuing Education (CE) Credits in your specialty in order to maintain your certification.

I was originally certified in OB around 2003, when I worked in women’s health. I enjoy learning, and sometimes you can even find a CE class in a fun place and plan a fun trip to go with it!

I had some family issues starting in 2008, and needed to quit my job with women’s health at the hospital I worked at in order to be home for my children. At that time, I was unable to pursue any CE credits so my certification lapsed.

When I moved to Harney County and began working for HDH, I was excited for the opportunity to work in women’s health again, and as soon as the opportunity came up, I took the OB certification exam and was re-certified. I look forward to the opportunities to keep learning via CE, as well as serving our community for their health care needs.

How long have you lived in Harney County? What do you like most about Harney County?
I moved here in July 2014 with my three children. I grew up in a rural community, and moved back there when I got married and had children. When my husband got sick, our lives changed and we lived in another rural community outside the Portland area. I have always been a country girl at heart, so when the opportunity arose to move to a nice, quiet rural community to raise my kids, I jumped at it.

I enjoy the dry climate and the people – it’s nice to drive down the road and have people wave at you, even if they don’t know you!