Real life work experiences often resonate with students, and with that in mind Rochelle Township High School superintendent Jason Harper has created a series of internal field trips this year for students interested in specific STEM-related career fields.

The first was Nov. 28 when Julia Norem, MSN, RN, chief nursing officer and Susan Mueller, MS, APN, FNP, BC, nurse practitioner from Rochelle Community Hospital gave students a broad view of nursing and the opportunities available.
“This is something relatively new for RTHS and our guest speakers did a wonderful job of explaining the various aspects of their jobs,” Harper said. “They provided road maps for students to chart their own courses. As STEM and health careers evolve, it is crucial for our students to interact with STEM career-related professionals.”
Attending the presentation were students Marili Cervantes, Erin Decker, McKenzie Doerr, Morelia Escutia, Monica Hernandez Vasquez, Nanci Hernandez, Mya Latta, Kaytlin Neale, Kaitlynn Ost, Olivia Ramos, Cheyene Watson, Ryleigh Baicco, Anne Hickey, Juleidy Leon, Cora Martinez, Amy Price, Marianne Russell, Kelsey Thompson, and Katie VanHise.
The girls are all juniors and seniors, most of them enrolled in career-related curriculum through the Kishwaukee Education Consortium.
“Health care is our country’s largest industry,” Norem said. “It’s a career field that isn’t downsizing. There will always be a need; always opportunities to work as much or as little as your life allows.”
In her 37th year, Norem said the average age of a nurse is 50.
“‘Baby Boomers’ like me are in the final stages of our work lives. We are also the largest population demographic,” she explained. “We want to retire knowing that when our time comes for good nursing care, there is an ample supply of a generation of nurses.”
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecast at 15 percent growth in the industry between 2016 and 2026. The healthcare industry is growing faster than others.

Several pathways to become a registered nurse include the following options:
• Associate Degree (ADN) through a 2-year community college program
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) 4-year university program or 2 years beyond your ADN
• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) 2 years beyond your BSN, Nurse Practitioners
• Doctorate of Nursing - Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing, the highest degree. PhD nurses teach, conduct research, evaluate programs, write books, lead health care organizations and work for the government
Norem explained the benefits, opportunities and salary ranges available with each degree. Mueller said 600-800 clinical hours are required working with a physician and gaining specialized skills to become a nurse practitioner. NPs are graduate level educated, national certified, state licenses and have prescriptive authority.
“Our program was created in the 1960s to serve inner-city and rural communities where physicians are scarce or people have a lack of access,” she said. “Many doctors choosing specialities over family medicine and primary care created a shortage projected to be between 46,000 and 90,000 in the next eight years.”
Nurse practitioners to the rescue.
In 1979, there were 15,000 NPs in the U.S. Today, there are 248,000.
The pair advanced incrementally.
Mueller earned a three-year nursing degree at St. Anthony School of Nursing in the 1990s. She worked in an Emergency department for 15 years, in obstetrics labor and delivery, as well as the ICU, taking courses at NIU to become a Family Nurse Practitioner.
She earned a master’s degree in 2009 and has worked in Rheumatology, Gastroenterology, OB/Gyn, Weight Loss. She has served as a hospitalist (for longer term patients in need of assistance) and now works in convenient care (same day treatment).  Her daughter is also a nursing student.
Norem earned a diploma as an RN in 1982 through a three-year hospital-based program, finishing her bachelor and master’s degrees at NIU.
She was a hospital staff nurse for a dozen years, has worked at a pediatrics clinic, in urgent care, for the health department, at the Crusader Clinic and has taught at St. Anthony School of Nursing. She worked in project management before becoming chief nursing officer at RCH. Her daughter enrolled in the U of I School of Nursing, earning undergraduate and graduate degrees. She is a nurse practitioner.
Each was able to work and continue their education with employer tuition assistance while marrying and raising a family.
“Nursing provides that luxury,” Norem said. “You can work nursing hours into virtually any schedule.”