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HAZEN, N.D. () — Molly Nelson is described by others as the most positive person you’ll ever meet with an unwavering commitment to her community.
“I’m really lucky to get to do what I do,” said Molly Nelson, RN-Nursing Care Coordinator. “And I I just love taking care of this community.”
Molly is well respected by peers, providers and patients and considered the “go-to” gal in the nursing department at Sakakawea Medical Center in Hazen because of her knowledge and skill set.
While she’s worked her way up the ladder, earning her most recent title as nursing care coordinator, the work is something she doesn’t take lightly.
“I think it’s such a privilege to be a nurse, you know, it’s such a privilege to stand on this side of the bed,” Molly shared. “And I don’t take that lightly. You know, we’re there in some of the most precious moments of people’s lives, the most vulnerable moments of people’s lives. And just to be able to do that is an honor and it’s a privilege.”
A Hazen graduate, Molly knew from an early age that she wanted to work in the medical field.
“I worked here as aide in high school, actually, and I loved it. I just fell in love with it,” Molly said.
While Molly knew that’s what she wanted to study, she never imagined she’d be back in Hazen to live out her career and raise a family.
Early on, she had an opportunity to work in a large hospital, but also an opportunity to work in rural health at Sakakawea Medical Center . Molly told an instructor she was afraid she wouldn’t have the full experience in rural health, but that proved not to be the case.
“She said go do it, you know, go to rural health, you are going to be a better nurse for it,” Molly explained. “And she was so right. We’re all nurses and have to be kind of a jack of all trades. We never know what’s coming in. You could take care of a newborn and you could take care of a 85-year-old. It’s it’s always different every day is different. And that’s what’s cool about it.”
Molly enjoys rural health so much that she’s continued to work at Sakakawea Medical Center for 13 years.
“Just to be able to create a connection with them in a relationship. That’s what it’s all about, you know, that’s what nursing is all about,” Molly said.
She says those relationships are instrumental in helping patients heal, and connections with her coworkers are instrumental in helping her grow.
“I work with the best people. I work with the best nurses and the best aides,” Molly shared. “And coming to work is fun.”
Faith also plays an important role in Molly’s profession.
“We were talking about it as a group the other day, you know, the holiest places,” Molly shared. “And for me that’s at the bedside of a patient, especially a patient who’s who’s passing. If you can’t find God in that, in that environment, you know, he is right there.”
Molly’s faith helps her stay strong for her patients, her children, and everything she does day in and day out.
“I think when you love what you do, that shines through in your work and shines through to your patients and your co workers,” Molly said. “And I just hope I can be, you know, a light for people. I hope I can be a bright spot in their day because I really love what I do.”
Molly Nelson, a top-notch, trusted and well-known nurse, dedicated to her community, is Someone You Should Know.
