education, experience prepare NDSU GRADUATE to TEACH the next generation of nurses

Words by Heath Hotzler | Photography by Glasser Images

Allison Peltier was 16 when she lost her brother, Dylan, to suicide. He was 14.

His death was impossible to comprehend at the time. It still is 13 years later. Eventually, though, sadness and disbelief turned into resolve — resolve to lead a life focused on helping people.

Peltier put her energy into a nursing career, earning her degree in 2009. From the start, she had ambitions to be a leader, a compassionate advocate and a policy-maker who created positive change for patients.

In December, she started a new phase of her career, inspired by her instructors in North Dakota State University’s doctor of nursing practice program. She became a teacher, an assistant professor of practice for NDSU Nursing at Sanford Health in Bismarck, North Dakota.

“I had an interest in teaching, but it was really confirmed through my experience in the NDSU doctor of nursing practice program,” she says. “I had wonderful mentors and professionals who had a big impact on my life and how I view patients. It made me want to have that impact on others.”

Peltier worked for several years before continuing her education. Her first job was charge nurse in Sanford’s inpatient eating disorder unit in Fargo. Then she transferred to the surgical inpatient unit at Sanford Medical Center. Her next position was at an urgent care facility in Bemidji, where she moved with her husband after he earned his doctor of pharmacy degree at NDSU in 2011.

She was driven to accelerate her professional growth and applied to graduate programs. “Education and lifelong learning have always been important to me,” Peltier says. “I wanted to commit myself to getting my doctor of nursing practice degree, commit to being a leader in evidence-based practice, and commit to improving health care quality and communication for our patients.”

NDSU was her number one choice. “The program is well established and is known for its high level of excellence in education,” she says. She cancelled her other interviews when she learned she was accepted into NDSU’s program.

During her course of study, she noticed significant growth in her critical-thinking and communication skills. She won NDSU’s Three Minute Thesis Competition, which asks students to clearly and succinctly communicate complex research to a general audience. Peltier presented contributing factors to cervical cancer disparities among American Indian women — research that had direct application following graduation when she worked as a nurse practitioner at Red Lake Indian Health Services in Red Lake, Minnesota.

Her education also showed a new career angle: teaching future nurses. She was inspired by how her NDSU professors educated, supported, challenged and encouraged each student.

In her new role as assistant professor of practice, she teaches a health promotion class for undergraduates and a health assessment class for graduate students. She also coordinates doctor of nursing practice students’ clinical practice experiences and mentors the next generation of nurses, many of whom will stay in North Dakota following graduation.

The teenager

who was stunned by the loss of her little brother turned tragedy into grace. She has grown into an accomplished professional, motivated to continue learning and to make a difference.

“I hope I can be the positive role model for these undergraduate nursing and DNP students at NDSU,” she says. “My goal is to continue to educate nurses to positively impact the health of individuals, communities and families. And I want to express that as nurses, we have a commitment to service, practice and the highest quality care."