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PAM YOUNG

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BRITTNEY SHAFER

BRITTNEY SHAFER

She is ‘the glue that holds clinic together’

Mary Pieper

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For the Globe Gazette

When Pam Young first enrolled at North Iowa Area Community College, her initial plan was to major in accounting.

However, she said she discovered “I wanted to do something where you interact more with people.”

Young,who later transferred to the University of Iowa, has now been a nurse for more than 40 years all of it in Mason City

Young,an RN with a Bachelor of Science in nursing, spent five and a half years at MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center. She’s been at the Mason City Clinic for nearly 36 years, first in orthopedics and now in the Ears, Nose and Throat (ENT) Department.

She said what she likes best about nursing,in addition to interacting with people, is “you learn new things every day” because health care is always changing.

Young has seen her fair share of changes during her lengthy career. She said one of the biggest was going from paper charts to electronic ones.

One of the challenges of being a nurse is the hours aren’t always traditional ones, according to Young.

“I am fortunate that I have a supportive family,” she said. “That’s very important. Even in a clinic, the hours aren’t aways 8 to 5.”

Young also feels lucky to have been able to start her career on a general medical/ cardiac floor of a hospital.

“It was a great thing to do because I was able to apply what I learned in school,”she said. “It was a floor with a lot of different things,a lot of different types of patients”

Young said switching to the Mason City Clinic was a great fit for her, largely because of the doctors she has worked with.

“They are top-notch physicians,” she said.“They value their staff.I love coming to work in large part because of who I work with. I entirely respect them. It has made my job very rewarding. The co-workers I’ve had have also been excellent.”

Young said she would advise nurses just starting out to find an area that fits them and to “recognize all levels of health de-

Mason City Clinic

livery are important.”

Dr. Tim Dettmer, an ENT physician at the Mason City Clinic, said Young is “the glue to our clinic”and has touched countless lives over the years

“She is dedicated to excellent patient care and customer service,” he said. “Her attention to detail ensures that patients receive quality care. She will not go home until all patient care issues are resolved.

Her professionalism, work ethic, and joyful personality make her an excellent colleague and role model. … Pam is very deserving of recognition for her wonderful nursing career”

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