LISA WELPER

She’s found her niche as a surgical nurse

Mary Pieper

For the Globe Gazette

Lisa Welper, who has been a nurse at the Mason City Clinic for 25 years, loves working with surgery patients

“The majority of the time you are able to help them and they feel better,” she said That’s why Welper became a nurse in the first place.

“I just like helping people,” she said.

Welper, who grew up on a farm near Austin, Minnesota, began working as a nurse’s aid at a care center when she was in high school. She received her RN and her Bachelor of Science in nursing at Winona State University.

She worked at a hospital in Des Moines for three years before moving to North Iowa and becoming a nurse at what is now MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center for a couple of years. Then she moved to Waterloo and worked as a surgical nurse at Covenant Medical Center for two years before returning to MercyOne North Iowa, where she worked in open-heart surgery and the ICU for five years.

Welper spent her first 21 years at the Mason City Clinic working with openheart surgery patients She now works in general surgery there.

“Regardless of the situation, Lisa’s commitment has always been to the patient that they would be cared for, protected, and given the highest priority possible, despite what was sometimes an overwhelming workload,” said Savanah McClemons, who works in Human Resources and Recruitment at the Mason City Clinic.

Welper also “communicates superbly with physicians,other health care professionals,and ancillary members of the care teams,” McClemons said. “Her attention to detail and its impact on the quality of care provided is on a level by itself, as is her work ethic.”

Welper said she’s seen a lot of changes during her 37-year career Patients are often sent home right after surgery rather than spending a few days in the hospital. This means she spends a lot of time teaching patients what to expect and to make sure they have the resources to call if they

Mason City Clinic

have concerns. Her advice to specialize at

Go to an area where

NURSES: THE HEART OF HEALTH CARE