Ohl continues health-care career she always dreamed of

Sometimes saving those old elementary school notes and clippings can lead to clutter.

Other times, those same notes and clippings can lead to assisting in career choices.

Theresa Ohl always knew she wanted to be a medical professional, but she wasn’t sure in which medical field she would pursue her career. Her initial thoughts were to become a heart or neurosurgeon, but she wasn’t sure. At a point in her life when she wasn’t sure which steps to take in her professional life, Ohl happened upon a Student of the Week article written when she was back in kindergarten and within the article, she noticed that even at that young age, she wanted to be a nurse when she grew up.

“That settled it,” Ohl added. “I kind of always dreamed of being a nurse. It now feels like it was supposed to be.”

Ohl has been a nurse for the past 13 years, the last 11 in Malta. She is originally from Bozeman, Mont., born and raised, and moved to Phillips County in 2004 when her husband, Dan, who is a trooper with the Montana Highway Patrol, transferred to the area.

“We loved it here and decided we never want to leave,” Ohl said.

Ohl started at the Phillips County Hospital as a Registered Nurse but recently completed her education, graduating with a Masters from Maryville University in St. Louis, Mo., and passed her national tests to become PCH’s Family Nurse Practitioner.

“An RN carries out the orders of the provider and does the direct patient care,” Ohl said, explaining the change in her position. “And an FNP does the diagnosing, treating, prescribing for patients.”

Ohl said that the new position is going really well and added that she “loves it all.”

“I love visiting with the patients,” she said. “I love dealing with the adversity. You never know what you are going to see and I love that. I love being in the ER and it is kind of my passion. I have a lot to learn, but I learn something new every day.”

At one point in her career, Ohl had to cut her hours as an RN so she could take care of her two young children – Madelyn, nine, and Rylan, who is seven. Now the two children go to school fulltime in Malta allowing their mother to pursue her professional aspiration.

“It’s fulltime now and some weeks are longer than others,” Ohl said. “Sometimes you might be up all night on call and other times you might get to sleep all night. But I am very used to pulling 24-hour shifts and sleeping when I can, so I am doing all right.”

Besides the kindergarten Student of the Week article, Ohl said that her parents both wanted to be in the medical field but never made it down that route. Ohl said that both of her parents have always been supportive and are very proud of her for taking the career path they were unable to.

“They are both very supportive and happy for me,” Ohl said.

As for the shift of being a mostly stay-at-home mom to her two children to being the FNP at Phillips County Hospital, Ohl said Madelyn and Rylan are happy for their mother and the hospital has become a home away from home for the two.

“We are still getting into the routine of me working every day,” she said. “But if I am here, they are always wandering around the halls and visiting people…they make themselves at home.”

Ohl, after completing her Masters -- graduating on August 23 – went on to complete her medical hours under PCH’s Dr. Edwin Medina Sherry Gairrett, FNP and C, as well as some hours in Havre with Dr. Karrie Lien and some with Dr. Kevin Ross in Glasgow.

“It was nice to be able to do most of my clinical hours here at home,” Ohl added.