Nurse Residency Program

Nils Rognlien, RN
Surgical Services

“OMC became an ideal place to start my nursing career in the way the organization encourages growth and offers opportunity for interdepartmental experience. In my few years, I’ve actively worked on four different units and have had hands-on experiences and exposures to the daily operations within several other units. I can’t imagine that kind of latitude happens very often in other organizations and across the industry. I’m rewarded every day with opportunities to take care of members of our community, and to work with and learn from an impressive team of coworkers. I’m better at what I do because of the people around me.” – Nils Rognlien, RN

Norah Gage, RN
ICU/Telemetry

“It was an obvious choice for me to work at OMC. I had previously worked for OMC as a float CNA for 3 years and had already formed a bond with the staff members here. It’s really unique that OMC hires new grad nurses in specialized units and will even pay for the required classes and certifications to be in such units. OMC has some of the most influential and brilliant nurses that I have ever had the honor of learning from. The preceptors helped shape my skills and gave me the ability to ask “why” in certain circumstances and the tools to be able to answer that same question. Our amazing unit directors make sure that I’m up to date on all my certifications and provide additional learning opportunities for me.” – Norah Gage, RN

Bracey Ulin, RN
Endoscopy, Surgical Services

“OMC’s culture, reputation and nurse residency program are what drew me to start my career here. OMC has given me the opportunity to go into a specialized field early on. The support, education, staff and residency program helped my transition from nursing school. The most rewarding thing about being a nurse at OMC is giving back to the community and being able to serve the people of the Peninsula, often times at their weakest moment. Being the person they look to for guidance and comfort when they are sick or having an invasive procedure is one of the reasons I became a nurse in the first place.” – Bracey Ulin, RN

Tonia Appeldoorn, RN
Surgical Services

“Doing the residency through OMC gave me the unique opportunity to start in a critical care unit. I also had the opportunity to train in other departments which has given me the advantage of seeing how the whole process of going through surgery is from pre-op admission to being discharged. I love the encouragement and support of continuous learning here at OMC. I feel grateful that we have a community owned hospital in our community where we can provide patient services to our people. ” – Tonia Appeldoorn, RN

Jasmine Gauthun, RN
ICU/Telemetry

“I was born and raised in Sequim, so after graduating nursing school I wanted to move back home, which made OMC the ideal place to start my nursing career. I also love the feeling of a smaller hospital. Being a rural hospital, it has given me the opportunity to work closely with other departments, making it feel like one big family. Since starting my nursing career in the ICU/Telemetry unit, I have been surrounded by supporting and motivating peers who instilled confidence in me that I probably would not have received elsewhere.” – Jasmine Gauthun, RN

Chloe Helpenstell, RN
Obstetrics

“I chose to start my nursing career at OMC due to the location and community aspect of a small hospital. My husband and I were both born and raised in Port Angeles and have chosen to start our own family here. OMC has provided me the opportunity to pursue my passion of becoming a Labor and Delivery nurse while also being able to give back to the community I was raised in.  One of the biggest highlights of choosing a career at OMC is being able to serve the mother baby dyad in all areas of care from delivery through postpartum. This is typically not the case at a larger institution with high-patient volumes, where lead nurses specialize in either antepartum, labor, or postpartum. One of the greatest joys of my career thus far has been having the ability to help a mother bring her new baby into the world, and then follow her to postpartum where I can help her cultivate the skills and confidence to be an amazing mother.” – Chloe Helpenstell, RN

Amelia
Olympic Medical Physicians 

“The beauty of nursing is you get to see patients in
sometimes the worst times of their life, but also the
best times of their life. To be able to help them find
some comfort within that time is what has drawn
me and what drives me to keep going.”

Amelia’s route to Olympic Medical Center has been a circuitous one, but her path to becoming a nurse has long been clear to her.

“I knew I wanted to be in health care my entire life,” Amelia says. “…I’ve always been fascinated by the human body, but mixing that with the compassion to take care of people; that’s just always been my role.”

After growing up in New Jersey, she earned a bachelor’s degree in public health from Portland State University before entering the nursing program at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. From there, she joined the physician clinic division of OMC in Port Angeles.

“The area is absolutely gorgeous,” Amelia says. “People are so warm and so friendly…There’s no better feeling than having that positivity around you.”

Bryan
Short Stay

“I really love caring for patients and helping take
care of people in my community…Just being there
for patients in their time of need and providing
good care.”

Faced with a career change due to the pandemic, Bryan researched his options until he landed on a profession that he already had a passion for – nursing.

“[I] know quite a few doctors and nurses around town,” Bryan says. “I talked to them, just trying to get people’s insight about what they knew about me and what they might think would be a good second career for me. Nursing just seemed like the obvious choice. I’ve done some EMS in the past.”

After graduating from the nursing program at Peninsula College, Bryan is now working in the Short Stay unit at Olympic Medical Center.

Austin

Medical / Surgical / Pediatrics

“I was born and raised in this community. Being able to do my part, give back for all the care I received over the years here and everywhere.”

Austin knows firsthand what it can mean to someone to receive life-saving care.

He was a premature birth – born at seven months – and has undergone more than 20 surgeries in his lifetime. That experience is the driving force behind his decision to become a nurse.

“Being on both sides of the bed really helps,” Austin says. “It gives good perspective.”

Born and raised in Port Angeles, Austin finds fulfillment in giving back to the community, helping to provide health care like that of which has been so vital to him personally.

“Just being able to go in every single day knowing that I’m there to help and that I make a difference every day,” Austin says.

Jasmine
ICU / Telemetry

“It’s super rewarding to know that you’re a part of
someone’s healing process and to be able to
contribute to that…I just hope to be that light in
someone’s dark days.”

Jasmine was born at Olympic Medical Center, and now, after completing nursing school at Walla Walla University, she is a part of the team providing care for the residents of the Olympic Peninsula.

“My whole life, I wanted to do something in the medical field,” Jasmine says. “…I fell in love with the career during nursing school.”

Jasmine is certainly no stranger to OMC. Prior to beginning her residency, she served in two roles that helped OMC respond to the COVID-19 pandemic – first as a screening representative, helping to ensure patients and staff were healthy before entering an OMC facility, and then assisting in OMC’s drive-thru COVID testing operation.

“It’s cool to come back and give back as well,” Jasmine says. “Small, community hospitals are super cool because it’s personal.”