College Relations and Marketing |
Released: 7/31/2009 - Printer Friendly
Reprinted from the Wahpeton Daily News - "Best of the Valley 2009, Reader Favorites" - Story by Kayley Erlandson, Daily News Intern
Vickie Drewlow has always been comfortable in hospitals. She was intrigued when she went to the clinic as a child and insists she was never afraid of needles or receiving the normally-dreaded childhood immunizations.
"But my mom might tell you different," Drewlow laughed.
Daily News readers voted Drewlow the area's best nurse for 2009.
Drewlow has been a nuse for 38 years, spending the last 20 years at Innovis in Wahpeton. Drewlow specializes in allergies, which includes testing, mixing serums and giving weekly shots to her patients. She chose to specialize in allergies because it was the only full-time job available at the time.
"A lot of people don't come in every week anymore, partly because it's expensive, but mostly because of the time commitment," Drewlow said.
Drewlow remembers first becoming interested in the nursing profession as a girl when a public health nurse came to her school and gave shots.
"I remember thinking it looked like an interesting job," Drewlow said. Although Drewlow didn't know it at the time, the nurse who was her inspiration to pursue a career in medicine was Ione Meyer.
"I heard that Ione just retired," Drewlow said, "which is strange to hear because she was part of the reason why I went into nursing. I didn't know her personally but I knew who she was and what she did. She was something of an inspiration to me."
When Drewlow was only one week out of high school, she started a 12-month nurse's training program through North Dakota State College of Science. A year later, she married her husband, Dennis, with whom she had three daughters. Soon after, Drewlow worked at St. Francis Hospital for 13 years, then went into home care until she got her current job at Innovis.
"I've gotten to do what I love doing," Drewlow said. "But if I had to pick another job, I'd be a teacher. They get summers off."
Born and raised on a farm just north of Great Bend, Drewlow currently lives in her childhood town with her husband. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, scrapbooking and spending time with her family, including her eight grandchildren.
