She’s spent her life caring for others, now Marge Kouba is getting the chance to enjoy some time to herself.
“I think I wrote down Dec. 23 as my retirement date,” said Kouba, nurse educator at Mid-Plains Community College. “But, because of Christmas break, my last day will actually beFriday.”
She has witnessed many advancements during her nearly 40 years in the nursing profession, but one thing remains unchanged.
“Basic nursing care is the same as when Florence Nightingale did it,” said Kouba. “We still hold patients hands, comfort them and do our best to make them better. It’s the use of computers, increased outpatient surgeries, shorter recovery times and the ability to make a diagnosis quickly that changed.”
The Kearney native knew when she was 12 years old that she wanted to be a nurse. Her inspiration was a cousin and mentor 10 years older than her who was in the nursing profession. Kouba thought her cousin had the best job in the world.
“I just liked the idea of working with people,” said Kouba. “When you can take care of someone and make a difference in his or her life both physically and emotionally – it doesn’t get better than that.”
Her cousin was an administrator at a rest home in Kearney. She got Kouba a job as a nurse’s aide at the facility when Kouba was just 14. Kouba became a nurse’s aide at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney her senior year of high school. She started taking college classes at Mary Lanning Healthcare in Hastings in 1972 and graduated in 1975 as a registered nurse.
In the summer of 1975, her husband was transferred to North Platte for a railroading job. Major changes were happening within the medical community that year. Kouba started out at Memorial Hospital, but soon found herself in the middle of a move to a new building as Memorial and St. Mary’s Hospital were merged into Great Plains Regional Medical Center.
“It was an exciting time,” said Kouba. “Everything was new.”
She worked at GPRMC for four years then took a job at Adolescent and Child Care Specialists for another 21 years. The position at the pediatricians’ office was part-time, which allowed Kouba to be more available to her three children.
Her career took another turn in the summer of 1998. The nursing program at MPCC was in need of a part-time instructor who could oversee clinicals and help with lab work. The nursing program at that time could only accept 16 students, but demand for the course was high. Hiring a new instructor meant the college could take in 24 students. At the urging of a friend, Kouba contacted the college.
“I was given the job, but was told I would have to work on my master’s degree,” said Kouba. “I did that through Nebraska Wesleyan University. Initially, I thought I would try teaching just for a year to see if I liked it. I fell in love with it.”
Kouba said MPCC’s nursing program is different from those in big cities – primarily because there are more non-traditional students enrolled.
“I have had students my age ever since I’ve been part of the program,” said Kouba. “Many got married and started families before deciding to pursue a profession. Others are changing careers. They come from and are settled in surrounding rural towns. I think that’s great because those communities need good nurses, too, and that’s what we put out.”
Kouba helped move the nursing program from the north campus at North Platte Community College into a health and science center on the south campus. She was instrumental in the purchase of mannequin simulators for students to train on. Over the years, Kouba has also been involved in Sigma Theta Tau, the National League for Nursing and the Nebraska Nurses Association.
“The best part of my time at the college has been all the friendships made,” said Kouba. “I also love seeing the enthusiasm on new students’ faces. That excitement shows up again during the pinning ceremonies, keeping my excitement up for nursing as well.”
Now that she and her husband are both retirement age, they have decided to spend it doing things they never had a chance to before.
“We got a motor home, so we’re definitely going to travel,” said Kouba. “We also plan to spend more time with family, and I will probably do more crafting, sewing and quilting.”
A couple of new instructors will take over Kouba’s job responsibilities at MPCC. One started this semester, and the other will begin teaching after the first of the year.