Kelsey Wolf, RN, Thrives at Duke University Hospital

Kelsey Wolf, 2018 Lakeshore College Nursing-Associate Degree graduate.

While the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports so many young adults changing jobs, what keeps Kelsey Wolf, 2018 Lakeshore College Nursing-Associate Degree graduate, working at the same place she’s been since shortly after graduating?

Fulfilling work. Opportunities. Flexibility. Working at the hospital recognized as the best in North Carolina by U.S. News & World Report for 2024-25 – Duke University Hospital – can’t hurt either.

Kelsey’s path to Duke involved a few twists and turns, all leading to her successful career as a registered nurse.

Kelsey’s Path to Lakeshore

Durham, North Carolina, is a 15-hour drive from Lakeshore College and Kelsey’s hometown of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. Kelsey completed her bachelor’s degree in business administration at UW-Milwaukee before landing what she says was a fun job in sales and marketing. However, she was not feeling “fulfilled.” 

Recalling the enjoyment she felt during high school while working as a Certified Nursing Assistant at the facility where her grandmother lived, she began thinking about changing careers. She talked with her mother-in-law, who lived in Sheboygan and was a retired RN. Her mother-in-law said she worked with a lot of great Lakeshore nursing graduates and suggested Kelsey look into the program. 

Late in 2015, Kelsey began researching what it would take for her to enroll in Lakeshore’s Nursing-Associate Degree program. Thanks to her UW-Milwaukee degree satisfying Lakeshore’s general education course requirements, she was told, “You can start in two weeks.” And she did just that. She also moved with her husband, a Kohler native, from Milwaukee to a small apartment in Sheboygan so she could quit her job and focus on her nursing education.

Learning at Lakeshore

Among all the benefits Lakeshore offers students, Kelsey appreciated the small class sizes and instructors the most. Kelsey says, “I always felt the teachers really cared about us.” The instructors were so instrumental in her success that she still has connections to some, including Jill Vanne, Associate Degree Nursing Instructor.

“We've had and continue to have many great nursing students at Lakeshore; Kelsey was one of those students who have embodied nursing through her scholarship, advocacy, compassion, and no doubt is an absolute asset to the profession,” says Jill. “Even though Kelsey has moved out of the area, the great part of my job is being able to stay in contact with the students and seeing students like Kelsey grow into a nurse. Her patients are lucky to have her at their side!”

Kelsey says instructors often shared examples of their work in the field, which helped her and other students connect their coursework to real-world experiences.

Despite previously working as a CNA and having completed a bachelor’s degree before attending Lakeshore, Kelsey’s core program courses did not go as smoothly as she anticipated. She says she expected her nursing courses to be difficult, but she did not expect to fail her first semester of clinicals. Kelsey chalked the difficulties up to having been out of touch too long. Driven to overcome the setback, she took a job as a CNA and successfully reawakened the skills she knew she possessed.

On to Durham, On to Duke University Hospital

Shortly after graduating in 2018, Kelsey and her husband moved to Durham for his job. She says she knew of Duke and considered getting an RN job there a “longshot,” but applied anyway. The interview process was extensive, though worthwhile. 

Kelsey says she felt well prepared from the first day on the job thanks in large part to the extensive hands-on experience she had at Lakeshore and from working as a CNA. One requirement Duke had for her was to complete her Bachelor of Science in Nursing within a certain time, which she did at a local university. She was happy all her Lakeshore credits were accepted.

Kelsey began at Duke as a bedside nurse though her RN role has taken her to different departments, the variety of which is one of her favorite aspects of nursing. She currently works in the transplant area. “I could not be happier in transplant, building relationships with patients,” says Kelsey. 

She also enjoys her preceptor responsibilities, which involve helping new nurses transition to Duke. “I enjoy helping them learn the ropes at Duke,” she says. Kelsey especially enjoys connecting with new nurses from two-year schools, who she says often bring more hands-on experience with them.  

Benefits Include Scheduling, Career Opportunities, Support

When it comes to the benefits of choosing a nursing career, scheduling flexibility is a huge advantage Kelsey has appreciated very much. She’s been able to move between part- and full-time and different shifts to meet her needs, including caring for her young children and ailing mother. 

Kelsey’s most recent scheduling move was due to her husband losing his job, which could overwhelm many families. The shift she works now allows her husband time to look for a new job and they both get to spend time with their children, ages 2 and 3. Without her nursing job, she knows things could be much more difficult.

“I love being a bedside nurse providing direct patient care,” says Kelsey, though she urges future nurses to see the many opportunities nurses face including the broad variety of patient care and non-patient care opportunities. Specialty fields include instruction, administration, and research in addition to different levels of care such as long-term, acute, home health, and hospice. 

Many people prefer leaving work at work, though another of Kelsey’s favorite benefits to being a nurse is having the ability to help family and friends. “It’s so meaningful to me to have the ability to not only be supportive in situations where medical knowledge is helpful but also be a true advocate,” says Kelsey. 

It is crystal clear that Kelsey appreciates and cherishes her nursing career. Looking at it from the other side, Kelsey’s second career choice was without a doubt worth the wait for all Kelsey’s patients, family and friends who are thankful to have her by their side.

For more information about Lakeshore’s Nursing-Associate Degree program, visit gotoltc.edu/nursing-associate-degree.