54 years of nursing, and still going strong

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Here's another long timer: Omaha Newsstand > Archives > Wahoo Newspaper > News > Wageman celebrating 54-year nursing career

After 54 years of nursing, Wava Wageman is still doing the only job she ever wanted.

This May, she is celebrating her 54th anniversary since her college graduation from Immanuel Hospital School of Nursing.

“I always wanted to be a nurse,” Wageman said. “I guess you could say it was a life long ambition.”

Over the years, Wageman has nursed in a different hospital, doctor clinic and nursing home settings. She has worked for Immanuel Hospital, Saunders Medical Center, Dr. Robert Norton in Yutan, the University of Nebraska Geriatric Center, Saunders County Care Center, Haven House and South Haven for the past 10 years.

Wageman grew up in Kansas and started nursing school immediately following her high school graduation.

She stated that education isn’t set up the same way that it once was.

“I went to school for three years with no summer vacations,” Wageman said. “We were doing clinical rounds during our first month of school

“I am called a diploma nurse because that is what you achieved at that time. It’s not a BSN and I think that is a kind of unfair.”

The biggest change Wageman has seen during her career is the technology.

“Technology has changed considerably, but the patients are still needing the same things,” Wageman said. “The medical problems haven’t changed or the care that patients need hasn’t either.”

Wageman stated that technology such as physical therapy programs have helped tremendously.

Nursing homes used to be a place for people to come near the end of their lives to be comfortable, Wageman said.

“Now people are living here longer, enjoying a variety of activities and making new friendships and remaking old friendships,” Wageman said. “I think the advancements in technology have enabled them to do these things.”

The 75-year-old nurse who is now working part-time, said that there have been many bad and many good things about her career.

During her first weeks as a nursing student, Wageman experienced her first death when she was with a patient.

She said she has come to learn that is a blessing to be with somone in birth and in death.

“It is pretty special to be with someone as they die,” she stated.

She described it as being a bittersweet moment that is both a sad and good time.

Other good times in her career have been the friendships she has made with co-workers, patients and residents.

“There have been a lot of good people that I have met and got the pleasure of knowing,” Wageman said.

She stated that one of her least favorite things about working in a nursing home is tornado warnings.

“They always seem to happen during one of my shifts,” Wageman said. “It isn’t always easy to get everyone to a shelter or to even want to be moved to shelter.”

But, she always gets the job done.

Wageman’s medical passion seems to have been passed down throughout her family.

Her son, Ward Wageman is a pharmacist in Fremont. She has a granddaughter, Melissa Hiykel, who will be finishing nursing school at Methodist College in July, a granddaughter-in-law, Blake Wageman, who received her BSN from Clarkson College in December and a granddaughter, Amy Kemerling, who is a medical assistant at Freidel Medical Associates in Wahoo.

Wageman and her husband, E.J. live in Yutan. They have four children, 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.