Jan Wipf, RNC-OB, C-EFM, BSN, the Assistant Director in the Maternal Child Department at Rapid City Regional Hospital, exemplifies the spirit of excellence as the 2010 SDPA Pioneer Award recipient. She is very dedicated to the Maternal Child department, the staff, her patients, their families and the community. She has been a staff/charge nurse in the Maternal Child department since 1986 and assumed the Supervisor duties in 1993 and the Assistant Director role in 2009. Jan guides the nurses under her management to give the best care possible. She serves all nurses by being a living example of what is best in nursing. She demonstrates unfailing dedication and enthusiasm for the art of nursing. Jan can be counted on for the extra hand, the above and beyond, and the never-ending support of staff working with her.

Communication comes easily to Jan, who actively seeks to improve the environment of the Maternal Child department. An open, warm, confident person, Jan is able to communicate information vital to her patients to the variety of caregivers involved in the Maternal Child department. As the Assistant Director, she adjusts to the changing fluctuations of patient census and acuities through positive work ethics and organized nursing practice. She also serves on many committees throughout the Rapid City Regional Hospital System of Care. She is active on the Nursing Value Analysis Committee, Chart Packets, Nursing Leadership, the Maternal Child Practice/Satisfaction Council and the Special Circumstance Delivery Task Force.

Her community involvement is evident through her active participation in the city wide Kid’s Fair, childbirth classes and Children’s Miracle Network. She has assisted with health screenings at the Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo and adopts a class every year buying them Christmas gifts and promoting health hygiene practices. She also assisted with the Leadership Rapid City class of 2008's project which supported childhood play and healthy child activities.

We are very grateful Jan has chosen mothers and babies, the most precious of all patients, to demonstrate what compassion and caring in nursing are really all about. Jan is a lot of fun to work with and dedicated to her nursing profession. She has keen assessment skills and is great at problem solving. She always has a positive attitude.

Jan is self-motivated and always willing to take on new projects. The value of ongoing education and its relationship to practice is evident in Jan’s professional journey from a Diploma degree in 1986 to a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing degree in 1996. She holds special distinction as being a member of the National Honor Society for Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau. She is certified in Inpatient Obstetrics and Electronic Fetal Monitoring through the National Certification Corporation. Jan holds memberships in both AWHONN and South Dakota Perinatal Association. She is a vital part of SDPA as a member of the planning committee, meeting monthly to help provide direction for the annual meeting.

We admire Jan for her continued dedication to improving nursing processes in the Maternal Child department and throughout the hospital. She demonstrates patience, understanding, kindness and professional expertise to enrich the lives of babies, families, staff as well as hospital colleagues. Her generous spirit is evident in her ever-ready smile and positive attitude toward patients and families alike. Submitted by: Linda Haberstroh, RNC-OB, MS, Sarah Blenner, RNC-MNN, BSN, Cathy Allan, RN-BC, MS