Since she was young, Linda Prybil (65BSN) longed to be a nurse. She spent thirty-eight years at what is now known as University of Iowa Health Care (formerly UI Hospitals and Clinics) as a bedside nurse. Because of her many years of practice, she values the importance of this role and desires to have UI College of Nursing students experience the impact they can have on patients and their families.
Over the years, Prybil had a front-row seat to the advancements in nursing and healthcare. In her early years as a bedside nurse, she vividly remembers the first intensive care unit, which housed four beds. She also recalls an early monitor which only tracked the presence of a heartbeat.
Prybil’s time in the ICU “was exciting and came with a plethora of knowledge you had to be aware of, including which meds to have on hand and which approach to take,” she said.
Although the number of patient beds, equipment, medicine, and so much more have changed, the need to remain knowledgeable, informed, and experientially prepared is vital.
Prybil has a passion for the recruitment and retention of nurses at UI Health Care as well as providing students an extra opportunity to be prepared for their career. Because of this passion, she created the Mother Prybil Summer Internship Fund that offers students a 10-week paid internship at UI Health Care. This is a premier opportunity and unique experience for students graduating the following semester to work with an interdisciplinary team and sharpen their skills. Currently, six students are benefiting from Prybil’s generosity by interning in the Cardiovascular, Medical, and Surgical and Neurosciences Intensive Care Units where they work one-on-one with their clinical preceptor.
Emma Gile, one of the interns shared, “Before this internship, I had no previous experience working in an intensive care unit (ICU). So, although I thought I wanted to work in an ICU after I graduated, I had worries that it was not going to be for me. However, this experience has given me the opportunity to prove to myself that I do in fact love the fast-paced environment of the ICU, and that it truly is what I have a passion for.” After graduating, Gile hopes to become employed by UI Health Care in the Medical ICU.
Prybil’s long standing passion has taken root in today’s nursing students, whose exceptional care will improve the lives of many patients and their families throughout their careers.
If you are interested in sharing your passion through a philanthropic opportunity, contact Director of Development Dayna Ballantyne at dayna.ballantyne@foriowa.org or 319.331.4135.