Healthcare Heroes - Kelly Stockfish - Schmidt, BSN, RN

What is your official Title?
Registered Nurse in the Urgent Care located at Watertown Regional Medical Center. We provide extended-hour clinic care for patients with common, non-life-threatening problems, including sore throats, ear infections, coughs, fevers, sprains and strains, minor lacerations and wounds, and other medical issues that would normally be taken care of in a primary care environment.

How long have you been at Watertown Regional Medical Center? Have you always been in the same position?
I have been at Watertown Regional Medical Center for just over 7 years. I started off in the pediatrics department after I graduated nursing school and through the years have worked in many different areas. I was in the float pool for a few years where I was able to learn many different units in the hospital.  For the past two years I have been in the Urgent Care.

What do you enjoy most about working at Watertown Regional Medical Center?
I love the rural aspect of our hospital. Working at a smaller hospital, you get to know more of your co-workers as well as get to know a lot of your patients. I enjoy the teamwork we have as well, it allows us to better collaborate for our patients well-being. You have to be able to depend on your team and work well together to get things accomplished.

What was your inspiration for getting into healthcare?
My family was a big inspiration for becoming a nurse. When I was very young my brother passed away and during his time in the hospital, I found the care the nurses gave him to be very inspirational. When I was 17, I was also diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. During this time I had many doctors’ appointments and met with multiple nurses and educators. I had some great interactions and some not so great. This pushed me even more into nursing because I wanted to help others receive great care and help them learn how to better help themselves.

What would you say to somebody wanting to get into your profession?
For anyone that wants to get into healthcare, I would encourage them to do so. There are so many different possibilities and different options for you. I would recommend that they shadow certain areas that they may be interested in to see what seems more interesting or suitable to their liking.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at work?
On my days off, I enjoy spending time with my husband of almost 3 years and our two pups. We have a two-year old husky names Freja and a two-year old beagle names Sigurd and they love their walks...multiple times a day.

What is your favorite place in the Watertown area?
My favorite place in Watertown would be The Drafty Cellar. The owners are great and have done a wonderful job at making it a go to place in Watertown. A place to eat in town would have to be Bigg’s Bar & Grill, their pickle chips are phenomenal!

What does working for a CMS “Five-Star” Hospital mean to you?
Working for a five-star hospital means that we have met many different goals, our survey ratings are high and we are consistent in the standards we maintain for our patients and the community. It shows that we are willing to put in the work to give great care.

Why do you believe patients can Count on Watertown Regional Medical Center for quality care?
We care about our community and the people we take care of. Being a rural hospital, we have to work well as a team and doing so allows us to give quality care. It can be stressful at times, especially during the pandemic, but we strive to do our best.