UPHS – Portage Heroes | Nancy Kauppila, RN, BSN

What is your role at UPHS – Portage? 
I am a staff nurse at PortagePointe.

What was your inspiration for getting into healthcare?
When my youngest child was almost three, I took a very part-time job in an assisted living home and discovered that I loved it! Then a nurse from a local hospice came and spoke to us about end-of-life care and that cemented it for me.  

What's a typical day like for you?
I usually work the day shift, but also do some evenings. I care for 20 to 30 elders — administer medications, assess elders and perform wound care as ordered. I also coordinate care with doctors, families and elders. The days are fast-paced and I enjoy that. 

How long have you been employed here? Have you always been in the same position?
I have been at Portage for 18.5 years. I started as a CNA at PortagePointe. A year later when I graduated as a nurse, I took a job in the Inpatient department, always knowing that it was just a placeholder for gaining experience while waiting for the addition to be completed at PortagePointe and applying there as a nurse. By the end of the first summer, I was working in both areas. I moved back to PortagePointe permanently a year later and did all new employee orientation for many years and was the chief educator for the department as well. 

What are some of the big changes you have experienced in this position?
We just started a new Electronic Medication Administration Record (eMAR), which is a month old, so it's challenging but rewarding.  

What are some of your interests outside of work? What is your favorite local gem?
My faith is very important to me and I guard my Sunday mornings. I sing in my church choir as well as the Copper Country Chorale. I am the Zone President of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML). Before Covid, I was very active with the Calumet Players and participated in many musicals. I am an active gardener and canner. I also have 45 laying chickens and care for them. My favorite local gem? I don’t think I have one. I just enjoy the seasons — the bounty of summer and fall, the quietness of winter and the anticipation of spring. 

What do you enjoy most about working at UPHS – Portage? 
I love caring for the elders and helping to make the end of their life meaningful. We have had many elders who had been living a solitary life in their homes come to PortagePointe and blossom! They discover a social life that they haven’t been able to have for a long time. I also enjoy my coworkers and have built many wonderful relationships over the years.