By Crystal Reith Her passion for providing high quality, compassionate care led Courtney Bonnstetter to step into the role of director of nursing at Murray County Medical Center (MCMC).
Bonnstetter began her new position on May 6 and looks forward to being back with the MCMC family and community.
“I look forward to seeing the familiar faces of our patients,” said the Fulda native. “I also look forward to the future of MCMC and ensuring we are leveling up to bring the best care to our patients.”
As director of nursing, Bonnstetter’s primary responsibility is managing the hospital’s nursing department. Her duties vary from day to day, but she also oversees multiple hospital units and serves as a member of the executive team.
“I have enjoyed getting to know the other members of the executive team and planning for the future of MCMC,” Bonnstetter said.
One of her goals is to revamp the orientation process for new nurses.
“It is difficult, at times, to efficiently orient a new nurse when things ebb and flow so much in rural healthcare,” she said. “I would like to get our facility recognized for Pathway to Excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. This distinction would set us apart as a facility and raise the bar for our nursing staff.”
Inspired by her older sisters, Brittany Hegstad and Kelsey Bly, Bonnstetter pursued a career in nursing. She graduated from Fulda High School in 2017 and earned a bachelor of science degree in nursing from South Dakota State University in August 2020.
She began working as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) at MCMC and Maple Lawn Nursing Home in 2017. In 2020, she joined MCMC as a full-time registered nurse (RN) while also serving as in a casual RN role at Windom Area Health. She later transitioned to a position at MCMC after accepting a surgery RN role at Pipestone County Medical Center. In September 2022, she returned to MCMC full time before moving back to a casual position to join Maple Lawn Nursing Home. During her time at Maple Lawn, she served in the roles of director of education and director of nursing.
“A huge advantage of taking this new role was that I knew the ins and outs of MCMC prior,” she said. “I have also held employment at other facilities to gain additional experience and see how other facilities function and manage. I am well aware that nursing is constantly evolving and we have to continue to learn.”
Bonnstetter plans to use her years of nursing experience and her leadership style of leading by example to recognize and retain staff.
“The biggest challenge we face right now is staffing,” she said. “We are always looking for different ways to recruit new nurses; as well as retain the nurses we currently have.”
She encourages anyone that is interested in the nursing profession to get their CNA certification and gain as much hands-on experience as possible.
Bonnstetter noted that her time as a CNA solidified her decision to pursue nursing, and credits her husband, Alex, for supporting and encouraging her throughout her career.
“I would also like to thank MCMC for entrusting me to hold this position and for the opportunity to lead the nursing department,” Bonnstetter said. “MCMC feels like home and it feels so good to be back.”
