USD School of Health Sciences Success Spotlight: Dana Mach, BSN, DNP

Degree: Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Current Position: Nurse Practitioner in the Emergency Room at Mercy Medical Center, Sioux City, IA

Dana Mach was just 9 years old when she discovered her love of taking care of other people. That is the year her little sister was born and young Dana was tasked with much of her care. When she was old enough, she worked as a CNA in a nursing home and decided that nursing would be her path. 

As a native of Viborg and the daughter of a USD alumna, the USD School of Health Sciences was a natural choice for her undergraduate education. Hers was the second class to graduate from USD's Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.

"One of the things that drew me to USD was the fact that they have great connections at Sanford and Avera, both of which have trauma centers" says Bach. "I'm an ER nurse so I love trauma centers."

USD School of Health Sciences has a strong track record of training graduates to practice in rural communities, but Mach says she also felt well-equipped to start her nursing career in Sanford's busy ED. 

"USD prepares its nursing students well, so that, even if they do come from a smaller town, they have the ability to go into a big hospital system," says Mach. 

Armed with her USD education and her trauma center experience, Mach spent three months as a travel nurse in California before returning to the area. She went on to earn her DNP and has most recently worked as an NP in Mercy Medical Center's ER. She'll soon transfer to a position as an ER nurse and hospitalist at Wagner Community Memorial Hospital Avera in Wagner, South Dakota.

"USD was a great foundation for me," says Mach. "The connections I made with many of my USD instructors were also a big help with recommendations for references and jobs."