Nurses bid farewell to beloved doctor
<p>Kalispell Regional Medical Center operating room nurses gathered around the bedside of Dr. Van Kirke Nelson while he was being cared for in the hospital. They are, from left, Jaclyn Van Helden, Judy Cowan, Lynne Gronley, Shirley Riebe, Jayne Wangerin and Shelley Astle. (Photo courtesy of Kathleen Nelson, MD)</p>
Dr. Van Kirke Nelson captured the hearts of many in the Flathead Valley with his kind ways and passion for medicine. Chief among them were the nurses and doctors with whom he worked throughout his career. His death on April 18 prompted an outpouring of fond memories from those who knew him best.
Below are the remembrances from a team of six Kalispell Regional Medical Center operating room nurses who spent years caring for patients alongside this truly exceptional physician:
Jaclyn Van Helden: I had the pleasure of doing the last surgery case at the old hospital and the first case in this hospital with Dr. Van Kirke Nelson. Whenever we’d had a particularly long or hard day, or just when everything went off without any hitches (and that could happen anytime you worked with him), he would buy milk shakes or ice cream bars for the crew.
Shelley Astle: I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Van Kirke Nelson for many years in the operating room. He was a great OB-Gyn physician who was very well respected for his expertise and talent in surgery and for delivering thousands of babies during his career. It was always fun to work with him; he was a genuine person who always had a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes! He was a kind and caring person who I will always remember fondly. He loved his family and spoke of them often. He truly will be missed by so many in this community.
Jayne Wangerin: Not only was he a great surgeon, he was a true gentleman. He never had a harsh word to say about anyone, always stayed calm and never raised his voice. He genuinely cared for all he came in contact with and showed it in many different ways. He truly always had a smile on his face. It didn’t matter if he’d been up most of the night or not; he gave his all to whatever he was doing and it was the most important thing at that time. He was a very remarkable man who we will always remember.
Judy Cowan: Dr. Nelson was a wonderful man and surgeon. He always calmed everyone down anytime he came to help. No matter what time of the day or night he was called, he came in with a smile on his face and would do anything to help us out.
Lynne Gronley: Montana has many hidden treasures, and knowing and working with Dr. Nelson was one of those. In the OR, working beside him in his stocking feet (covered with shoe covers), he displayed much talent, especially when things didn’t go as planned. He was always cool, kind and collected. You just knew everything was going to turn out OK; then afterward he would go buy a box of ice cream bars and start handing them out to everyone! He delivered two of my children, both exciting deliveries, of course — he was there! I will always cherish the memories of working beside him and exchanging adventures.
Shirley Riebe: I worked with Dr. Nelson in OB from 1977 until his retirement. He never got frustrated or angry, and those less-than-stellar moments always turned into an educational experience for me. We all know how caring and generous he was, from driving an OB patient to the airport to be flown out for additional care not currently available here, to cutting expenses for an OB patient who had difficulty paying.
I have some specific memories of him helping me beyond his role in OB-Gyn when my son needed a little sewing on his scalp. Another is working on a plan to avoid losing revenue on medications used in the OB operating room. After speaking with several physicians involved, I knew they felt I was telling them what to do. Dr. Nelson said that the cost-saving was just a drop in the bucket; I replied that it may seem that way, but when you multiply that by all involved, and if we all pay attention to the little things, they add up. He saw it my way shortly.
The last one was about a new medication that the nurses found to be more effective than the one he liked to order. I got to the point where I’d remind him to try this one and encouraged other nurses to do the same. When another nurse asked him for this medication, his response was, “You’ve been talking to Shirley!” But he willingly ordered the one that we felt helped his patients the most.