PCNA’s National Nurses Week Nurse of the Day: Dr. Jacquelyn Huebsch

Dr. Jacquelyn A. Huebsch, PhD, RN

Dr. Huebsch has three levels of education. She holds a BS from the College of St. Catherine (now St. Catherine University), an MS in nursing from the University of Minnesota, and a PhD in nursing and epidemiology.

The idea of nursing took root in Dr. Huebsch’s life relatively early. Her family life and her parents’ caring nature were major factors in her decision to become a nurse.

Dr. Huebsch says she lives for the genuine encounters with patients and their families. She feels accomplishment in helping patients understand and deal with their medical problems and treatments over time. Currently, she is enjoying the opportunity to use her clinical experience and co-investigator experience to conduct a pragmatic research study involving a nurse-led intervention for improving evidence-based cardiac care in primary care clinics.

The hardest part of the job for Dr. Huebsch is seeing either urgent or long-term patient needs that can’t be resolved very quickly or satisfactorily. She says that these situations often have a social basis. She admits the slowness, competing priorities and complexity involved in achieving needed system changes can be disappointing and frustrating at times.

Through out her career, Dr. Huebsch has seen and experienced some incredible trends in the field that she hopes continue to evolve. She is very pleased to see increasingly well-educated nurses who are able to articulate the nursing perspective and give visibility to its contribution. She is also happy that recognition is being given to the essential contribution of nursing in developing a health care system that responds to the goals of the Triple Aim and achieves better health for all persons through out their lifespan.

Dr. Huebsch is a resident of St. Paul, Minnesota and is currently a Senior Research Fellow at HealthPartners Research Foundation.