Susan Forstrom

After graduation I went to the U and entered the school of nursing which was a 5 year program at the time. Because as nursing students we spent 30 hours in the hospital, we received free room and board staying Powell Hall on campus - nice because I lived just 3 miles from campus and wouldn't have lived in a dorm otherwise.
After graduation, 2 classmates and I signed up to go to Germany for 2 years as nurses in the Army Nurse Corp stationed at Landstuhl Medical Center -the largest military hospital in Europe which still receives the troops from Irag. We had a great time hoping flights to England and driving all over Europe on long weekends and vacations. It was a fantastic time.

I spent 14 years at the U of MN hospital as a director over a number of nursing units and then worked for 13 years for a nursing consulting company where I flew all around the USA and Canada usually spending weeks with a hospital coming home on weekends or staying over and sightseeing in the area. When flying became to much of a nuisance, I retired early in 2000. But I got bored and took a position at Fairview Southdale Hospital where friends I knew from my University days were now in administration. I took a new retention position counseling new nurses and their preceptors to increase satisfaction and retention fr both. It was a really fun, rewarding job.

I am now retired, spend major time in my too-many gardens and golf with friends. I spend occasional time as a volunteer at Gillette Hospital, am on the Board ot Trustees for the U of MN's School of Nursing Foundation and now plan to start a volunteer position with Methodist hospital as a patient rep. one day/week.
Life has been very good to me in spite of two divorces. I have grandchildren and one great grandchild so these are the best of times seeing them.

I still remember taking our teddy bears to school football and basketball games - hard to believe now.