While it’s safe to say Greg Jacob, RN, BSN, has seen almost everything in nursing, he does stop in wonder at times in his role at Avera Behavioral Health Hospital in Sioux Falls.
“Here, patient care comes before everything else,” said Jacob, who has been with Avera for 18 years, after completing a 20-year nursing career in the U.S. Navy, which took him around the world. “That focus started for me in the Navy; we wanted every patient to have the best possible care. Here at Avera? It’s the same.”
Jacob also teaches the art and science of the nursing profession, formally as well as in his day-to-day life as a float nurse.
“My mantra is always ‘Educate, educate, educate’ for any and all younger nurses,” he said. “My mentors did that for me, and so I feel it’s my duty to do so for those new to my profession.”
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Jacob began with Avera in Marshall, Minn., in 2006. He began serving his country in 1985, when he received his commission as a Naval officer and earned his nursing degree. His military career led him from California to Japan, then later to Florida, Tennessee, the Great Lakes and Bahrain.
“When I started with Avera, I was a house charge nurse, with staffing duties and helping all areas as they needed me,” said Jacob. He was an oncology nurse, then moved to Sioux Falls and began working in behavioral health care in August 2022. “Working with patients of all ages, like I do now, is rewarding. I like variety.” He understands the value of care that focuses on listening, talking and helping people face mental health challenges.
One parallel he sees in both the military and Avera is a sense of cooperation. “It’s not something we talk about, it’s something people show, every day, in our center,” said Jacob. “It’s familiar to a veteran, the sense of shared responsibility and teamwork.”
Veterans know all about accomplishing missions. That’s one reason Avera continues to recruit them, hire them and then, support them as they support the health system. “The service men and women who make up Avera’s many teams deserve our support, and we value the many contributions they make,” said Freddy Real, Military & Veteran Liaison Officer with Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center. “Greg is a good example of how Avera can become a new home for professionals familiar with a system where quality is priority.”
Learn how Avera supports military members.
Facing the Challenges of Workforce Shortages
One part of his time in the Navy that Jacob enjoyed most was training corpsmen, the sailor “medics” who would serve as members of squadrons and battalions in the U.S. Marine Corps. “Getting them up to speed, so they could handle anything, that was a key part of my work before I retired,” he said. “Having a chance to help new RNs now – it’s also something I appreciate.”
Nursing shortages affect all aspects of American health care. Working short-handed can lead inexperienced nurses to worry more or face burnout. “Good patient care is hard, and that’s why our teams here work so closely with our newest nurses,” Jacob said. “We do our best to support them and share our experience. They face some challenges that I did not.”
Jacob has become a go-to mentor for many RNs in his clinical area. “I think Greg’s service in the military helped him. He’s a natural leader, a strong collaborator and he always fosters an environment of teamwork,” said Natasha Sundet, RN, BSN, PMH-BC, Director of Inpatient Services and Residential Facilities at Avera Behavioral Health Hospital. “He’s served as preceptor for interns, and he celebrates their achievements.”
Jacob serves as an adjunct faculty member at South Dakota State University, where he helps teach nursing clinical practicum. “Greg is a great clinical instructor. He brings a wealth of experience and lots of real-life examples to his students,” Sundet said. “He’s engaged and always looking for opportunities for the students to learn and grow.”
With a passion for nursing, Jacob said he hopes more RNs who served in all military branches look to the opportunities they can find, even if it’s in a specialty new to them. “Adaptation is a vital part of any nurse’s toolkit, and Air Force, Army and Naval nurses know all about that,” he said. “Avera is a place where people who love the profession and patient care really can thrive.”
Read more stories about Avera employees.
