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St. Luke's Regional Medical Center

2720 Stone Park Blvd.
Sioux City, Iowa
51104

(712) 279-3500

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Four St. Luke’s nurses among Iowa’s 100 greatest

03/16/2011


Sioux City, IA - A group of St. Luke’s nurses are four of Iowa’s greatest nurses for 2011. St. Luke’s registered nurses Michelle Barta, Karen Eberle, Jeanne Johnson and Shannon Merk have all been named to the Iowa Nurses Association’s 100 Greatest Iowa Nurses list.

Nursing honorees represent the top nurses in Iowa whose courage, compassion and competence stand out among their peers.

Barta is currently an Assistant Professor in Medical/Surgical nursing at St. Luke’s College. Prior to joining the College’s faculty, she served as a staff nurse on St. Luke’s Surgical unit in addition to other roles during her over 30-year career.

Barta holds a Diploma in Registered Nursing from St. Luke’s School of Nursing and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Briar Cliff University. She also earned a Master of Science in Adult Health Nursing from Creighton University in Omaha. Barta is a member of the National League for Nursing, Iowa League for Nursing and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing for the Theta Gamma Chapter. She was selected as an item writer for the NCLEX-RN exam in 2011 and serves as a mentor for new faculty members and preceptor for Master in Nursing students.

As an Associate Professor at St. Luke’s College, Eberle instructs students in maternity and high risk neonate care in addition to pharmacology and basic nursing courses. Prior to joining St. Luke’s College’s faculty in 1989, Eberle worked as a perinatology clinic nurse and served as a prenatal class instructor at St. Luke’s.

Eberle holds a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education from George Williams College, a Diploma in Registered Nursing from St. Luke’s School of Nursing and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Morningside College. In addition, she earned a Master of Science in Nursing from Clarkson College in Omaha. Eberle is active on several St. Luke’s College committees in addition to her work as a member of a mission team that provides medical care to Guatemalans. She was also selected as an item writer for the NCLEX-RN exam in 2009.

Johnson currently serves as Manager of St. Luke’s Medical/Telemetry and Cardiac Rehab units in addition to acting as a mentor for the organization’s nursing management staff. Her extensive career at St. Luke’s began in 1973 as a critical care nurse before she went on to start St. Luke’s and Siouxland’s first Cardiac Rehab program. In addition, she has served in various nursing leadership roles for the hospital.

Johnson received her Diploma in Nursing from St. Luke’s School of Nursing. She is past President of the Iowa Association of Cardiac/Pulmonary Rehab and recently received certification as a Medical/Surgical nurse.

Currently an Assistant Nurse Manager in St. Luke’s Surgical/Oncology unit, Merk has served in a variety of roles at St. Luke’s including staff nurse and clinical coordinator. She is a certified Oncology nurse.

Merk graduated from Western Iowa Tech Community College with an Associate Degree in Nursing. In May 2011, she will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Phoenix and plans to pursue a Master of Science in Nursing, also from the University of Phoenix. Merk serves her local community as a volunteer EMT.

Barta, Eberle, Johnson and Merk will all be honored as Iowa’s 100 Great Nurses during a reception in Des Moines in early May.


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About St. Luke’s:

St. Luke's Regional Medical Center is a community hospital serving the tri-state Siouxland area. Our focus is - and will always be - patient-centered care to improve the health of the people of Siouxland. With 1,200 employees and nearly 85,000 patients cared for annually, St. Luke’s is an anchor of support for the Siouxland community.

St. Luke's offers full-service healthcare with a range of inpatient and outpatient services, specialty and family healthcare clinics, and healthcare screenings and community benefit programs. St. Luke's is also planning for the future of healthcare through its affiliation with St. Luke’s College. With a strong focus on safety and quality, St. Luke’s has built a long-standing reputation of improving lives through advanced treatment and health education.

For more information, visit www.stlukes.org.