March 15, 2004
Debra Samson
Debra Yug'aq Samson,Registered Nurse, Ambulatory Clinics Manager. "Give honor to your elders. Learn what you can from them. Preserve their memory and our heritage. Once our elders are gone, there is no way of going back to them. Give back by living your life and giving honor to our culture.
"I am the daughter of John and Ella B. Kinegak of Bethel, Alaska. I graduated from Bethel Regional High School and continued to pursue my BS degree in Nursing at the University of Alaska Anchorage. I returned to my hometown of Bethel to make a difference to the Native communities and members of the Y-K Delta.
"My career as a Registered Nurse has broadened my health career in many ways. Today, I am the Ambulatory Clinics Manager. As a manager, I hire Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Certified Medical Assistants, Certified Medical Aides, Unit Clerks and Schedulers. One of my goals is to hire Natives and train them to become competent employees and excel as much as they can. I enjoy working with Native speaking employees and patients. I also like to see the approval of elders when I can help them in their own language."
Registered Nurse
- Combines compassion and science when helping patients
- Administers medication
- Works in hospitals, clinics and medical offices
- 2 to 4 year training program at the University level
- Average starting wage: $21 per hour