As a life-long Forks resident and a generational Forks Hospital Nurse, Vern Rondeau knew he wanted to save lives from a young age.
His mother, Registered Nurse Darlene Rondeau, worked for the Forks Community Hospital (FCH) for decades. His father, Registered Nurse Jim Rondeau, retired from FCH in the not-so-distant past and is a second-generation Forks resident. Inspired and intrigued by his parents’ dedication to medicine, Vern followed in their footsteps.
“I always had a love for science, anatomy and physiology. It was more interesting than a lot of the other classes that I took,” he recalls.
Growing up in a small town, Rondeau was aware of the culture shock experienced by those who left Forks for university at a young age. Ultimately knowing he’d pursue medicine, Rondeau didn’t see the need in rushing into a career he felt he was destined to pursue.
“I got married right out of high school and we both shared the same desire to eventually move back to Forks with the intention of making a livable wage while reintegrating into our community as contributing adults. Since I was always drawn to the medical field, these two goals aligned perfectly.”
After high school, Rondeau took the time to gain life experience by working in a variety of jobs including logging, manufacturing, and sales.
Rondeau credits his early 20s working in forestry as a key motivator that brought him back to the sciences. He knew he needed to find a way to transition toward a role that would help him comfortably raise a family without being away from home for extended periods of time.
After graduating from Washington State University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Rondeau earned a Masters of Science in Nursing from Gonzaga University in late 2021, becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner.
In a full-circle turn of events, he and his family have now transitioned back to their hometown.
Believing that each patient should be viewed as an individual with unique needs and experiences, Rondeau enjoys working collaboratively to help plan the direction of care for his patients.
“Now that I’m in this role, I have a different perspective. I get to experience our community from a different angle than I did while growing up. I value the opportunity to be in this role that is helping people but I am also grateful to the community for entrusting me with their care.”
The Forks Community Hospital is always looking for qualified clinical, administrative and support staff to join the team. Right now medical and laboratory technologists, nurses, obstetrics and family practice specialists are of great value. Stay up to date on current job openings by visiting https://jobs.forkshospital.org/.
