Nurse practitioner Reba Goshert was just five years old when she decided to pursue a career in health care. “I wanted to help and care for people.” She accomplished this goal. “I started a nurse at Elkhart General Hospital working on the pediatric unit,” she explains. “I knew that I wanted to help families beyond an acute time as an inpatient, so I decided to continue my education and graduated with my pediatric nurse practitioner in 1993.” She earned her master’s degree in nursing at Indiana University and completed a post-master’s program in family practice at Graceland University. “After a period of time, I realized that I wanted to see the whole family, not just the children. I love family practice because I can serve the whole family for all of their health care needs.” “It is important to listen to your patients,” she explains. As a family nurse practitioner, she listens to patients from all walks of life. “I see patients from newborn to geriatric for all of their health care needs, including wellness exams, acute visits and chronic disease management.” In Her Own Words Who are the most influential people in your life? The most influential people in my life were my parents who showed me how to care, listen and work hard. What was your first job growing up? What do you remember about it? MY very first job was cleaning at the local school system. What are your hobbies, interests? I love working outside, gardening and taking walking when I am not busy on the farm. Do you have pets? We have chickens, goats and dairy feeder calves for 4-H. We have two dogs and two cats. What were your best and worst subjects in school? My best subjects in school were math and science. My worst subject was social studies.