Three Registered Nurses from St. Anthony Regional Hospital have been selected as recipients of the 2021 100 Great Iowa Nurses award. “We are honored to have three of our nurses as part of the 100 nurses chosen statewide,” says President and CEO, Ed Smith. “It is a great testament to the quality of care we provide and the award highlights the tremendous contributions they have made through the nursing profession benefitting our friends and neighbors right here in central Iowa.” Kari Hammer is originally from Alexandria, S.D. and graduated from the Southeast Technical Institute with a degree in surgical technology. She began as a surgical tech in 1994, but continued her education, obtaining a nursing degree and certificate in legal nurse consulting from Kansas State University. She has been a clinical nurse educator and St. Anthony employee health nurse since 2019. Kari and her husband, Eric, live in Carroll and have three children ages 18, 15 and 13. Sara Roth began her nursing career 15 years ago after graduating from Wall Lake View Auburn High School, earning a bachelor of science in nursing from Chamberlain College of Nursing. She began as a nursing assistant and has advanced from bedside registered nurse to charge nurse to her current role as Director of the Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit and Cardiac Rehab Services. She is also the emergency preparedness coordinator. Sara and her fiancé, Mitchell Gonnerman, live in Lake View and have three boys, 11, eight and a baby. Nicole (Nikki) Schwering was born and raise in Gilmore City and received her nursing degree in 2009 from Iowa Central Community College. She came to the St. Anthony Nursing Home as an RN in 2009, before moving to staff nurse at St. Anthony Home Care and Hospice a year later. She became director of that division in January of 2020 and earned her bachelor’s degree from Capella University during the pandemic. Nikki and her husband, Dave, have four children ages nine, seven, four and three. These nurses will be honored in a virtual ceremony during National Nurses Week, on Sunday, May 2.
