MILES CITY, MONTANA: Miles Community College (MCC) Nursing Instructor Katrina Luther has recently been named as one of the healthcare professionals honored in the Billings Gazette’s Heart of Healthcare celebration.
Each year, the Billings Gazette puts together a special publication to honor local and area nurses who make a difference in the lives of others. This specialty publication is released during National Nurses Week (May 6-12) and includes a special online Salute to Nurses video, featuring interviews with the honorees. The public is encouraged to nominate nurses and nursing professionals who represent the best in their trade and have characteristics such as compassion, patience, and commitment.
Katrina Luther dedicated years as a nurse before beginning her faculty career at MCC in 2007, and she has been a foundational part of the MCC Nursing Program ever since. According to her colleagues, she has exemplified professionalism and compassion, with boundless knowledge and experience within the nursing field, all attributes leading to her nomination.
“This honor is so humbling,” Luther stated. “I read the (Billings) Gazette publication yearly, and I’m always excited to see what other nurses accomplish. I had no idea I was even being considered as an honoree; it was a total surprise!”
Hailing from the ranching community of Brusett, Montana with a strong work ethic instilled by her parents, Luther began her career as a nurse after receiving her Associate of Science in Nursing degree from MCC in 1985. She then furthered her education by receiving Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Nursing from the University of Mary in North Dakota.
Luther fondly remembers her time in the nursing field, caring for patients from “cradle to grave” and finds herself privileged to have been a part of so many sacred moments for her patients and their families.
“As a nurse, I have always done what I love with patients that I’ve cared for, and now I get to do the same with students at MCC,” she said. “I’ve been able to meet them both where they’re at in order to meet their needs. It’s been an honor to teach students for so many years, especially the ones who have never had someone believe in them until they walked through our doors. Our entire nursing program instills passion, and it’s been a blessing to be given the gift of who I need to be for people when they’re in need.”
Luther has worked tirelessly at MCC for the last 17 years, and in addition to direct classroom instruction, her daily work includes preparing for lectures and organizing clinical rotations in several Montana locations. She has been innovative with her work while incorporating the new NCLEX testing style of questions into classroom instruction and testing, while actively sharing assessment outcomes to meet requirements set by board certifications and accreditations.
She was also one of the first in her family to receive her Master's degree and knows that her dad would have been extremely proud of her accomplishments. While he never had the opportunity to finish high school, he instilled the importance of lifelong learning in each of his eight children and celebrated their successes.
“It’s been a gift to be able to use techniques taught by my parents and pass them on to our students.”
In addition to being named one of the featured nurses in the Billings Gazette publication, Luther was also named the MCC 2024 Excellence in Teaching Award recipient and was celebrated at last weekend’s graduation ceremony in front of both peers and students.
“It’s been quite the year!” she exclaimed.
When asked what she likes most about teaching, Luther always mentions the students first and enjoys watching them grow in confidence, beaming with pride upon pinning and graduation each spring.
“Nursing is a passion,” Luther stated. “Everyone is worth something, and we make sure our students know that they’re all worth fighting for. We believe in them.”
Please visit the Billings Gazette website to read more about the Heart of Healthcare honorees or to watch the Salute to Nurses video.
