The Yale School of Nursing (YSN) Class of 2024 holds the distinction of earning diplomas during the school’s centennial year. As graduating students prepare for the conferral of degrees on May 20, YSN is checking in with just a few of the extraordinary students adding hoods to their regalia this year.
Inga Runstrom ’24 MSN
Hometown: Big Lake, Alaska
Specialty: Nurse Midwifery
You entered YSN as an experienced registered nurse (RN). What inspired you to take the next step in your career?
Left: Inga Runstrom ‘24 MSN completed a YSN clinical in Uganda in the summer of 2023.
I have always wanted to be a midwife, and I initially considered returning to school right after nursing school but found that I really enjoyed being a labor and delivery nurse. I also worked alongside midwives and saw the amount of responsibility they had and wanted to get comfortable in my role. After about five years at the bedside, I felt prepared and motivated to make a bigger impact for the patients I served.
As you reflect on your time at Yale, is there a class, clinical experience, or travel excursion that really resonated with you?
My trip to Uganda was one of the hardest, yet most rewarding experiences I have ever had. Although I went for birth experience, I gained so much on a personal level. I was immersed in a community primarily of women and children and ate real, unprocessed food from the earth. All of our “Western” problems became very insignificant in comparison.
Mindless scrolling on social media was replaced with real conversations, and I got over my fear of insects and bats real quick. I returned to the United States with immense gratitude for my time there and a desire to recreate some aspects of it.
What are your post-commencement plans?
After graduation I will seek a certified nurse midwife (CNM) position at Alaska Native Medical Center, where I completed my integration and started my nursing career. I am Athabascan, an Alaska Native tribe, and I find great fulfillment caring for my community and learning more about other tribes around Alaska.
More Commencement Coverage
To read more student profiles and advice from six decades of YSN alumni to the Class of 2024, please visit the Commencement 2024 sidebar on the left (mobile devices, scroll down).
For more information on Yale’s commencement festivities, please visit commencement.yale.edu.