Gareth Elkins, '21, Serves Patients as Nurse, Accepted to Mayo Clinic Program
By Tony Scott

Gareth Elkins, '21, is a registered nurse at Mayo Clinic.
(Photo credit: Gareth Elkins)

Gareth Elkins, ’21, is currently a registered nurse working at the prestigious Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and this fall, he will enter a doctoral program at the clinic’s medical school. Elkins said his experience at NIU helped him prepare for his career and future goals.
 

“My two main reasons for coming to NIU were because of the nursing program’s great reputation and its affordability,” he said. “Having graduated and been gone for four years now, I’ve found that the program’s reputation is richly deserved for the ability to get a quality education at an affordable price."

Elkins is a charge nurse in the Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit at Mayo Clinic. 

“I am part of an amazing group of healthcare providers who help manage patients who are acutely very sick and need lifesaving care related to neurological problems,” he said. “We mainly deal with patients who have suffered ischemic strokes, aneurysm ruptures, and traumatic brain injuries, but also deal with anything from spine problems to neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS and Guillain-Barre syndrome.”

This fall, Elkins begins the 39-month Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice Program at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science.

“I will be training to become an advanced practice nurse that specializes in providing anesthesia care for patients," he said. "My goal is to one day work alongside surgeons and the surgical team in operating rooms during procedures."

Elkins grew up in Naperville enjoying sports.

“Before coming to NIU, I was mainly an athlete throughout my childhood but being 5’6" I was limited in the sports I could be truly competitive in,” he said. “I stuck to wrestling and gymnastics and was lucky to be a fairly accomplished athlete in both sports.”

While at NIU, Elkins was active in the Gymnastics Club and lived with some fellow club members off campus for the last two years before graduating. During his first two years at NIU, he lived in Stevenson Towers and the Fanny Ruth Patterson Complex.

Elkins was also involved with the Northern Prairie Alliance organization for NIU nursing students.

“Some of the best friends I made in college were through both of those organizations, and having been a brand-new kid to DeKalb, with little to no connections, I couldn’t have made it through those four years without the folks in the gymnastics club,” he said.

Elkins recalls associate nursing professor Cristan Sabio as a helpful and impactful presence.

“With nursing being a female-dominated profession, it was very impactful to have someone like Dr. Sabio, who was my only male professor, passionately teach the content that he did and help all of us as dedicatedly as he did,” he said. “It helped us all feel capable of succeeding in his course, but more so in this career, and for fellow guys such as myself, he showed that there is a place for us in this career as well.”

“Representation in all facets of life is immensely important, as seeing someone such as yourself succeeding in the things you're interested in helps with your confidence, determination and comfortability in that area," Elkins continued. "It really allows you to feel as though you can do whatever it is you aim to do."

This is just one example of how NIU prepares students to become professionals on healthcare's front lines. Discover how NIU is fortifying our future at niuforward.com.