创建自己的程序

While people don’t typically think of pairing criminal justice and nursing, it was the perfect fit for Megan Rausch ’07.

现在，劳施担任法医死亡调查员，分析任何属于法医或验尸官管辖范围内的死亡。

她在护理和刑事司法学位方面的经验帮助她获得了这个职位。

“Early on, I was unaware that this profession even existed for nurses,” says Rausch. “I was hired for it because of my criminal justice degree and nursing experience, both of which originated at 皇冠体育. Looking back, this is what I was meant to do—I just didn’t know it at the time. When I tell people what I do, they often say that I have a ‘CSI’ kind of job."

Rausch来到皇冠体育是因为它著名的护理项目。 Her aunt and uncle, 皇冠体育 graduates Tom Erceg ’7 and Char Erceg ’71, also gave high praise about the benefits of a Mount Mercy education.

劳施能够研究现实生活中的主题和场景，同时将它们应用到她正在学习和学习的内容中。

“I especially loved Mock Trial with Deb Brydon. It was the best of both worlds for me—nursing and criminal justice.”

巧合的是，她多次扮演法医的角色。

“I had (and still have) a bit of a rebellious spirit, and was constantly challenging our nursing faculty," said Rausch. “我的导师凯西·斯威夫特（Kathy Swift）让我不断前进，让我在上大学的过程中始终专注于自己的目标。 她帮我完成了这个项目。 It’s kind of ironic how my job with the Medical Examiner’s Office requires me to question all things.”

“我的导师凯西·斯威夫特（Kathy Swift）让我不断前进，让我在上大学的过程中始终专注于自己的目标。 她帮助我完成了这个项目。”

从Mount Mercy毕业后，劳施尝试了几个不同的职业机会。 她尝试了两种不同的肿瘤学经验，发现她喜欢癌症患者和肿瘤学背后的医学，但她知道她想追求不同的东西。

In 2010, she stumbled upon a posting for an open medicolegal death investigator position on Polk County’s job website that required a nursing degree. 她申请并接到了面试电话。

“I was in awe and ecstatic!" said Rausch. "I had read books, and watched TV and movies about autopsy, death investigation, and medical examiners, but never thought it was something that was available to me.”

"I had read books, and watched TV and movies about autopsy, death investigation, and medical examiners, but never thought it was something that was available to me.”

As part of her job, she is a senior investigator and trains and educates new employees and colleagues (police, EMS, and medical staff) about the medical examiner’s office and how to improve death investigation. 她还通过兼职肿瘤科护士继续磨练自己的护理技能。

“I really have the best of both worlds, and feel like I’ve found where I belong professionally. 这要从优质教育和经验开始。 My time at 皇冠体育 prepared me for a challenging professional career and gave me the ability to be flexible and problem solve.”

劳施最自豪的是，同事们认为他关心自己的工作，并以关怀和尊严对待死者及其家属。

“I am honored to serve them by being able to find next-of-kin on cases where others have given up or the decedent is homeless or transient," said Rausch. “我还处理悬案，努力查明死者身份和/或通知近亲。 这是我工作中最喜欢的部分。 当有人不能再为他们辩护时，我会尽我最大的努力为他们辩护。 我对这些人有特殊的感情。”

劳施从仁慈山中学到的最有影响力的一课是对一种全面、平衡的生活方式持开放态度。 In addition to her work, she loves working out, playing with her cats, reading, yardwork, softball, kickball, gardening, home renovation, and listening to podcasts—especially true crime.

“If I had my experience at Mount Mercy to do over again, I would have participated in even more experiences that college had to offer," said Rausch. "I focused on my academics and didn’t participate in as many activities or social engagements as I would have liked. 我建议慈悲山的学生都去做！ 专注于经历，无论大小。 当你有一天回首往事，一切都会变得有意义。 You will end up right where you meant to be—you just might not know it at the time.”