10 Mount Mercy alumni named 2025's Great Iowa Nurses

Mount Mercy University is excited to announce the following nursing alumni made it onto 2025’s Great Iowa Nurses list:

• Amanda Houston '15 MSN | University of Iowa Health Care
• Hailey Justice '22 | Mercy Medical Center Cedar Rapids Iowa
• Jacob Bochert '21 MSN | Mercy Medical Center Cedar Rapids
• Jared Barth '21 | University of Iowa Health Care
• Jenessa Franco '22 MSN | University of Iowa Health Care
• Kristin (Kaiser) McVay '08 | UnityPoint St. Luke’s Hospital
• Raedean (DeYoung) VanDenover '87 | UnityPoint Health – Des Moines
• Renee McGinnis '16 MSN | University of Iowa Health Care
• Tracy Wilson '17 | Buchanan County Health Center

To be considered, a nominee must hold a valid and current Iowa nursing license and be recognized for going above and beyond typical job responsibilities. Over 100 nurses are then selected across the state for displaying exemplary leadership, taking on mentorship roles, and embodying excellence in their field.

Recipient Jacob Bochert '21 MSN not only works within the field, but is a Mount Mercy adjunct professor, sharing his knowledge and experience with the next generation of nurses.

His Mount Mercy colleagues share, “He served as an MSN preceptor and is currently supervising a preceptor for our practicum course. As an adjunct clinical faculty for our sophomore nursing students, students report he is very knowledgeable, patient, and compassionate about teaching.”

Setting the standard for nursing excellence in Eastern Iowa for over 90 years, Mount Mercy provides programs for health care professionals to earn their bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Nursing students at Mount Mercy grow their skills through hands-on learning opportunities and partnership programs with local area hospitals, including MercyReady and Career Launch.

Learn more about the Martin-Herold College of Nursing & Health to discover more opportunities in health care.