Providing Care Close to Home
WVU School of Nursing alum saw firsthand the value of nursing in rural communities
Linda Angus always knew she wanted to work in healthcare, but she didn't know exactly what she wanted to do.
With a graduating class at Clay County High School of around 130 and as a first-generation college student, she said she felt a small community atmosphere would offer her the best chance of success.
“(At the time) WVU Tech was about 15 minutes from home, so I knew it would be idea to stay at home, save money and commute to college,” Angus shared.
She submitted two applications — one to the dental hygiene program and the other two nursing. With a direct admission to nursing, her path was set.
“I knew I wanted to do something with healthcare and with a solid future,” Angus said. “Without the direct admit, I may have gone with a different major. But because I was direct admit, I knew the stipulations of the program requirements were in place, and I had to maintain my GPA. It insured I stayed on a four-year progression track. It was impactful.”
Angus remembers her instructors as “phenomenal,” some of whom are still teaching at the WVU School of Nursing, including Peggy Fink.
“I did a lot of rotations with her at the student health clinic,” Angus shared. “She is ultimately the reason I decided to be a nurse practitioner.”
Angus is now a two-time WVU School of Nursing graduate — first in 2006 with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (from the previous WVU Tech campus), then in 2010 with her Master of Science in Nursing.
She is now a Family Nurse Practitioner and is a member of the faculty at the WVU School of Nursing Beckley Campus.
“I knew I didn’t want to be a bedside nurse my whole career,” Angus said. “I knew advanced practice would allow me to make my schedule, earn a higher salary and have more autonomy. It’s a very rewarding career and you can be very influential in your patients’ health outcomes.”
Because of her work in a rural health setting, she received student loan forgiveness after a period of time.
She said growing up in a small, rural town, her primary care provider was oftentimes a nurse practitioner at a rural health clinic.
“To me, that was an important role. That’s who I saw in my teen years. Nurse practitioners made care more accessible to the people of my community.”
In August 2021, Angus joined the WVU School of Nursing as a full-time faculty member, where she teaches sophomore and junior level nursing students. She hopes to soon pursue her doctorate in education.
“I enjoy the teaching aspect because it’s super important to me to produce quality nurses, not just a quantity of nurses,” she shared. “From a quality standpoint, I mean nurses who care, who are knowledgeable and able to provide adequate services. Someday, it may be me or my family member they’re taking care of.”