She didn't want to be a nurse. Now she's director of a Frazer school that teaches nurses

Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series that features Alle-Kiski Valley residents and the notable things they do.

Lynne Rugh never thought nursing was for her.

But a nudge from a friend’s mother led her to a rewarding career she has been working in for close to five decades.

“The funny thing is, I did not want to be a nurse,” said Rugh, director of the Citizens School of Nursing at the Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer. “I wanted to teach English.”

Rugh has been with Citizens since 1975, starting as a mental health nursing instructor before rising to assistant director, then director in 1989.

Roughly 50 years ago, Rugh was studying to be a teacher at Indiana University of Pennsylvania when she realized that might not be the best field to go into because teaching jobs were difficult to come by.

Her friend’s mom, a graduate of Citizens, suggested Rugh and her daughter apply for the nursing program because she thought they would make good nurses. Rugh’s friend wanted to be a teacher, too.

“(We) were sitting there crying because nobody was going to hire us, and we weren’t going to have jobs. And her mother walked in. She said, ‘You two should both be in nursing. You’re crazy,’ ” said Rugh, 68, of Lower Burrell.

Both went to see Mary Kay Slazak, who was then director of the nursing program. Slazak wouldn’t accept them because neither had a bachelor’s degree, Rugh said.

“She said, ‘You have two years of college. You will get a bachelor’s,’ ” Rugh said.

As they left Slazak’s office, Rugh thought, “I’ll be back for your job.”

“Little did I know,” Rugh said.

After that, Rugh decided to become a nurse. She received a bachelor’s in nursing from IUP in 1974 and a master’s in nursing from Duquesne University in 1980.

Her friend stayed on the teaching path.

“She went back to college and graduated in education,” Rugh said.

After graduating from IUP, Rugh spent a year as a psychiatric nurse at the former Pittsburgh Hospital in East Liberty.

She ended up at Citizens as the result of a particularly difficult work week.

One day, while Rugh was talking about her job, her aunt, who was Slazak’s secretary, told Rugh the school was looking for a mental health nursing instructor.

“I was interviewed the next morning by the woman that wouldn’t educate me,” Rugh said.

For Rugh, those who mentor young nurses have a chance to make such a difference in how they learn and grow.

When she first started teaching at the school, Rugh had more experienced faculty members take her under their wing.

She also learned a lot from Slazak.

Rugh says she sees the same kind of passion from the school’s current instructors, who are available to the students 24/7.

“These students have their cellphone numbers,” Rugh said. “Their doors are open.”

Someone who can attest to the difference a good mentor can make is Hope Waltenbaugh, a 2001 Citizens graduate.

Waltenbaugh said Rugh mentored her during the program, encouraging her to run for class president and offering opportunities to apply for nursing scholarships.

They’ve stayed in touch for 20 years.

“She sent me lovely messages after each career milestone, and last year when I became the vice president of surgical services at Allegheny Health Network, she called to personally congratulate me,” said Waltenbaugh, 48, of West Leechburg.

“I am incredibly proud to be a Citizens alum,” Waltenbaugh said, “and I believe Lynne has been the foundation of my success.”