Millennium Magazine_8th Ed

171 Millennium - A Marquis Who’s Who Magazine HEALTH AND WELLNESS C ommencing her career as a nursing assistant, Linda Lea Streiff Bleeker, MSN, RN, was encouraged to enter the nursing industry by her colleagues and family, who noticed her potential for success. Attending Minnesota State Community and Technical College, she received an Associate of Science in 2009. From there, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Phoenix, along with a Master of Science in Nursing, with a specialization in diabetes education, from Capella University in 2019. For most of her career, Ms. Bleeker was a traveling nurse, in which she relocated to several cities across the United States to extend her expertise. Practicing in Juneau and Nome, Alaska, for nearly four years, she then became a traveling nurse in North Dakota, Arizona, Iowa, California and Minnesota. Settling down in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, she has been a registered nurse at the Sanford Health Ava’s Hospice House since 2019. During her tenure there, she has lent her wealth of knowledge to patients who are in hospice care, as well as supported families of the hospice patient to keep them comfortable. Presently, Ms. Bleeker maintains affiliation with the American Nurses Association, the American Nurse Educators Association and the Iowa Association of Nurses. A former teacher for CNA students in the State of California, she attributes her success to the support and encouragement of her father, a military man who instilled in Ms. Bleeker a love for travel. Looking toward the future, Ms. Bleeker intends to continue working in hospice care and educating others on diabetes. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, hiking and gardening. Married to her husband Darrel Bleeker since May 2020, she has four children, 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. LINDA LEA STREIFF BLEEKER, MSN, RN REGISTERED NURSE (RETIRED) Sanford Health Ava’s Hospice House Sioux Falls, SD