Skip to main content

Idaho’s First Nurse Practitioner to Receive College of Idaho Honorary Doctorate

The first-ever Nurse Practitioner in the state of Idaho, Marie Osborn ARNP, will be recognized by The College of Idaho with an honorary doctorate during its Commencement ceremony later this month. Osborn facilitated a one-of-a-kind rural program with the College that has served students for decades, and for her devotion to rural health care, emergency medicine, and the education of students, she will be awarded the honorary degree. The College’s commencement ceremonies will be held on its Caldwell campus in the outdoor Quad, May 21, starting at 10 a.m.

“Marie left an indescribable legacy for College of Idaho students,” said Ann Koga, longtime Biology lecturer and advisor to hundreds of healthcare students. “Many generations of students have benefited from spending summers in Stanley at the clinic. The students get a truly unique experience and come back with stories ranging from harrowing wilderness rescues to pulling a fishhook out of a child’s scalp to helping a local resident cope with a devastating diagnosis. They become part of the Stanley community and are forever changed by that experience.”

Dr. Sheri Robison, who served as Professor of Biology from 1973-91, and 1993-2003, shared a memory of her time working with Osborn and sending students to her Salmon River Clinic in Stanley. “One thing I will always remember about Marie is how loved, respected, and valued she is,” Robison said. “The bulletin board at the clinic was full of letters and postcards from people thanking her for pulling them through a medical emergency while they were on vacation.”

In 1971, Idaho was the first state to license Nurse Practitioners, and the state's first Nurse Practitioner was Marie Osborn. Today the United States has over 350,000 licensed Nurse Practitioners, and the profession has expanded into Canada, Ireland, Australia, Israel, and the United Kingdom.

A Nurse Practitioner (NP) is an advanced practice registered nurse (RN). Idaho was on the cutting edge of creating this new profession because the state is mostly rural and continues to face daunting challenges in health care and emergency medical services (EMS). Idaho expanded on earlier efforts to train RNs as Nurse Practitioners in pediatrics. 

The realities Marie Osborn faced responding to the needs of her patients drove the evolution of the Nurse Practitioner as a profession, including prescriptive authority and independent practice. Fifty years ago, in May 1972, Marie saw her first patient at the newly opened Salmon River Emergency Clinic in Stanley, Idaho. At the time, she was 41-years old and a mother of five.

From the beginning, the Stanley community and thousands of people, businesses, and government officials have stepped up to make the Stanley clinic and ambulance a reality.

For nearly 30 years, Marie was the sole provider on call 24/7 for emergencies, covering up to 6,000 square miles of rugged Idaho -- including parts of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area and the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. In addition, Marie trained EMTs who volunteered to respond to emergency calls starting with a $300 military surplus 1958 Pontiac ambulance. Approaching 70, Marie transitioned from Stanley to other rural clinics in Horseshoe Bend, Emmett, and Idaho City before providing care in Boise for low-income patients. Losing her eyesight, Marie saw her last patient after turning 80.

The College of Idaho's pre-med students have been integral to the history of the Stanley clinic and the evolution of the Nurse Practitioner (NP) idea. In 1975 the College supported a pre-med internship program to help staff the clinic and provide students an experience in rural medicine. During the pivotal years 1978-1979, pre-med students took an active role in Legislative hearings, joining with the Stanley community to oppose proposals that would have severely restricted NPs and effectively ended the Stanley clinic.

One of Marie's daughters, Debbie Wilder, RN, is an ER nurse providing care for COVID patients. One of her three sons, Jerry, directed the College’s Outdoor Program. Marie’s son John, a College of Idaho graduate, is a physician providing care for military veterans since 1985, now at the Seattle VA ER. Both Jerry and John ski raced for the College's national-title winning ski team in the 1970s. Marie’s other two children are Calvin in Eagle and Melinda in Stanley.

The Salmon River Clinic in Stanley will hold its 50-year celebration on October 15 to thank Marie Osborn, past and current volunteer EMTs and ambulance drivers, College of Idaho pre-meds, NP students, and others of the Stanley clinic and ambulance. Stanley Celebration Webpage

Additional links:

The College of Idaho has a 130-year-old legacy of excellence. The College is known for its outstanding academic programs, winning athletics tradition, and history of producing successful graduates, including seven Rhodes Scholars, three governors, and countless business leaders and innovators. Its distinctive PEAK Curriculum challenges students to attain competency in the four knowledge peaks of humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and a professional field, empowering them to earn a major and three minors in four years. The College’s close-knit, residential campus is located in Caldwell, where its proximity both to Boise and to the world-class outdoor activities of southwest Idaho’s mountains and rivers offers unique opportunities for learning beyond the classroom. For more information, visit www.collegeofidaho.edu.