By Tom Higdon
Saving lives and busting rhymes, Robert Krause is as busy as they come.
Robert Krause began the nursing program at Simpson this year. Born in Fort Bragg and raised in Woodland, Krause said he first came across Simpson when his hometown pastor recommended it to him. “The program was a little easier to get into, but also I mean I am Christian so I value that,” Krause said.
With the semester in its sixth week, the nursing program is in full swing. The typical nursing student is lucky to have a single week without an exam and Krause is no exception.
“No test this week but I’ve got two next week,” said Krause.
The typical day to day is already filled with studying and a rigorous course schedule but the climax of every week comes on Saturday. Every weekend Krause has a 5 a.m. wake up call. He gets dressed and is out the door by 5:30 a.m. when he heads to Red Bluff Healthcare, an assisted living facility.
“It's a 12-hour shift so it's 6:30 in the morning till 6:30 at night,” Krause said.
While on shift, he says that his main responsibility is helping the resident patients with anything they need, from changing their clothes to eating their meals. Krause says that, along with the hands on patient care, throughout the shift he will have to fill out a number of forms for a single patient. He documents the conditions they may have as well as any medications they are taking.
Despite all the time dedicated to his studies and a 12-hour clinical every week, Krause still finds balance.
“I started playing drums when I was 10, when I was 12 I played for my church but I didn’t start making beats and producing actual songs until about 5 years ago… I started rapping like 2 years ago,” Krause said.
Krause’s passion has led him to start creating his own music. He has written, produced, and published four original songs on Soundcloud with plans for more in the future. Kraus says that even after he graduates from Simpson, making music is something he is going to stick with.
On top of producing music post grad he also hopes to work in an emergency room. “I just want to be able to be someone there to help, and I think that I work well under pressure,” Kraus said.
As a nursing student on campus, Krause and his peers make up a significant portion of the student body. Krause says that the environment is one of fellowship and collaboration. “I have a study group that I study with and they’re amazing. I feel like I’m going to be very good friends with them over the next few years,”Krause said.