Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Joins GMC to Complete Full Team of Providers

Glendive Medical Center (GMC) announced Nicolette (Nikki) Perrin, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) as the newest provider to join their Behavioral Health team.

Since 2016, GMC has focused on building a strong mental health department to provide a wide range of services to the region, spanning a 200 miles radius. “Nikki joins another PMHNP, three Licensed Social Clinical Workers, and our psychiatrist to complete a full team of six providers to offer well-rounded inpatient and outpatient treatment,” stated Parker Powell, CEO.

Nikki was born and raised in Minot, North Dakota and has always been in a caregiver role. Early on, she worked as a Certified Nurse Assistant at a group home and cared for those who could not care for themselves. During this time, she cared for a man who was deaf and blind. Within one year at the group home, he learned forty signs to communicate. She began to realize early intervention was a key to success.

Nikki built upon this philosophy when her daughter was diagnosed with autism. She was told her daughter was severely mentally retarded, would likely never speak, and would not be able to fully function in adulthood. She began early intervention with speech language therapy, occupational and physical therapy, and made sure her daughter was around other kids so they could model age-appropriate behaviors. Despite the earlier predictions, her daughter graduated high school, completed a two-year auto technician program, and recently became certified as a sterile processing technician. She is also married and expecting her first baby.

This devotion to early intervention landed Nikki a position at Northwestern Mental Health Center. The psychologist that hired her told her she hired her based on all the things she did for her daughter and the success that followed. During her seven years at the facility, Nikki completed her Licensed Practical Nursing degree and then her Associate Degree of Nursing. She eventually moved on to a small critical access hospital to sharpen her assessment skills. After her son graduated high school, she moved to Fargo, North Dakota to continue her education and received her Bachelor of Nursing from North Dakota State University.

Nikki decided to continue her education with a focus in mental health after a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner spoke at a seminar. She received her Master of Science in Nursing to become a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner from the University of North Dakota in 2022. While pursuing her master’s degree, she was a clinical instructor at NDSU and then cared for individuals at Sanford Health Inpatient Psychiatric Unit and Eating Disorder Unit where she developed a heart and passion for helping patients with eating disorders.

She most recently worked at Sanford Health Inpatient and Outpatient Psychiatry in Bismarck. She visited Glendive in hopes of returning to a more rural community and really liked the people and enjoyed the opportunity to have more connection with patients. Her approach to patient care is to come alongside her patients and help them live their lives, “I am a cautious prescriber and believe in taking the least number of medications at the lowest effective doses. Everyone is unique in their story, and they are the driver in their treatment.”

Nikki loves to read and enjoys the outdoors. She is looking forward to spending time hiking Makoshika, kayaking the Yellowstone, and volunteering. She has two cats, “Henry” and “Jack” and has already signed up to volunteer at Happy Tails.

“We are excited to have Nikki join our team at Glendive Medical Center,” states Parker, “she brings a wealth of experience and a sincere compassion for people that we feel our patients will notice immediately.”

Nikki is now accepting patients. To make an appointment, please call 406-345-8901.