Kelsey Kovacs, MSN, CRNA

The year 2020 was an extraordinary one. The COVID-19 pandemic changed everyone’s lives. However, it didn’t stop Kelsey Kovacs from earning a Master of Science in Nursing in Nurse Anesthesia and becoming a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist.

A natural leader, she served as vice president of her Lourdes Nurse Anesthesia Program (NAP) cohort and co-coordinated the program’s annual conference while completing her course and clinical work. For her efforts, she received the Agatha Hodgins Award named after a notable pioneer in anesthesiology who is credited as the visionary force in establishing the nurse anesthesia profession.

Kelsey knew prior to entering her undergraduate nursing program that she would become a nurse anesthetist. “After researching the profession, I made it my ultimate goal to become a CRNA, setting several short-term goals over the years to achieve it,” she says.
Having worked several years as a RN in the cardiac intensive care unit at ProMedica Toledo Hospital, she is pleased to enter a new phase of her career. Since earning her CRNA, she has devoted all her energy to gaining as much experience as possible. “As a new graduate, I am extremely proud to be a part of the profession and I love everything about being a CRNA.”

The determined goal setter has already begun to crystallize her next long-term plan – returning to school and obtaining a doctoral degree. “I look forward to becoming a leader within my profession or workplace and helping students learn in the clinical environment.”