Kelsi Belcher, MSN, CRNA, ’19

Life as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist is intense. “Mornings start early and each day is so different which I love!” says Kelsi Belcher. “It may start with a C-section; I may be doing 14 colonoscopies for the day or I may have a full morning of ENT cases working on patients ranging in age from 2 to 92.”

While working as a Registered Nurse in ICU, Kelsi was impressed with the CRNAs she met and learned more about the profession. When she made the decision to apply to a graduate program, she chose Lourdes University because it was close to home and came highly recommended by coworkers.

She is grateful to her husband, sisters and babysitters for helping to ease the stress of earning a degree and raising a toddler.

Early in her career, Kelsi was a Medical and Surgical RN and Volunteer with Mercy Ships, a non-profit Christian organization that operates a medial ship offering free surgeries in Africa.

Her work involved nursing patients, working with parents and children. “Everything was in French or tribal language. It was a life changing experience for me. I believe I learned so much about humanity, how other people live and how much people (especially children) can survive and overcome.”