Sara Rogers, MSN, CRNA

While many of her family members chose nursing or healthcare as their profession, Sara’s path to nursing took a different course. Originally enrolled in a Nuclear Engineering program, she changed her trajectory realizing nursing afforded her more opportunities. While becoming a registered nurse, she worked for University of Michigan Hospitals in the trauma burn unit as a nurse’s aide. After graduating she worked in the pediatric intensive care unit at University of Michigan Motts. “As a RN, I wanted to achieve more autonomy and more freedom to control the work environment so I looked into the CRNA profession and applied at Lourdes,” she says.

Committed to service, Sara was involved in nursing and wellness programs at both her undergraduate and graduate schools. As a Lourdes Nurse Anesthesia student, she was the Student Wellness Representative helping to develop the wellness program, organizing student wellness activities and teaching stress reduction. Today, she continues to be invaluable as a guest lecturer at the annual NAP conference and as a Clinical Coordinator through Northstar Anesthesia at St. Charles Hospital.

Sara credits the support of her husband and family in her pursuit to become a nurse anesthetist. While she had earned a spot in the program’s third cohort, life altered her plans. Pregnant with twins, she gave birth to them prematurely on what would have been her first week of classes. Receiving approval to start with the fourth cohort, and with the support of her husband, Sara was able to successfully complete the Lourdes program while raising newborn twins. “His career and the support he and my family provided at home made it possible,” she says.