Kelsey J. B. Rust, CRNA

Born and raised in the Florida Keys, Kelsey knew she wanted to be a nurse starting in high school. She began working as a certified nursing assistant while in high school, starting her journey providing patient care. Kelsey then pursued her Associate of Science in Nursing, graduating in 1999. She advanced her way from the medical-surgical unit at Lower Keys Medical Center, to ICU step down at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, FL, then to ICU at Providence Everett in Everett, WA. During her time on the west coast, she attended University of Washington and graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2003. After attaining her BSN, she moved to Orlando, FL. She continued to work in ICU at Orlando Regional Medical Center, first in medical ICU then surgical ICU. This was where she discovered her passion caring for surgical patients. In 2007, she began her educational journey to become a Nurse Anesthetist at Barry University, in the Orlando clinical cohort. She received extensive training at a level 1 trauma center, as well as specialized maternity and pediatric hospitals. During her training, she discovered her passion for pediatric anesthesia. After graduating with her Master of Science in Anesthesiology, she worked as a pediatric CRNA for over 11 years at a pediatric level 1 trauma center, caring for the highest acuity children ranging from the smallest premature infants to young adults. During the COVID pandemic, she and her family desired to live in a place with mountains, seasons, outdoor activities, etc. So they relocated to Spokane in December 2020, finding a great balance of nature and the conveniences of a larger town. She currently practices at Sacred Heart Medical Center and Pediatric Hospital, as well as Holy Family Hospital.