Kelsey Naruse

Kelsey Naruse, MS, RN is the 2019 recipient of the Columbia University-Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing Alumni Association, Inc./J. Margaret Ada Mutch Scholarship. She is currently attending Columbia University in pursuit of a Doctorate in Nursing Practice in Pediatric Primary Care. Kelsey received her Master’s degree in nursing from Columbia University in 2017 and began her first nursing job at a pediatric primary care clinic in New York City.

Prior to nursing, Kelsey earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Colby College in 2009. She then earned her Certified Nursing Assistant Certification and worked as a CNA in a post-acute rehabilitation facility in Portland, Oregon for several years before returning to school to become a nurse.

While attending school full time, Kelsey worked as a flu-shot nurse in a pediatric primary care clinic in NYC while also serving as a Peer Mentor for several first-year nursing students. She also served as a behavioral coder with Dr. Martha Welch at the Nurture Science Program at Columbia University Medical Center, collecting data on the Welch Emotional Connection Screen, which is a pediatric relational health-screening tool. Most recently, she presented a research poster, “Adolescent HPV vaccination coverage in the U.S.: Why does coverage remain low and what can be done?” at the annual 2018 Nurse Practitioner Association of New York State Conference.

Collectively, these experiences have helped shape Kelsey’s goals as a future Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. She continued her nursing training at Columbia University because the Pediatric Doctorate Nurse Practitioner program was the final step in making her goals a reality. The program was the perfect fit for her personal and professional goals as the program emphasized empathetic, creative critical thinking and lifelong learning in an increasingly diverse, complex population. By achieving the highest level of credentials and practicing at the highest level within my field, Kelsey hopes to incorporate scientific research into evidence-based practice and improve clinical practice and health outcomes for her patients.

Kelsey’s primary professional goal is to focus on disease prevention and early intervention within the pediatric population. She also plans on working in primary care, primarily serving marginalized, vulnerable communities in smaller, more rural areas that lack equal access to medical care. Coming from a small town in Maui, Hawaii, Kelsey has a strong appreciation for equal access to basic primary care. She is confident her educational and personal experiences will ensure her success so she can one day serve patients with the type of medical care they deserve while also making quality healthcare truly accessible to those in need. As a proud, honored recipient of the Columbia University-Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing Alumni Association, Inc./J. Margaret Ada Mutch Scholarship, Kelsey is grateful to her generous scholarship donors and feels empowered to continue to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner.