Jana Rosich

My name is Jana Rosich, and I’m a registered nurse at Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan, Kansas. Growing up fascinated with all things weather, I originally thought I might become a meteorologist someday. It wasn’t until entering my college years that I realized I was more passionate about health care than anything else. 

As an athlete in many sports throughout middle and high school, I often wondered what happened when someone became sick or was injured. This included questioning why a course of treatment worked for one person when something entirely different was prescribed for someone else in a similar condition.

This interest in health care led me to pursue an undergraduate degree in kinesiology on the pre-medicine route at Kansas State University. After an offer during my second semester of freshman year to play tennis at Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, Kansas, I moved and continued my education there, where I decided to pursue nursing. I fell in love with the idea of becoming a nurse after getting a firsthand look at what working in that profession is all about.

That same year, I learned of a new nursing program at K-State and wanted to go back to being a Wildcat and living in Manhattan again. So, I packed up all my things and returned for my junior year, where I continued my prior major in kinesiology. I also added a second major in integrative physiology and applied for the KSU-WSU Pathway to Nursing Program, which is a dual-degree program that allowed me to continue living in Manhattan while pursuing a bachelor of science in nursing, known as a BSN, from Wichita State University — the best of both worlds!

Around that time, I obtained my certified nursing assistant (CNA) license and began to work at Meadowlark Hills Retirement Community for a real-life introduction to nursing. After that, because of a connection I made during my time at Meadowlark, I was hired at Ascension Via Christi Hospital as a patient care technician (PCT) on the medical, surgical and inpatient rehabilitation floor, where we mainly focused on getting patients stronger and healthy to go home after a stroke or orthopedic surgery such as an amputation.

In 2022, I began nursing school. We had amazing instructors who helped lead this new program and fostered a smooth transition into the demands of the coursework and clinical sessions. After a couple of years in my position as a PCT, I was offered a new role as an endoscopy technician at the same hospital, where I met more incredible nurses and developed relationships with local gastroenterologists. I am nothing but grateful for everything the hospital has provided me over the years, including a scholarship from the Mercy Community Health Foundation during my sophomore year of nursing school.

In 2024, I graduated from K-State with my bachelor’s degrees in kinesiology and integrative physiology. At the same time, I graduated with my BSN from Wichita State University. My years of college were exhausting, but I wouldn’t have done it any other way because of the relationships I made and the experiences I gained.

Today, I am learning how to be a nurse in the intensive care unit (ICU), where hospitals care for patients who have or are recovering from life-threatening conditions. I like being able to care for patients and care for their family members, even on some of their worst days. As an ICU nurse, I see a variety of different diagnoses and use critical thinking skills at all hours of my shift. I also coordinate with other nurses, doctors and therapy staff to ensure the patient is receiving the best possible care.

Over the next few years, I hope to increase my knowledge of intensive care, and eventually, I might consider furthering my education as a certified registered nurse anesthetist, or CRNA. CRNAs administer anesthesia and other medications, plus they take care of and monitor people who receive or are recovering from anesthesia. But for now, I’m focused on becoming the best critical care nurse I can be before pursuing anything else.

If you have an interest in nursing or health care, you should consider getting your CNA license! It was a great introduction to the industry for me. I was able to ask the nurses questions about their jobs, learn day-to-day procedures and shadow them during different tasks. If you have considered Manhattan, Kansas, as a place to live and work, I would highly recommend it. I love visiting the farmers market on Saturday mornings, playing golf at Colbert Hills and attending K-State sporting events. The community of Manhattan is very welcoming. I would describe it as a large town with small-town vibes.