From Saigon to CEO, nursing alumna's compassion stands pat
"Nurses have often been the invisible backbone of Colorado's health care system. With more than four Colorado nurses for every physician and as the need for health care services increases, the nurse's role in every Colorado community becomes increasingly pivotal. I'm proud to be a member of this caring profession." Kowalski said.
Early in her career, Kowalski's compassion took her into treacherous territory at a tumultuous time in U.S. history. As part of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps in Vietnam, Kowalski worked in the 3rd Surgical Hospital north of Saigon, which was located in the middle of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. She was on-call 24/7 for three months in pre-op triage and trained herself to hear a medical evacuation helicopter 3 miles out from the hospital in the middle of the night. "The wounded were grateful to see an American woman and to have her hold their hands," Kowalski said. "I felt honored to care for these courageous American soldiers. It became very clear to me that freedom is not free."
Kowalski earned her M.S. in nursing in 1971 from the CU College of Nursing and her Ph.D. in sociology in 1984 from CU-Boulder. She has been honored as the 2010 Florence Nightingale recipient, Distinguished Alumnae in the CU College of Nursing and as one of Ten Outstanding Young Women of America. She was inducted into the Colorado Nurses Association Hall of Fame in 2004 and selected as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing in 1981. She served on the Academy board of directors for five years.
"Karren is well respected in Colorado and nationally as a thoughtful leader, educator and passionate advocate for nursing," said Sharon Pappas, R.N., Ph.D., NEA-BC, chair for the Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence and chief nursing officer for Porter Hospital. "She has been an important part of the center's work for years and her service as interim CEO only emphasized how ready she is to lead and how fortunate the center is to have her commitment and many skills."
Kowalski has served as project director on seven major state and federal grants totaling more than $6.4 million; has co-edited five advanced textbooks; and is past president of the Colorado Nurses Association; board member and past president of the CU College of Nursing Alumni Association Board of Directors. She served on the University Of Colorado Foundation Board Of Directors for six years.