Nursing Instructor Nominated for Regional Honor

By Jonathan Weaver

A local nursing instructor will be recognized for her teaching habits by her peers and those across Western Pennsylvania at a gala in Pittsburgh this November.

Janet Kovatch-Janovsky of East Franklin Township was named the 2014 “Cameos of Caring” nominee for her work the past seven years at Citizens School of Nursing in New Kensington. She will be one of more than 70 medical and educators honored.

Kovatch Janovksy said she was nominated by Registrar Mary Anne Killian due to her involvement with community and service committees, and work with students.

She was surprised by her ‘nomination.’

“I’m pretty proud, but don’t even know what to expect,” Kovatch Janovsky said. “I know it’s a ‘white-tie’ event.”

“Every year before our seniors graduate, we have a luncheon for them at the Hillcrest Country Club, and that’s where they announced who won,” Kovatch Janovsky said. “It was kind of funny because when I was sitting at the table and they said ‘this year’s nominee is…’ and they said my name, I thought I had just been nominated – I didn’t know I won. So I went up and said ‘thank you.’ When I got back to the table, I said ‘That’s pretty nice to be nominated – who won?’ They all busted out laughing at the table and they said ‘YOU won!’”

After that, she went back up to the podium to issue more thanks.

A Citizens School of Nursing graduate in 1991, Kovatch Janovsky first worked in the telemetry unit – similar to intensive-care - at Allegheny Valley Hospital.

“I really learned a lot there – that’s where I became really sharp in my skills and critical thinking,” Kovatch Janovsky said. “At that time, the nurse did more – you didn’t have your specialties

She worked for more than a decade as an Intensive Care Case Manager before working as a case manager in the Butler Health System before returning to Allegheny Valley as a Documentation Specialist and finally as a Critical Care instructor at the two-year diploma school.
“One of the benefits of a diploma school program, besides the cost, is that you get more hands-on experience,” Kovatch Janovsky said. “Our students are in the hospital the second week they start.”

Citizens School of Nursing – currently affiliated with the Allegheny Valley Hospital and the Allegheny Health Network - celebrated 100 years last fall. Kovatch Janovksy educates at least 80 nursing students each year.

Kovatch Janovsky earned her Bachelor’s degree at Penn State-New Kensington in 2007 and is working on her Doctorate of Nursing Practice, with hopes to graduate in a year.

“I’m doing it because I love what I’m doing and I’m hoping to make a difference,” Kovatch Janovsky said. “I’ve seen what was out there and I’ve not experienced nursing care like I was taught. I think the quality was going down, and they’re going to be taking care of me so I want to in the most caring and intellectual way. I’ve seen too many people come into it for the wrong reasons.”

Janet was encouraged to teach by her oldest sister, Susan (Kovatch) Acee, who died of ovarian cancer in July 2005, and was a registered nurse and legal nurse specialist in Idaho that also had a Master’s of Science in Nursing Education.

Sister, Becky, was a phlebotomist at ACMH and brother, Matt, currently works for AbbVie Pharmaceuticals – with its United States location in Chicago, Ill.

Daughter, Kirstan, is Director of Home Health for St. Barnabas Health System in Gibsonia, Pa.

The 16th Annual Gala will be held November 8 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

No Comments

No comments yet.

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI

Leave a comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.