12/23/2025
“I used to take care of patients and family needs, and that gave me great joy. I now take care of my team to fulfill the passion I have to care for others.”
Holly Kopsho, RN, has seen her nursing career evolve a lot over the past 26 years, 23 of which were in the IU Health Bloomington Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (ICU). During that time, she was a staff registered nurse, charge nurse and spent her last year there as a shift coordinator.
She also worked part-time from 2003 to 2021 while raising her sons, moving from day to night shift to accommodate what worked best for her family. Then, Holly worked as the IU Health Bedford ICU shift coordinator for three years.
“I wanted to keep my shift coordinator role, which was changing into an associate nurse manager position, and with that came the need to obtain my Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN),” shares Holly.
After speaking with IU Health Bedford Chief Nursing Officer Amy Little, her husband and son, she decided to take that step for her career. And with the help of a team member tuition reimbursement program, Holly incurred little out-of-pocket expenses.
“That was one of the main reasons for going back,” she says. “I did not have to worry about the money due to the help of this program.”
While she was originally concerned about balancing work, family and school, Holly found an online BSN program and finished her degree in nine months. She credits her family and team for supporting her along this journey, including:
• Amy Little, who challenged Holly and spoke to “that 5% that was even considering going back to school.”
• Her team for encouraging her along the way and celebrating with her upon completion.
• Her husband of 26 years and children for their support, both emotional and technical.
Holly is now an associate nurse manager in the IU Health Bedford ICU and encourages others to further their education.
“I have talked about my journey to my team over this past year, and I now have three nurses who have started their BSN degrees.”
