Crystal graduated from the University of Idaho with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Composition and Performance in 1981. She then earned an Associates degree in Nursing in 1989 at Spokane Community College. She has worked as a staff nurse and charge nurse, specializing in neuroscience and intensive care since 1989. She's certified in BLS, ACLS, moderate conscious sedation, and is a certified trauma nurse. She is also a member of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses. She joined Dr. Hatheway in 2007.