Handling Stress as a Nurse Anesthesia Student
One of the first questions you may very well be asked during your CRNA School Interview is “How do you handle stress, and what is your outlet for managing your stress?” There is great reason for this. The practice of anesthesia is a highly stressful nursing specialty. As a Student nurse anesthetist you must transition from your known professional practice as a registered nurse, who cares for patients under a physician’s direction, to an advanced nurse practitioner who must make life and death decisions. As a Student of nurse anesthesia you must learn to work with a great deal of autonomy and must refine your decision-making ability, logical reasoning, and ability to reach a conclusion on what to do under what may be life or death circumstances.
Janet Dewan, MS, CRNA, chair of the Health and Wellness Program at the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA), also an organizational affiliate of ANA, said this “Our training is very stressful. As a nurse anesthetist, you’re responsible for every breath and heart beat. So students are very scared at the beginning of their program in particular, because they realize the impact they can have on their patients.”
Because of the stressful nature of the job, the best CRNA Schools incorporate extensive training on the importance of self-care and managing stress beginning early on in their studies. Between class time, studying, didactics, clinicals, and managing any sort of outside life in general (family, social life, etc.) learning to manage stress will be downright CRUCIAL to your well being.
Here are Six Stress Management Tips for CRNA Students: Focus On Good Self-Care
1 – Physical Exercise.
To be an exceptional Nurse Anesthetist/Nurse Anesthesia Student you must take care of yourself. Being physically active, not only keeps your body in good physical condition, it also improves your brain function and lowers stress levels.
2 – Proper Nutrition.
Eating foods that give your body the proper nutrients that it needs is also essential to keep one alert and fit for the rigorous educational program and job thereafter. As you well know, your diet has a major impact on your physical and mental abilities. Also, you should avoid the use of smoking, alcohol, drugs, and any addictive habit forming substances. Some mistakenly think that these will relieve your stress, when really, they increase it, and will cause you to lack the proper form and ability to function that is required in a position with so much responsibility. Besides, no patient wants to be reliant on a Nurse Anesthetist who is functioning at less than their full capacity due to being impaired by substances. Eat clean, think clean.
3 – Get Adequate Sleep.
With Nurse Anesthesia school, clinicals, class time, studying, family time, house cleaning, social time, exercising and eating, all to work in, it can be easy to get very little shut-eye. When students don’t get enough sleep, their stress levels rise. And with that stress, so does the cortisol levels in the body, making them more susceptible to illness. You don’t want to be sick. Be well rested and able to think clearly and quickly.
4 – Use Good Pre-Test-taking Skills/Positive Imagery.
It is important to manage your anxiety especially around tests and the performance of clinical procedures, which often have many steps that can trip you up if you are stressed-out. Do not let test-taking anxiety get the better of you. Practice in depth-relaxation techniques just before entering a patient room or a test setting. These can include mindful breathing and guided imagery. Allow yourself to visualize yourself relaxed and successfully performing a procedure.
5 – Open communication.
This is imperative to managing your stress level as a Nurse Anesthesia Student. Do NOT just struggle. Do NOT be afraid to ask questions. It is better to ask your professors to show you a procedure again to help clear things up for you. Open lines of communication address concerns more readily. Some students are afraid to ask questions for one reason or another. Some fear they will be labeled a “troublemaker”, or viewed as incompetent if they ask questions or ask for assistance. It is better to communicate with your co-workers/fellow students in order to prevent an incident from happening, if possible. It is also less likely that you will be labeled as a ‘troublemaker’ if you deal with issues before rather than after-the-fact. When someone’s life is in your hands, open communication is imperative in making sure they are in good ones.
6 – Meditation/ BREATHE.
Meditation is a powerful antidote to stress. In the inner quiet of meditation, the body decreases its production of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, and increases neurotransmitters associated with calm and well-being, including dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin. Taking time for some meditation daily is ideal. Also, deep breathing can help you shift out of stress response and into the relaxation response within seconds. Practice deep breathing for 3 to 5 minutes, twice daily, and any time during the day when you become aware of feeling stressed.
In order to take care of others effectively, you have to take care of yourself first. Just as the flight attendants are instructed on a flight, “You must put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others.” As a CRNA Student you must focus on your own health and managing your stress in order to be the best help and advocate for your patients.
This post was written as part of the Nurse Blog Carnival. More posts on this topic can be found at The Bossy Nurse Blog If you are interested in participating find out more details and sign up.
John Keith | CRNA Career Pro
Chief CRNA
#GetIntoCrnaSchool #TopNurseAnesthetistPrograms #CrnaSchools
[…] Keith, MSNA, CRNA of CRNA Career Pro and Joan Spitrey, RN, MSN, CCRN of The Nurse Teacher gives their best tips in self-care and how to […]
I sooo value the CRNAs. They often work ridiculously long shifts and really have to bo ON their game. It’s life and death after all, their work. Terrific tips!
CRNAs have to be ON their game. It’s a life and death position. Great tips!
You are absolutely right Annette. CRNAs are responsible for making important decisions that could have a serious impact on a patient. That is why it is so important for them to be able to manage their stress, so they can remained focused and diligent. It was great hearing from you!
I LOVE how you added positive talk/visualization to this list. So often we actually psych ourselves OUT of doing well on a test because of all our negative dialogue. It’s so true that we get what we focus on. So if we can visualize ourselves doing well on an exam… we certainly increase our chances. Along with studying and the self-care tips you suggest related to a healthy mind and body, we’re setting ourselves up for increased success. Great article, thanks for sharing!
Hi Elizabeth, thank you for such a great response. As healthcare professionals we can sometimes be a little hard on ourselves, so it is important for us to focus on the positive. Thoughts turn into actions. CRNA school is such a tough time, and it is easy for students to start doubting themselves. Having a positive attitude is the best way to succeed in school, work, and life. Thank you again for commenting.
Open communication is so important in all nursing fields. Thanks for the tips!
Kelly I couldn’t agree more! It creates a positive work environment, which is so important in the healthcare field. I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment.
Thanks for your advice. I’ve also found that times of stress alert me to inefficiencies in my practice and workplace. I find ways to shave seconds off frequent tasks, organize information more clearly and easily, get things done with less time and energy per task. It all adds up, and each solution results in permanent improvement, regardless of stress level.
I’ve also found that new nurses are open to such a process, while experienced nurses often become rigid in their routines, hostile to changes that would improve their lives, unwilling to consider small investments with tremendous payoffs. They hold themselves back and slow themselves down, voluntarily. It’s too bad.
John, Great post. I have several friends that managed to survive CRNA school and I was stressed just watching them. All nursing students and employed nurses could benefit from this wise advice. I particularly appreciate your suggestions on communication.
I enjoyed this piece b/c I learned more about the process of becoming a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist and also some great tips for managing stress. Thanks, Keith.
John,
I love all of your suggestions. I teach nursing. Nursing and nurse practitioner students need all of these ways to handle stress. I’m getting my new BREATHE sign ready for the new semester! I will be sharing widely!