What is This “CRNA” You Speak of?
“Oh, you’re going to be an Anesthesiologist!” “Oh, my granddaughter is getting her CNA degree.” The general public really has no idea what we do. As an RN I really had no idea of the extent of a CRNA’s job description, and how integral they are as part of the surgical team. I’ve actually wanted to be a CRNA since I was 12 or 13 years old. I didn’t know much about the profession, other than you could watch cool surgeries, and there was a kid on my sister’s swim team whose parents were both CRNAs, and they were always at all of his swim meets. As a teenager, it appeared to me that they had a pretty sweet life and a cool job. Thats when I decided that I wanted to get into CRNA school.
As I continued to pursue the beginning stages of my nursing journey in life ON MY WAY to CRNA school admission, I obtained a job as a vet tech while in nursing school. It was then that I was exposed to a few basic anesthetic techniques. Although, it was anesthesia for pets, it ignited my passion and set fuel to the fire in my desire to pursue this dream. I started researching top CRNA schools and how to become a nurse anesthetist.
Why I Wanted to Get Into CRNA School
After seven years in my critical care comfort zone, I was finally ready to get serious about becoming a Nurse Anesthetist and start trying to get into the top CRNA schools. I began to set up a few job shadowing days with a CRNA, and my experience was that It was cold, long hours, busy, hard work, and exactly where I wanted to be. In the OR, yeah the OR staff gives anesthesia a hard time for kicking back, turning a dial, positioning the bed, changing the music station, etc. However it’s managing multiple aspects to ensure patient safety while life saving and elective surgeries are being performed. Proper vigilance keeps patients alive. As anesthesia providers it is our job to monitor hemodynamics, a secured airway, ventilation, fluid management, proper positioning and padding to prevent nerve injuries, providing adequate pain relief as part of our anesthetic, not to mention waking the patient back up after putting them to sleep.
I Graduate From a Top CRNA School in ONE Week!
I graduate in a week, and I still remember the time when I was researching how to get into CRNA school. It’s been one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to endure: hard work, no social life at times, physical and mental exhaustion, feeling incompetent some days, and other days looking like a rock star. Would I put myself through all of this torture again? Yes, in a second!!! It is extremely hard work, but it is so worth it in the end. If you like to be challenged, do something different every day, utilize cool equipment, then a career as a CRNA may be right for you.
Stay tuned and I’ll show you the “ins and outs” of managing and surviving a top CRNA school and how rewarding this career can be. I’m just starting out, but am so excited for the next 30 years of providing safe anesthesia and seeing what new challenges and technological advances come my way.
Becky – Future CRNA
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