Nurse Anesthetist Preceptorship

The CRNA has deeper understanding of disease processes, pharmacological treatment and technological interventions when caring for patients. Advance practice comes with a high level of responsibility; furthermore, increased autonomy is why I aspire to advance my nursing practice. I want to be the nurse that eases my patient’s way through what may be the most stressful time in their life. During my anesthesia shadowing experience I witnessed the complexity and compassionate care that the CRNA provided safely and efficiently. Most importantly I observed clear communication that was vital to all involved in the care of the patient’s unique needs. My shadowing experience fueled my drive to continue to pursuing CRNA School and extend my knowledge at the

As a first-generation African immigrant, I bring a unique perspective to the field of anesthesia- an unwavering commitment to my community and a deep understanding of the healthcare disparities we face. By pursuing a career as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, I am motivated by a passion to provide the highest level of care to individuals who need it most. Looking towards the future, my long-term goals as a CRNA are driven by a commitment to fostering mentorship, promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the CRNA profession as well as impactful community outreach initiatives. As a nurse actively engaging as a mentor for new graduate nurses and capstone students, I recognize the importance of mentorship.

Nurse Anesthetists are also known as CRNA, which means Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists. Being a CRNA, one has big shoes to fill when it comes to their job. CRNA’s work with anesthesiologist surgeons and other physicians and medical professionals to give anesthesia to patients undergoing medical and surgical procedures. CRNA’s care for patients before, during and after a medical or surgery by doing a patient assessment , preparing the patient for anesthesia, they must maintain the anesthesia throughout the whole procedure to secure the proper sedation, and pain management, and as a CRNA they must make sure the patient recovers from the anesthesia properly. CRNA’s usually overshadow anesthesiologists. They perform much of the work

I’ve been extremely fortunate in my nursing career to work in a unit where I get to cross paths and work closely with nurse anesthetists. My understanding of their knowledge, responsibilities, and role in patient care has not only grown over the past two years as I’ve worked alongside them, but it has also changed drastically from what I had initially thought. Originally, I was under the impression that the CRNA calculated and administered anesthesia but had little else to do with patient care outside of pharmaceutical management. My experience working in a trauma level 1 SICU has shown me that they are much more involved.

After several grueling years of nursing school, most new nurses are eager to enter the work force. Before they are fully entrusted with the lives of others, they must first spend time precepting with a more seasoned nurse. This precepting allows the new graduate to gain some experience and possible insight while being guided throughout the process. Unfortunately, not all graduates have a positive experience with their preceptors. Some preceptors can be intimidating and overbearing. Others may be too carefree and fail to properly prepare their students for the potential consequences of their actions. In the next several paragraphs I will explore research on the benefits of working closely with a preceptor in the nursing field, what qualities and characteristics are present in a successful preceptor, and how we can improve on the precepting process.

Despite increased nurse involvement in anesthetic care, formal education lacked. It wasn’t until 1909 when the first formal education in nursing anesthesia arose at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon by Agnes McGee. In spite of the advanced education nurses were receiving in anesthesiology, the role of the Nurse

With change comes evolution. Most professions, specifically nurse anesthetist, as we know them today did not begin in the state they are in today. They grew through trial and error. Before revealing the history of this profession and most important, its leading pioneer, one must be familiar with the role of a nurse anesthetist. Nurse anesthetists, often confused with anesthesiologists, are nurses with baccalaureate degrees in nursing and master degrees in anesthesia who are responsible for administering anesthetics to patients preoperational. Contrary, anesthesiologists are physicians whose education requires a baccalaureate degree as well as medical schooling with special education in anesthesia. However, the anesthesia part of the education is very similar for both providers (KANA. 2011).

With all of the different specialties in healthcare, some get overlooked or may be under the radar. An uncommon and often disregarded career choice in healthcare is that of a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist or a Doctorate of Nurse Anesthesia Practice. Although not many people know about these healthcare careers, they play a vital role within the healthcare team. This field is growing rapidly and the likelihood of coming into contact with a nurse anesthetist during a hospital stay is on the rise. Knowing the history, education, responsibilities, and career outlook for a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist or a Doctorate of Nurse Anesthesia Practice can aide in understanding their very specific role in the care of patients.

After shadowing a CRNA I witnessed firsthand the amount of autonomy, respect, and knowledge that a nurse anesthetist possesses; I have never been more motivated to be a part of such an elite field. I have discovered through my critical care experience, the very aspects that excite me in the work environment are those that align with the daily responsibilities of a nurse anesthetist. I thrive off the challenge and critical thinking that accompanies caring for a critically ill patient, while managing multiple drips, devices, and vent

My first encounter with a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesia (CRNA) was during my undergraduate nursing OB/GYN rotation. I was impressed with the CRNA when she placed the epidural to the patient in labor. I remembered patient had difficulty staying still due to the contraction, but the CRNA took her time to explain the procedure while comforting the distressed patient. Once the epidural was in placed and the medication started working, I could tell the relief the patient experienced. I realized then that a CRNA goes beyond the delivery of anesthesia, pain management and monitoring of patients. Thus, obtaining this degree will prepare me to ease the patient’s mind through education, pain management, monitoring, experience and compassion.

Being a nurse anesthetist involves many skills and a lot of knowledge. A nurse anesthetist or CRNA is a dangerous job because someone’s life is in the CRNA’s hands and if they mess up the dose of medicine it could be risky. According to “Nurse Anesthetists,” most nurse anesthetists have a master’s degree which would be 4+ years of schooling. To be a nurse anesthetist one must convey communication and interpersonal skills because the job involves talking with their patients before and after surgery to figure out what medicine to administer to them.

Nurse anesthetists have been providing anesthesia care to patients in the United States for more than 150 years. The credential CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist) came into existence in 1956. CRNAs are anesthesia professionals who safely administer approximately 40 million anesthetics to patients each year in the United States, according to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) 2014 Practice Profile Survey. CRNAs are the primary providers of anesthesia care in rural America, enabling healthcare facilities in these medically underserved areas to offer obstetrical, surgical, pain management and trauma stabilization services. In some states, CRNAs are the sole providers in nearly 100 percent of the rural hospitals. According to a 1999 report from the Institute of Medicine, anesthesia care is nearly 50 times safer than it was in the early 1980s. Numerous outcomes studies have demonstrated that there is no difference in the quality of care provided by CRNAs and their physician counterparts. CRNAs provide anesthesia in collaboration with surgeons, anesthesiologists, dentists, podiatrists, and other qualified healthcare professionals. When anesthesia is administered by a nurse anesthetist, it is recognized as the practice of nursing; when administered by an anesthesiologist, it is recognized as the practice of medicine. Regardless of whether their educational background is in nursing or medicine, all anesthesia professionals give anesthesia the same way.

My goal as a Nurse Anesthetist would not only be to attend to each patient one at a time, but consult with them, meeting their psychological and emotional needs pre, intra, and post operation. Being able to draw upon past influences will help me immensely since I will be able to use my knowledge of these fields to administer the ideal anesthesia experience to whomever I

However, I was uncertain of which career path I wished to pursue. I was given the privilege to shadow various healthcare physicians around the area, which could help determine which field of medicine was for me. Of the specialties I had observed, I found that anesthesiology was the most intriguing and I was immediately attracted to it. In order to acquire more information about the speciality, I applied to volunteer at East Georgia Regional Medical Center in the anesthesia department. I began assisting the anesthesia technician with her daily responsibilities. She eventually introduced me to many anesthetists there. After shadowing many anesthetists, I quickly learned that much of the patient interaction was with the anesthesiologist assistant or the certified registered nurse anesthetist rather than the anesthesiologist. I was thrilled to see the anesthetist comfort the patient as well as his family before the surgery. I, then, realized that I did not want to become a physician but rather an anesthesiologist assistant because I wanted to provide that administrative and comforting experience for the patients and their loved

As a Registered Nurse I have had the opportunity to be a preceptor to a number of nursing students. I take this role very seriously as I am aware of the impact that my mentoring has on the students’ learning experience, competence and satisfaction