SRNA Perspective on Handling Parenthood and School

Laura K. Blank, Senior SRNA

York College of Pennsylvania / WellSpan Health Nurse Anesthetist Program

It’s Sunday, and I’m in the middle of my cardiac rotation, with an on-pump aortic valve replacement scheduled for tomorrow. My 3-year-old son is in daycare, and when I awoke this morning to prepare for the week, a notification from his school popped up on my phone --- and a feeling of dread immediately washed over me. Yet again, another unpredictable daycare closure because of COVID-19 exposure. Another week of shuffling schedules, exercising adaptability, and remembering expectations don’t change for my husband’s job and my clinical requirements. Another week of hoping our unvaccinated son doesn’t get sick.

I’d like to say this happens infrequently, but I can recall on two separate occasions my son’s daycare closing the week before finals. My perfectly planned study and paper-writing schedule instantly went up in smoke. All this is on top of the normal daily struggles of trying to juggle school, work, family, and parenting.

It hasn’t all been challenging. The joys that come from working hard and setting a good example for my child give me confidence that my husband and I are paving the way for him in life. We hope we are teaching him kindness, joy, and thankfulness as we adapt to uncertainty. We make sacrifices in other areas to be able to always show him love and attention while prioritizing my schooling and patient care. He may be too young to remember this pandemic season, but perhaps one day he will ask us how we got to where we are. We are teaching him ownership, hard work, and dedication.

As a senior SRNA, the end is in sight. I have an ode to all the other mothers and fathers out there in school. We all have different challenges. Some battle with illness and others need more from their support system than available; there are relationship troubles and financial troubles. School demands time and sacrifice. It’s difficult to miss Mother’s Day trips, big birthday parties, or life events.

Here’s to the parents who put their patients first and still show up for their kids. Here’s to the support systems, the life partners, and the family and friends who jump in to help or understand the absence of time. Here’s to the faculty and preceptors who understand the balance as well. In the end, showing love to our families while learning how to best care for our patients will be worth all the sacrifice in the end.

Fostering the next generation of CRNAs

Choosing a career path is not always easy for students. But sometimes a person or an event can help influence a student. For three CRNAs who graduated from South Fayette High School, the career inspiration started with an anatomy and physiology course.

As a young man, Aaron Ostrowski knew he wanted to help people, and to him that meant helping through the medical field. Though he quickly discovered that pre-med track in college was not for him, he did learn about the benefits of pursuing a career in nursing. After graduating he realized he could help others interested in the field navigate the professional options available through a nursing career.

“Kent Nichols was my high school anatomy and physiology teacher. He was my early inspiration to move in this career direction. I wanted to recognize his efforts and expose his students to the options available in nursing. In the earliest years as an ICU nurse, I visited his classes to speak about nursing, the educational pathway, and the career options,” Ostrowski said.

The interaction with the class and students has evolved since those initial speaking engagements. After Ostrowski completed nurse anesthesia school in 2001, he brought the learning experience into the hospital. The students now have the opportunity to visit the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing and UPMC-Presbyterian to learn about CRNAs, participate in hands-on activities, and visit the operating room to shadow CRNAs.

One of Pennsylvania’s newest CRNAs, Leigh Ann Clark, was one of the students who attended the field trip. Her class was given the chance to observe a procedure with a group of University of Pittsburgh student nurse anesthetists. It was the first time Clark had an in-depth look at healthcare careers and shadowing nurses, nurse anesthetists and physicians in a surgical setting left an impression on her.

“I really had not given a great deal of consideration about going to nursing school, but this day changed my thinking. I made the decision to apply to nursing school with the end goal of becoming a CRNA always in the back of my mind,” Clark said.

Clark, who received her certification on January 4, commented that being a CRNA places you in a stimulating work environment in virtually every surgical care setting.

“The blending of the physiologic and emotional aspects of patient care by the CRNA is something that has always appealed to me,” Clark said. “The concept that a nurse anesthetist cares for a patient before, during and through the end of a procedure completes the full circle of care, which is something I identify with personally and professionally.”

Another young CRNA also had the opportunity to participate in the field trip through South Fayette High School. Chelsea Hyre (Cord) was born with a medical condition that required numerous surgeries, and as she grew up and learned more about her diagnosis, she knew that she wanted to pursue a career in nursing. But she did not identify nurse anesthesiology until her high school anatomy and physiology trip to the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC-Presbyterian.

“Aaron was very influential [about my] decision on that day because he helped me understand how intricate, exciting and rewarding anesthesia is,” Hyre (Cord) said.

She received her certification in January 2016 and started at Geisinger Medical Center shortly thereafter. She loves that her career brings a variety of experiences and the ability to do something different every day.

Ostrowski found a way to pay forward his love of nurse anesthesia, and through his involvement with his high school, he has been able to share his passion with others. While a number of South Fayette High School students have gone on to pursue careers in nursing, Leigh Ann Clark and Chelsea Hyre (Cord) are two graduates who went on to become CRNAs.

Meet Your PANA Board Members - Dana Rodgers

“We should not be intimidated to meet with our local legislators to educate them about our profession so that they can better represent our interests.”

Dana Rodgers, a Pennsylvania native who currently lives in Wilmington, Del., is a student representative on the board of the Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists (PANA), which represents more than 3,000 certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) and students (SRNAs) across the commonwealth. She’s a senior in the nurse anesthesia program at Villanova University/Crozer-Chester Medical Center, graduating this November.

We took time to get to know Dana a little bit more. Among the many interesting things we learned: She was inspired to become a CRNA by Larry Heredia, CRNA, DNP, JD, when she was a nursing student. As she nears her graduation date, Dana has plenty of words of wisdom for SRNAs. (Read the Q&A to get her sage advice!) And, when she’s not studying or advocating on behalf of CRNAs, Dana enjoys traveling, spending time with her family --- including the four-legged kind --- and reading the occasional non-anesthesia-related book. (She’s looking for a good book suggestion right now!)

Meet Dana Rodgers, your 2015-16 student trustee on PANA’s board:

Q: What is your position on the board?

A: I am the Student Board Representative, which is a position I’ve held since October 2015.

Q: Why did you choose to serve as a PANA Trustee?

A: I wanted to become involved in the political aspects of our profession, and I also wanted to work with and support SRNAs in Pennsylvania. I have enjoyed learning ways to advocate for and promote our profession.

Q: Where do you currently work?

A: For the last five years, I have been working in the CICU at Nemours A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Del., and I continue to work there per diem. After graduating, I will be working at Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland, Pa., with Associates in Anesthesia.

Q: Where are you going to school?

A: I am a senior in Villanova University/Crozer-Chester Medical Center’s Nurse Anesthesia Program, and I will be graduating this November.

Q: What made you choose being a CRNA as a profession?

A: As a nursing student, I was shadowing in the operating room (O.R.) when I started talking to the CRNA who was in the case. He was so intelligent, technically sound and passionate about his career that I decided to further investigate the field. After becoming an SRNA, I also had the opportunity to work with him again in the O.R. on several occasions, but I never told him that he inspired me to become a CRNA. Thank you, Larry Heredia, CRNA, DNP, JD, for inspiring me to become a CRNA and for being such a great educator and mentor!

Q: What made you choose the school you’re attending?

A: Villanova has a great reputation for producing intelligent and successful CRNAs. A few of my friends went through the program and had positive experiences. They spoke highly of the diversity of clinical sites, supportive administrators and teacher, and the well-rounded education they received. It is also located near my home; it’s nationally recognized for being a top graduate program, offering online programs; and it’s reasonably priced.

Q: The PANA board notes say you live in Delaware. Do you still live there or are you now living in Pennsylvania somewhere?

A: I currently live in Wilmington, Del., with my husband, Eric; dog, Winnie; and cats, Izzie and Riley. I grew up in Wallingford, Pa., and lived there for 25 years before moving to Delaware. I hope to move back to Pennsylvania one day soon!

Q: What are your hopes for post-graduation?

A: I look forward to working full time as a CRNA with Associates in Anesthesia starting in December. I also hope to continue my education and obtain my PhD. I would love to educate future CRNAs and hopefully become a program director of a nurse anesthesia program.

Q: As you look to become a CRNA, what do you feel is one of the most important issues that currently is affecting the field?

A: It’s hard to pick the most important issues as there are several issues currently affecting our field. However, I think engaging CRNAs in political and social issues that impact our profession is extremely important. Membership in state and national organizations is imperative to the growth, advancement and advocacy of our profession. With over 3,000 CRNAs and 12 nurse anesthetist programs in Pennsylvania, we could make a large impact at the state and national level by working together. We should not be intimidated to meet with our local legislators to educate them about our profession so that they can better represent our interests. I have found that many of our legislators are very approachable, easy to talk to and willing to learn. Many legislators do not even know what a CRNA is and do not know about our scope of practice or education. We cannot expect our legislators to support our interests if they do not even know what we do!

Q: Do you have any recommendations for student CRNAs who only recently started in a CRNA program?

A: I have several recommendations for new SRNAs. One is to be supportive of your classmates. Although most of us are competitive by nature, it is not always about who gets the best grades or the most intubations. Adopting a “team” mentality by sharing notes, forming study groups, sharing clinical experiences or going out together socially will help you succeed during your program. It is difficult for those who are not enrolled as a SRNA to understand what you are going through both academically and emotionally, so it is crucial that you have at least one person in your program that you can lean on when needed. Also, take time for yourself to do non-academic activities such as working out, doing out to dinner with friends/family, etc. It is important to find a school-life balance, otherwise you will burn out. The last bit of advice is to be humble throughout your program. We have all been successful ICU nurses, so it may be hard to take criticism (constructive or not) from the people we interact with in the OR. The best thing you can do is to be gracious instead of defensive in those situations.

Q: What do you do in your free time (when not studying)?

A: I like to spend time with my sister and niece in North Carolina. They live 10 minutes from the beach, so it’s always fun and relaxing when I am there. I also enjoy traveling and working out with my husband. I hope to go out West on a ski trip with him next year. I am also very busy with my four-month-old puppy Golden Retriever, Winnie. She has a TON of energy so I like to take her on long walks and have her play with my mom’s 2-year-old Chocolate Lab, CoCo. I try and read one non-anesthesia book a year. Last year, I read “Go Set a Watchman,” the sequel to “To Kill a Mockingbird.” I am looking for recommendations for a book for this year, so if anyone has any recommendations, feel free to contact me!

Q: Give us one interesting fact about you that no one would guess in a million years?

A: I played tennis with Martina Hingis, a former top ranked tennis player. She was in the Philadelphia area for a tournament, so my coach arranged for me to hit with her during one of her practice sessions. It was such an amazing experience and she was very down to earth.