Archive for General
AJ Vaca Resident LAC-USC
Posted by: | CommentsThis month I have been in the Cardiac Surgery Room at LAC-USC and sharing the rotation with me is the coolest MD resident AJ Vaca. We all just call him Angel or Eeyore which ever comes to mind first but mostly we just call him AJ.
The rotation with him here at LAC-USC has really been a great experience. AJ has been terrific to work with and our time together has been of great benefit to me. I just keep him laughing at my clumsiness so he is entertained and is getting something out of this too.
AJ and David at the LAC-USC Anesthesia Office after giving report to the Chief.
The great thing about AJ is his humility. One thing I have learned in the process of anesthesia training and working with the MD residents is that we are all in training together and that humility is one of the great survival traits. It’s wonderful to know the book and to be able to put those principles into practice but even better to be able to learn from all of those around – even when they see things differently than you do.
How do I say this with political correctness? In the process of training it is possible to run into some of the more experienced practitioners that have seen much more and paying attention to ‘their’ wisdom is always a good thing. Sometimes that wisdom for me comes in doing other than what is explained but for the most part keeping an open mind and being receptive to input from experience has been very helpful in my anesthesia training. AJ is really good at this. He calls everyone, “Sir” no matter who they are and always takes the humble position. I have really enjoyed working with Eeyore, which is what everyone calls AJ.
Eeyore in the Cardiac Surgery Rotation
The Voices of Experience
Posted by: | CommentsThe Voices of Experience is a testimony to those that have worked the hardest for the welfare of the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Community. This current testimony is from the California Association of Nurse Anesthetist web page.
Provider of Distinction:
Christopher Stein, CRNA, MS
Born in the small farming town of Cedarburg, Wisconsin, Christopher Stein, CRNA, MS, developed a disciplined and strong, early to bed, early to rise, Midwestern work ethic. By age 17, Chris knew that he wanted to make a difference in the lives of others and chose to demonstrate his dedication by volunteering to serve his country and enlisted in the United States Navy. Chris met his wife Ann during his tour of duty in the Navy. She, too, had chosen to make a difference in the world by serving her country. Finding that they both had so much in common, Chris and Ann married before leaving the Navy in 1977. After joining civilian life, Chris worked as a mechanic in a foundry to support his growing family while Ann attended nursing school.
Following nursing school graduation it was Ann’s turn to support Chris while he attended the University of Wisconsin’s Nursing Program. In 1986, Chris started practicing nursing in the pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center. Several years later, Chris set his sights on becoming a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) and entered the UCLA Program of Nurse Anesthesia. His first experience as a CRNA was at UCLA-Olive View Medical Center where he worked his way up to the top position of Chief CRNA while also maintaining a clinical faculty position for the UCLA Program of Nurse Anesthesia. For the last 5 years Chris has been the Chief CRNA for the Northridge Pain Management and Surgery Center, and a clinical faculty member for the University of Southern California (USC) Program of Nurse Anesthesia.
Chris became involved in the California Association of Nurse Anesthetists (CANA) immediately after graduating from the UCLA Program of Nurse Anesthesia. He started out on the public relations committee, and served as the public relations committee chairperson. As he became more familiar and interested in the issues facing CRNAs, Chris was voted in as a trustee, followed by vice-president, president-elect, and finally president of CANA. After his term as president ended, Chris assumed the position as 3-year director for CANA. This position, he feels, is his favorite position within CANA because he has acquired first-hand knowledge and experience of every position inside CANA while at the same time developing a global understanding of the issues facing CRNAs in California.
When asked to look back over his career and articulate the highlights, Chris replied that he had four experiences that will always fill him with great memories and grant him a sense of accomplishment. First, despite the challenges of his work for CANA, Chris was able to get people to see differing points of view while still trying to bring people together. Second, Chris was instrumental in developing the CANA Foundation – a foundation dedicated to providing financial stability to CANA, and also to sponsor student scholarship and research. Third, he is proud to be able to provide safe, excellent, anesthesia care and alleviate pain for people undergoing surgery or pain management procedures. Fourth, Chris spoke of what a tremendous honor it was to be the keynote speaker at the graduation celebration of the University of Southern California (USC) Program of Nurse Anesthesia. While presenting his opening statements Chris looked out over the audience and realized the importance he played in preparing the next generation of CRNAs, and what a tremendous legacy that was to leave behind as a gift to the world.
We appreciate the sacrifices Chris has made to our profession, and we find it a great honor to have him within our ranks. Thank you Chris.
Wax On-Wax Off
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Gina Wald, DC BSN CCRN
Gina comes to nurse anesthesia practice prepared as a doctor of chiropractics. Her experience includes several years as an RN in a neuro/trauma ICU. Her insightful assessments and understanding of anatomy is enormous. Here are a few of her insights at the start of clinical anesthesia rotations.
My favorite preceptor is not the warm fuzzy type. She is a compact, Korean woman with over 20 years’ experience in anesthesia, moves with great efficiency, and dresses for function in the OR, a terrycloth sweatband under her paper cap and too-long scrub pants tucked into her paper booties. On my first day with SJ, she told me she would not hand me an anesthesia mask until I could properly open a patient’s mouth, and wouldn’t dream of handing me a (laryngoscope) blade until I could demonstrate profiency at masking a patient. She was not exaggerating. SJ would never exaggerate.
My first experiences with SJ were utterly exhausting. My first tasks were to prepare the patient for anesthesia. Position, monitor, oxygenate. Sounds simple I know, but with SJ there is always so much more than is at first apparent. Eventually, she played “pharmacistâ€, pushing my drugs while I fumbled with everything else. And oh how I fumbled. You see, SJ did not care that I was left-handed, insisting I learn how to do everything from Day One with my right hand. “You already have the advantage of a lifetime spent accomodating. Learn with your right hand now, and everything will be easy with your left.†My husband and I came to call her Miagi (the teacher in Karate Kid), and her wax-on wax-off philosophy of apprenticeship has been transformational for me. I now insert arterial lines, IVs, spinal blocks, and any other device thrown at me right-handed.
After I completed a successful (right-handed) spinal (subarachnoid block) and settled my patient for his procedure, SJ brought me to a quiet corner to tell me I had “done everything wrongâ€. Through the rest of the case I practiced my needle technique, and for my effort received a curt nod of approval on the next successful spinal. During cases, SJ drills me on hemodynamics, drug pharmacology and interactions, pulmonary function, complications, pathology. “What would you do if the patient started moving right now?†Satisfied with my answer, SJ jots down her pager number and leaves the room, the ultimate compliment.
When I voice my frustration over my incompetence, SJ tells me, “I do not worry about you. You have a brain. I cannot teach you to have a brain. Everything else, a monkey can learn. It will come.†SJ has burned a place in my heart with the other great teachers I have had in my life, and her lessons will stay with me forever. Every time I give a pressor, I tell myself BP= SVRxCO; CO= SVxHR. Which component is the problem with my patient, and which am I about to effect with this drug? SJ has taught a generation of successful anesthetists to use their brains and train their hands. I am now part of her legacy, and honored to have such a teacher. Wax on. Wax off.
Your Host
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Greetings from Los Angeles. My name is David Godden and I am a student of Nurse Anesthesia at the University of Southern California. This is the beginning of a forum for students and practicing CRNA’s. What prompted me to start this site was a comment by a nursing student that I ran across. James is from Australia and was inquiring about becoming a Nurse Anesthetist and was having trouble finding a source of information on the web that answered his questions about the profession.This web site will hopefully have many contributors both from students like myself and those with experience as practicing Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists. I welcome any contributions from those in the field and invite all to participate.
Nurse Anesthetist is Up
Posted by: | CommentsThis is the Nurse Anesthetist Blog. In it the experiences of Nurse Anesthesia students and practicing CRNA’s will be relayed in detail. There may be many contributers, each from a different perspective but making up a pattern that will rival any Persian Rug.
Welcome to NurseAnesthetits.org and enjoy your journey.
