Bedside Excellence CRNA Personal Statement

CRNA Bedside Excelence in the Personal Statement

As I watched her being wheeled off to emergency surgery, those of us left behind in the ICU did not expect her to survive and I was quite honestly preparing myself for the moment when her family would need to be told that she had passed. Thus it was quite a shock to me not only when she arrived back into the ICU in a stable condition; but accompanied by a CRNA. I was very impressed by his calm, professional and confident demeanor, and that he saw the patient safely through surgery and recovery.  As I watched him give report of the events in OR and the patient’s current status, I realized that he possessed the oversight, authority and autonomy that I had long desired to exercise for the benefit of my patients. But that moment found me fully resolved to fulmill my plan of becoming a CRNA. 

My quest to beecomee a CRNA was at first thwarted by a period of mourning after the loss of my husband who passed away unexpectedly leaving me temporarily incapacitated. I was fortunate, however, to train as a critical care and pulmonary ARNP. While my work has been rewarding, I still found that there was something missing. Thus, I went back to bedside care in the CVIUC, I loved dealing with pharmacology, with the technology of monitors and other devices in the ICU, especially mechanical ventilation. I excelled at the bedside, becoming a preceptor to our new critical care internship nurses.  I found the combination of physiology, pharmacology, and lots of hands-on skills was very enjoyable. Yet I was yearning for more responsibility, more autonomy, and to perform at a higher level of commitment and achievement. I came to realize that the role of the CRNA with the mix of one-on-one care, decision making and planning, and physical engagmrent with interventions was what I wanted to do.  

I often work side-by-side with CRNAs during procedures especially during endoscopy procedures.  In observing CRNAs at work, I noted the constant monitoring of every important function of the patient and individually modifying the anesthetic to ensure the patient’s maximum safety and comfort.  I was totally captivated by their ability to put people to sleep, take away their pain, and then wake them up like nothing had ever happened.  The forethought to use different induction methods based on the patient’s medical history and the physiology behind it is most fascinating.  I could not be more devoted to studying our biochemical pathways, genetics, and how different pathological processes can affect bodies differenetly, as concerns both acute and chronic pain.  

While my career goal is to work as a CRNA in a hospital operating room, I would like to eventually expand on my role as a CRNA and obtain a post-doctoral certificate in pain management. I want to help prevent acute pain from becoming chronic pain, and to treat chronic pain in smart ways that go beyond simmply increasing the dose of opioids.    

Every step on this journey has been leading me to become a better, more well-rounded provider. It is clear that not every nurse is a potential CRNA as it calls for very high level of technical skill and knowledge and, more importantly, particular personal characteristics with are not blessed. Nevertheless, I feel certain that I am called to Nurse Anesthesia.

Bedside Excellence CRNA Personal Statement