Becoming A Nurse Anesthetist Essay

Everyone has a story about why they want to become a nurse anesthetist. As a child, I never once considered a career in the medical field. I always thought I would choose a career in business, so that I could learn to manage my own grocery store. I grew up in a small village, where resources were limited. My parents separated when I was too young to remember and with no support from my father, my mother sought work as a seamstress. With the little money she managed to save, she was determined to leave in search of a better life. When I was fifteen years old, I emigrated from Trinidad and Tobago to the United States of America. However, the transition was far from what we had expected. My mother; having no relatives to rely on, providing for three children seemed impossible. She worked three jobs and desperately tried to make ends meet.
By my senior year of high school, I was working two jobs to earn money for college. I had planned to attend a state university with every intention of continuing along the business path.
However, it was during my freshman year, our lives fell apart.
I remember taking the bus home from work at ten o’clock that Friday night. When I arrived home, I found my mother, barely conscious on the sofa. She was rushed to the hospital, where she was admitted to the intensive care unit. Exposed to an unfamiliar hospital environment and plagued with the uncertainty of the outcome; we were vulnerable and overwhelmed. My siblings and I were later informed that our mother had suffered a significant coronary event. There were times we felt incapable of making appropriate decisions regarding the ongoing care of our mother. Thus, we relied heavily on healthcare staff for support and assurance. Over the course of her hospitalization, my mother’s care was further complicated by thromboembolic disease for which she required surgical
interventions.
While we encountered several outstanding healthcare professionals, there was one in particular that stood out to me. Prior to my mother undergoing yet another surgical procedure, I met an individual who immediately distinguished herself with professional poise and confidence. She introduced herself and it was the first time I had ever heard of a nurse anesthetist. I was intrigued by her persona and in-depth knowledge of anesthesia. She genuinely displayed compassion and empathy when she took the time to sit and address my family’s questions and concerns. After my mother’s successful procedure, I had the opportunity to speak to the nurse anesthetist again. She spoke eloquently and passionately of her profession and strongly encouraged me to further explore this field of care. I did and from that moment on, I aspired to become a nurse anesthetist. I was eager to attend nursing school with the sole intent of one day pursuing an advance degree in nurse anesthesia. However, more often than not, financial burden and familial obligations took precedence. Nevertheless, I was determined to succeed and become a first generation college graduate. Whenever a financial opportunity presented itself, I wasted no time in taking college courses. Steadily working towards accomplishing my goal, it took nearly nine years for me to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. As an undergraduate student at Regis College, my professors were aware of my long term goals and informed me of the prospect of a critical care nurse internship program. With their assistance, I worked hard towards achieving acceptance. Ultimately, I was offered a five-year critical care nurse employment contract.
During the internship program, I was allowed to observe a nurse anesthetist. This experience only fueled my desire to pursue this career. After I obtained my license to practice, I immediately started the rigorous learning process of delivering complex care to the most critically ill patient population. While this job has always challenged me, I made an active effort to acquire the essential knowledge, skills and experience deemed necessary to be a suitable candidate for graduate school. Over the past five years, I have learnt the importance of critical thinking, autonomy and assertiveness. I have developed the ability to advocate on behalf of my patients and their family members. Critical care fosters collaborative care efforts, which entails effective communication and problem solving skills. I have been an integral part of a multidisciplinary team that effectively work together to improve patient outcomes. Additionally, I have developed a high level of professional accountability. My clinical experience has also encouraged me to apply research-based knowledge into practice, to use expert clinical judgement in appropriately interpreting, analyzing and evaluating information, necessary to provide safe, high-quality care.
As a critical care nurse, I had the opportunity to return to the operating room to observe the role of a nurse anesthetist and I had a better understanding of requirements of these advance practice nurses. They are given a high degree of autonomy and professional respect.