Keys to Success: A Reflection on My Journey from CNA to SRNA

future_anesthetist, BSN, CNA, RN

Ever since I was introduced to the field of Nurse Anesthesia in High School at the age of 16 I made it my mission to pursue it as a career. I always knew I wanted to be a nurse but I was specifically drawn to the excitement of not only being a nurse, but a highly skilled and independent nurse. I planned out my journey step by step, year by year. I presumed I would simply go through the motions in my rock-solid plan and emerge as a CRNA. Boy was I wrong.

I am now 24 years old and will begin a Nurse Anesthesia Program next month. A couple weeks after I sent my enrollment letter and the dust had settled I began to ponder over the last eight years. As I reminisced about the hundreds of people I've met and the amazing experiences I have had, my heart was filled with warmth. I realized that my journey had changed me as a human being and shaped me into a confident, knowledgeable, and highly respected professional nurse. The funny thing is, I only realized this recently. I finally took a step back and saw how significant my responsibilities were and how much of a difference I was making all along.

I remember talking to one of my nursing professors a couple years after graduating and I said something along the lines of: "I've been really lucky to get where I am." Her response was: "isn't it funny how the ones who work the hardest keep getting luckier." At the time I attributed the 'work hard' part to the fact that I had created a career plan and stuck by it. Yes, that may have a small part to do with where I am but after seeing many specialty-focused colleagues trample through I now believe it is something deeper.

I began at an assisted living community at the age of 17 where I quickly took a liking to the elderly population. Inspiring stories of their lives poured out with every interaction, humor was a commonplace and I quickly became a shining star as I had a sense of humor that was refreshing and real. Many widows jokingly called me their boyfriend; I held the hands of lonely residents who hadn't seen their families in forever; I provided their daily cocktail of medications and encouraged them to stay active and healthy; I got beat-up many times by dementia patients who saw me as a threat; and performed the Heimlich maneuver on one of my closest residents who later relied on me for support after her husband passed away. I think I related so well to the elderly population because of my close relationship with my grandmother, who died over a period of two-years as a result of a rare nervous system disease.

Meanwhile, I completed all of my nursing prerequisites in High School and was accepted to a very competitive Associate Degree Nursing Program. Throughout my nursing education I excelled in my studies and often tutored those who were struggling. I did excellent in clinical thanks to preparation, hard work, and passion. In my first semester of nursing school I landed a Float CNA position at a Hospital where I quickly became known for my tremendous work ethic and kind personality. After graduating nursing school, I had many managers request my application to their floor and I had the luxury of being able to choose. I then spent 6 months on a Medical-Surgical unit, quickly rising to the top of the pack and receiving many accolades for my work ethic, leadership skills, and the excellent care I provided. I remember getting a letter and award (which I later found out was normally reserved for those with many years on the job) from the SVP of Nursing who commended me for a job well done after he had received numerous patient letters mailed directly to him. Of course, at the time I just thought it was kind of cool.

One day my manager mentioned that I really belong in the ICU, and that gave me the confidence to continue. I attempted to apply locally but wasn't even able to upload a resume without a Bachelor's Degree - which I was finishing up online. So I expanded my search and set my sights on a couple of excellent hospitals. I flew out and interviewed for an ICU Internship at a large University Health System and was accepted the next day. As I was preparing to move, lo and behold an ICU internship at my own hospital was rebooted so I leapt on that opportunity and was accepted to the CVICU. They told me that these internship spots were usually given to those with more experience but they were willing to give me a chance because of my "confidence, knowledge, and glowing recommendations."

In the CVICU I started out slow and quickly progressed to the sickest patients on the unit. I would end up relating many situations to my experiences of having a younger brother battle bone cancer, and my aunt - who was my second mom while my mother basically lived in the hospital - dying in a tragic accident. I truly began to understand how precious life is. I excelled in every aspect of this role and began receiving more responsibilities including precepting and committee work.

After about a year and a half I felt confident as an ICU nurse and applied to my top five Nurse Anesthesia programs. I was granted interviews at all five programs and I ended up interviewing at four of them; I was accepted to two and waitlisted to two. The programs where I was waitlisted eventually had a spot open up. This granted me the "problem" of having to choose between 4 highly regarded programs.

When I began thinking back I saw how everything was connected. I noticed a simple pattern from day one that explained everything: I showed up each and every day with a smile on my face and a genuine desire to help others. I respected and built professional relationships with each and every one of my colleagues - whether they were a CNA, nurse, Doctor, cook, housekeeper, receptionist, Manager, Instructor, or Dean. This resulted in various awards/recognition and great letters of recommendations which allowed me to pursue amazing opportunities. My reputation was built by working hard and always finding other ways to help out. It helped that I was never one for politics or gossip but knew when to laugh and have fun. I was a team player and encouraged others to be their best. I made an effort to expand my own clinical knowledge and gave back by mentoring those in need. And most importantly, I pulled from my own past experiences to empathize and support my patients while at the same time growing stronger from their strength. This gave me a humbling confidence as well as experiences to draw from for interviews - which are vital.

You see, every single step I took was a natural progression of opening doors, NOT a checkbox on my list. And although I want to thank my 16-year-old self for starting me out on this path, I never could've imagined how this journey would have such a profound impact on my life. I feel truly blessed and also believe there is a higher power that played a role as well.

After thinking about all of this, I have come to the conclusion that the pathway to getting the most happiness and success out of one's nursing career relies on your own intentions and genuine desire to care for every patient at the best AND worst times in their lives. Whatever your ambitions are - if you aim to specialize in a certain area such as Anesthesia, become a nursing professor, a CNO, or stay at the bedside, please remember this: although there are necessary steps to get through to achieve your nursing career goals, you must always be cognizant of the fact that what you are doing today whether big or small in your own view, matters a lot. It matters to you so be content and slow down to smell the roses, it matters to your coworkers who deserve a solid individual committed to the team, and most importantly it matters to your patients. A patient on their death bed isn't going to be impressed with your aspirations, they instead deserve somebody who is in the moment. A respectful, strong patient advocate with the capacity for empathy. A nurse who understands that life is fragile and although it may be a regular ol' day for you, it is perhaps the worst day of your patient's life.

And of course my journey wasn't all rainbows and butterflies, nor is it over! But this article's purpose is to hopefully help those who are just starting their story, those struggling with where they are, or those possibly taking their current position for granted. I hope my reflections will inspire you to be the best you can be and encourage you to put 100% of your energy into the here and now - because the rest will truly follow.