The life of a Minority SRNA

[MINSRNA]

I'm an AA SRNA, with ten months left til graduation. Anesthesia school is by far the most difficult process I've been through thus far. Just want to hear comments from minority SRNAs or CRNAs about what it's like or was like as a minority SRNA.

Thanks,

MINSRNA

[missnurse01, MSN, RN]

Thanks gor starting this Topic. I start in the fall and am more worried about gender but that is because I do not look like my background. I have heard from crnas that they were subject to different types of abuse, verbal physical and sexual harassment but no racist remarks. I am hoping for mellow open minded people in the or!

[OscarRN]

I'm a first generation U.S. born Mexican-American. I start nurse anesthesia school in the fall. So far in my nursing training I have not felt discriminated against or anything. I'm hoping the same will be true for NA training.

[missnurse01, MSN, RN]

Similar background here oscar but are you from an area with a high population of same ethnicities? I was shocked when I moved to the south.

[OscarRN]

I live in Utah. There it's a small to moderate Hispanic community here. I was born in, and still often visit, Southern California. Where are you and your family looking to live after school. We'd like to stay in the west some where.

[missnurse01, MSN, RN]

Well we are split between the coasts! lol I am from Cali, although grew up in the mountains, and my husband was born in OH but spent most of his years in upstate VA. I would like to stay west as well, more relaxed and accepting of different lifestyles, but my husband's fam is all in VA and they would like us to be nearer. Hubs also loves to catfish and has been sad the last 3 years here in WA state. We want to live with all four seasons. Right now I am kind of leaning toward West Va, or maybe WI. Although I don't think I would like to live so far from the ocean. But here we are in WA state and never go as it's too cold to enjoy it. we have met great people up here though and we will miss them. I keep trying to get them to come move with me!

So I need a laid back, non-judgmental place to live and raise my kids with great resources for kids future schooling needs, nice homeschooling laws and active groups, good fishing, decent COL, where we can have chickens and alpacas and not break the bank, and 4 seasons with lots of snow. Access to beaches in the summer would be great. Lol. Anyone live in this place give me a holler!

How about you Oscar, where are you planning on settling down?

[OscarRN]

I think we'd like to come back to the West after school--but you never know what the future holds. I think I've mentioned this before but Utah isn't the most friendly-to-CRNA state, so coming back will take some time and quite a bit of experience. I think we'd enjoy any of the surrounding states though.

[missnurse01, MSN, RN]

yes I have heard about utah...I have lived in WA, NM, and cali. Know people in Colorado and Idaho. Well a few here and there I guess! I have no idea how healthcare reform is going to affect all of us new grads a few years in the future, so hard to plan. I don't know if some states are going to be worse off economically than others. That affects decisions too, i don't want to move to a very poor state, although I know some parts of some states are worse off than others. It's hard not knowing where to lay roots. We have moved so much I can't imagine staying in one place forever!