Celebrating Nurse Anesthetists with CRNA Week

Celebrating Nurse Anesthetists with CRNA Week

As Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) Week comes to a close, nurses interested in this career or already working as a CRNA are celebrated for the work they do and the dedication to their patients.

As the primary professional organization for CRNAs, the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) sponsors the annual CRNA Week and supports nurses in this specialty. Nurses who decide on a CRNA path know that it is one that requires years of preparation and education, but that offers a distinctive career.  round logo for CRNA Week 2024

According to AANA, more than 61,000 CRNAs practice or study in the United States. Their professional specialty requires precise administration of all areas of anesthesiology so they meet with patients before procedures that require anesthesia, monitor them closely while they are sedated, and provide care as they are emerging from anesthesia. They have a patient’s safety as a top priority and must learn to work within the uncertainty of how each patient’s physical state can change their anesthesia reaction.

CRNAs develop a rapport with their patients in a short time. They often meet with patients who are anxious about a procedure and not feeling their best. In a short time, they evaluate the patient while gathering background medical information from the patient and the medical team. They perform an in-the-moment physical assessment that could flag any potential difficulties with anesthesia. This multi-pronged approach requires years of practical nursing experience and the critical thinking skills that can help a CRNA spot and react to any issues.

In many areas, CRNAs provide the anesthesia care available to all residents of a region, particularly the more remote or rural areas. With this option, CRNAs make available a level of care that would otherwise require long travel distances or would remain out of reach. According to AANA, they are also the primary anesthesia providers in the military, especially for hard-to-access field locations, military ships, or other transport modes.

As a CRNA, nurses are able to work in many different locations where anesthesia is used, so the career options are varied and plentiful. In nearly half of the states and all military bases, CRNAs are given full practice authority and they can practice without the supervision of a physician. This designation is given after years of academic work and nursing experience.

CRNAs have a distinct path to achieve the credential. To become a CRNA, nurses first earn a BSN before completing several years of training in a critical care environment. With that combination of school and hands-on nursing work, the next step is to enter a certified nurse anesthesiology program (according to the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA), there are 130 such programs in the United States). Finally, passing a CRNA certification exam is required after finishing a program.

Once in practice, CRNAs need to remain current in the field with certification that is renewed every four years and also pass required periodic retesting. The result is a career that pays highly (the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states a $189,000 mean salary for a CRNA in 2020) and is in demand as more procedures are being offered that require anesthesia. According to the BLS, CRNAs can expect to see 38 percent growth in the next eight years along with nurse midwives and nurse practitioners.

CRNAs are dedicated to a fast-paced career in which lifelong learning is an expectation. They are as intrigued by the science as they are by the human connections and must be able to adapt to, and react with precision and accuracy to, situations that change rapidly.

Meet Infusion Nurse Danielle Jenkins

Meet Infusion Nurse Danielle Jenkins

IV Nurse Day is honored every year on January 25, and the day helps spread awareness of the work infusion nurses do. Minority Nurse recently caught up with Danielle Jenkins, MBA, BSN, RN, CRNI, and president elect of the Infusion Nurses Society. Jenkins offered her perspective on a career as an infusion nurse and what keeps her so dedicated to this specialty. infusion nurse Danielle Jenkins standing outside in a blue blazer and white shirt

How did you decide to make a career as an IV/Infusion nurse?
I chose a career as an IV/Infusion nurse after starting as a nurse tech on an oncology ward. Exposure to the infusion suite sparked my interest due to the autonomy it offered. The one-on-one interaction with patients and the opportunity to care for them throughout the entire process further solidified my passion for infusion nursing.

What makes your days interesting?
The excitement of meeting and serving new patients keeps my days interesting. Teaching patients how to do their infusions is particularly rewarding. One memorable moment was training a patient in her 70s in a home infusion setting. After the training, she proudly exclaimed, “Nurse Danielle, I got this,” and went on to train her daughter, who was her primary caregiver and supported her during her treatment. Empowering my patient in that moment was incredibly fulfilling and added a sense of empowerment to my own experience.

How do you keep up with the latest happenings in the field and/or professional development?
I stay updated in my field and focus on professional development by relying on the Infusion Nurse Society (INS). Their standards have been instrumental in shaping my policies and procedures, ensuring best practices in infusion nursing. This commitment to staying informed has not only led to successful patient outcomes but also motivated me to contribute by applying for a role on the INS board, emphasizing the importance of knowing and implementing best practices for excellent patient care.

What has surprised you about being an infusion nurse?
One surprising aspect of being an infusion nurse is the lack of awareness among many nurses about the field, despite their involvement in infusing medications. It’s surprising to see the underrecognition of the opportunities this field offers. Personally, I’ve been pleased by the flexibility in working hours, allowing for a better balance between professional and family life. I promote infusion nursing at every opportunity I have to speak with nurses looking for flexible hours, more personable patient care experience, better wages, and better opportunity to get into management.

What gives you the most career satisfaction and why?
The most satisfying aspect of my career is utilizing all my nursing skills in infusion nursing. I often say that in an outpatient setting an infusion nurse operates in five areas of nursing serving as an admissions nurse , case manager, infusion nurse, charge nurse, and discharge nurse. It’s a field that allows me the autonomy I love. Witnessing patients’ journeys from diagnosis to healing at discharge is incredibly fulfilling. Additionally, obtaining my certified registered nurse infusion (CRNI) credentials has been a crucial step in showcasing my commitment to continuous professional development in this field.

What would you want other nurses to know about a career as an infusion nurse?
For nurses seeking career growth, infusion nursing offers a path to management, even reaching the role of a chief nursing officer. It’s a field where better wages and improved work-life balance are attainable. Infusion nursing opens doors to enhanced opportunities, allowing nurses to infuse better prospects into their professional journey.

The RN-to-BSN Path: More Than Career Advancement

The RN-to-BSN Path: More Than Career Advancement

Nurses gain clinical and academic experience throughout their careers, all of which combine to form a foundation of essential skills. As the nursing industry continues its drive to have most of its workforce prepared with a baccalaureate degree or higher, many RNs are looking to RN-to-BSN programs.rn-to-bsn-path-more-than-career-advancement

Whether a nurse has been in the field for 5 or 35 years, or is a nursing student considering the best path, baccalaureate degree programs offer additional training in areas that develop critical thinking skills and are proven to bring better patient outcomes with further gains in leadership, research, and community health.

According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s (AACN) The Impact of Education on Nursing Practice report,

the number of nurses with a BSN is growing, and positive results follow. Research, including The Case for Academic Progression 2013 report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, consistently shows that patients improve when nurses with a minimum of a baccalaureate degree provide care.

“That’s important because, as shown with the previous literature, mortality and morbidity rates decrease with BSN nurses,” says Tammy McClenny, EdD, MSN, RN, a clinical associate professor at the University of West Georgia’s Tanner Health Systems School of Nursing. “That’s significant.”

Additional Education Brings Broad Perspective

When nurses have the RN-based clinical experience to be excellent nurses, they gain the additional BS/BSN broad-scope perspective of nursing care’s impact on community health or national nursing policies, for example, their nursing changes, says McClenny. “You learn more about how to apply what you are learning to what you are doing in practice,” she says.

While improving overall patient outcomes and quality of care, a BSN often changes a nurse’s career trajectoryMichele Lani Bray, DNP, MS, PHNA-BC, BSN, RN, is an assistant professor of population health nursing and program director for the online RN-to-BS program at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing and says that RNs find the additional education opens up professional and personal opportunities.

“Most hospitals and health departments prefer and only hire BS/BSN nurses,” says Bray. “Advancing your knowledge and skills leads to job satisfaction and career and earnings advancement.”

Attaining a BSN also aligns nurses with the industry standards that are increasingly focused on nurses who are trained with a BS/BSN or higher. However, nurses with an RN might find the thought of returning to school daunting. When they have family, work, and outside interests to juggle, applying for an RN-to-BSN program might need more support. Looking for the right program for your needs is key.

Find the Right Program

Compare programs to find one that will fit your lifestyle and financial abilities while offering a rigorous curriculum that will equip you for the nursing roles and opportunities you want to pursue, says McClenny. Work with your employer to see if educational reimbursement is offered and ask a school about potential financial aid.

Sometimes, the most challenging barrier is making time for an RN-to-BSN program, but it is possible. Many schools offer asynchronous programs in which courses are completed to fit the student’s schedule instead of being held on a specific day and time, says Bray. That helps make an RN-to-BSN program more attainable for nurses with multiple priorities, says McClenny, but online courses are no less rigorous than in-person courses. When considering the schedule that will work best for their time constraints, setting aside sufficient time for coursework is critical to success.

What should you look for in a program? Bray and McClenny say taking the time to compare programs will pay off in the end. Nurses will seek “a curriculum focused on advancing your skills and knowledge to shape you into a well-rounded, culturally competent, critically compassionate nurse, a thoughtful, skilled communicator, and enhances your leadership skills,” says Bray.

McClenny says to look for the program’s flexibility and see if a program overview or introduction is available. Look at program requirements to see if you need to take any courses and what the curriculum offers. Are there opportunities for interprofessional communication and development or real-world experiences to combine your academic knowledge with your clinical skills? McClenny, whose students complete a capstone-like project, says those real-world projects are often when nursing work and educational training help guide students to their passion.

An RN-to-BSN program is more than just what happens in a clinical experience or the classroom. Any academic program should offer nurses opportunities for personal and professional growth for building their network. Whether technical, career-based, or educational, support should be easily accessible to nursing students in the RN-to-BSN program.

Many students returning to school for a BSN are already working and have other responsibilities, so they are balancing assignments with other commitments in tight schedules. Access to someone who can help with a middle-of-the-night technical glitch could be critical to success.

Those tools are necessary because students are more likely to complete a program with support. And no matter how a degree program is delivered, establishing relationships with program advisors and faculty members will also smooth the path. These folks offer support by navigating your educational journey alongside you, says Bray, so they can guide and advise if you need to reduce or increase your course load, shift classes, or find academic support for a particularly challenging subject.

Becoming Part of National Nursing

Many nurses look to an RN-to-BSN program to advance their careers but find an unexpected benefit in promoting and improving the nursing industry. Nurses with additional education are positioned to gain advanced degrees like the MSN or DNP. These nurses represent the industry in a broader stage, can help fill the primary care provider gap, and can help alleviate the nursing faculty shortage. Because nursing makes constant progress in developing evidence-based practices, McClenny says BSN coursework often reflects real-time industry needs. “I ask students, ‘What are your managers, your administrators, your educators looking for from you?’”

With many hospitals and organizations now requiring a BS/BSN, career options expand significantly with the degree. “The AACN and healthcare organizations with Magnet hospital status fundamentally view nurses with BS/BSN as leading to a better quality of care for patients and improved outcomes,” says Bray. “The nurse with a BS/BSN in nursing has greater opportunities to select a position from various nursing settings.”

Read the January issue of Minority Nurse focusing on RN-to-BSN and Nurse Residency Programs here.

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Nursing Scores High Points for Care

Nursing Scores High Points for Care

Nursing has long held a top spot in Gallup polls of most-trusted professions, and a recent survey gave nurses another professional boost. A Gallup 2023 Health and Healthcare survey, conducted Nov. 1-21, landed nurses at the top of the list of excellence of care. a nurse in royal blue scrubs sitting on the bed of an elderly female patient for excellent nursing care

Eighty-two percent of survey respondents to the Gallup poll reported that nurses provide “excellent or good” medical care. Physicians were second on the list with 69 percent of respondents giving the “excellent or good” rankings to that group. Other care provider options didn’t fare as well with the survey reporting that hospitals, walk-in or urgent care centers, and telemedicine only took 58 percent, 56 percent, and 52 percent of positive responses. However, urgent care centers, which have become much more broadly available, did notch up a few percentage points since 2003. Hospitals, which 70 percent of the public said provided quality health care in 2003 (and even up to 72 percent in 2010), have dropped down to 58 percent with the latest poll.

Despite the turmoil the health care industry has grappled with since the pandemic emerged nearly four years ago, nurses have consistently emerged as winners in the public eye for the care they give and the level of trust patients have in their ethics. In a 2023 Gallup poll that measured public perceptions of honesty and ethics among professions, 79 percent of respondents said nurses rated high or very high in those categories (medical doctors came in with a 62 percent rating for the combined categories).

Only once in the ethics poll’s two-decade history have nurses been knocked out of the top spot–in 2001 when firefighters landed as number one after the 9/11 attacks. As the pandemic revealed the herculean efforts of medical caregivers to help sick patients, even at their own personal peril, the nursing profession again came into the spotlight.

When Gallup first asked for public impressions on the medical care provided by these groups in 2003, nurses scored even a bit higher than they do today. A lot has changed in the health care landscape in 21 years from addiction and pandemic crises to drug pricing scandals and skyrocketing health insurance costs. And while nursing care doesn’t directly impact these areas at a high level, they likely do impact public impressions of nursing and medical care as a whole.

With the high percentage of respondents reporting high faith in the medical care nurses provide, and much more noticeable declines in the perceptions of care provided in other areas of the health care industry, nurses can feel good about their accomplishments. They develop meaningful connections with patients and their families while providing excellent care–all within an industry that is rapidly changing.

Putting Cervical Health in the Spotlight

Putting Cervical Health in the Spotlight

Thanks to vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV) and increased screening rates, cervical cancer is now less common and less deadly than it was a few decades ago. With January’s designation as Cervical Health Awareness Month, nurses can take this month as an opportunity to talk about cervical health and the great strides in helping raise awareness about how women can protect their own bodies. two women with their heads together in a comfort pose in a healthcare setting for a cervical health blog

The strides against cervical cancer are so great that the World Health Organization has launched an program to eliminate the disease altogether. Calling cervical cancer preventable and curable if caught at an early enough stage, the Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative highlights the socio-economic factors that make cervical cancer particularly deadly for those in poorer countries. To help give more people the tools and information they need, the WHO has identified three pillars to successfully reach its goal. With vaccination, screening, and treatment, the world can be on track to eliminate this form of cancer which killed 300,000 women in 2018.

According to the WHO, the HPV vaccine is key and the goal is to fully vaccinate 90 percent of girls before they reach 15 years of age. Similarly bold goals of screening 70 percent of women with specific tests at two separate ages, and then ensuring that nearly all women with precancerous findings are treated and those with invasive cancer are managed will help ensure that cervical cancer is no longer such a threat to women’s health.

Some of the barriers to optimal cervical health are the same as those that permeate poorer communities and nations–lack of access to affordable, high-quality health care. By initiating programs that remove those barriers, cervical cancer can become less of a health threat.

And the methods to this two-fold approach are well proven. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that the HPV vaccine could prevent  nearly 34,000 cases of cancer every year in the United States.  Many different cancers stem from an HPV infection. HPV, a common sexually transmitted disease, is one of the driving triggers of cervical cancer but can be implicated in some oropharyngeal, anal, vulvar, and penile cancers as well.

No matter what your specialty is, as a nurse you can help share information about screening and HPV vaccination to help prevent cervical cancer. Talk with patients, families, friends, loved ones, community groups, and units within your workplace such as educators and other nurses. As HPV still carries some stigma as a sexually transmitted disease, the more it is talked about in the open, the more chance there is to reduce that stigma.

When people have questions, you can answer with the information you know, and you can also direct folks to the many resources through the National Cervical Cancer Coalition for the latest updates and information.

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