First week of clinicals as an SRNA

It’s true, I forgot how to be a nurse. I couldn’t remember if I used to use the same blunt to withdraw different medications, or use a different blunt for each bottle. My lines were all tangled. But with each day, my muscles slowly remembered and my old habits kicked in: To keep things neat, to keep an eye on the patient at all times, to troubleshoot equipment, to anticipate issues.

SRNA life can be rough, but it smooths out if you stay cheerful, hardworking, and humble. I keep these phrases on the tip of my tongue:

• “Thank you for catching that” -- to the circulator who showed me something I forgot

• “Thanks for being patient” -- to the surgical team for waiting for me bc obviously my induction takes longer than a seasoned CRNA/MDA

• “Thank you for your help” -- to my CRNA/MDA, to everyone in the OR who assists, encourages, or makes you feel welcome during your line up

I love being playful, and love when people surprise me. A fun surprise this week was my ENT surgeon who had the best old-school-thug playlist. During microlaryngoscopy at 10am, we were listening to the likes of “Dear Mama,” by Tupac; and “Gin & Juice,” Snoop Dogg!