As a first year SRNA, attending both the Mid Year Assembly in Washington D.C. and the National Anesthesia Conference in Boston greatly enhanced my awareness of the current issues affecting both nurse anesthesia practice and the AANA on a state and national level. Attendance at the Mid Year Assembly served as an instructive opportunity where I was able to learn the fundamental aspects of the AANA. I found the lobbying day on Capitol Hill to be the most rewarding. Along with the DANA representatives, myself and fellow SRNAs were able to meet with legislators and government officials in an effort to influence decisions on many important issues related to the practice of nurse anesthesia. Issues that had the greatest relevance to my current practice as an SRNA included increasing CRNA practice awareness and the significance of augmenting educational funding for SRNAs.
Attending the AANA Mid Year Assembly and the National Conference also offered the opportunity to meet and interact with CRNAs and SRNAs across the country. I am optimistic that the networking opportunities will prove to be valuable to my education and future career. In addition to networking and further developing and honing my professional advocacy skills, attendance at the Mid Year Assembly and National Anesthesia Conference provided several educational opportunities. The difficult airway workshop proved to enhance my didactic and clinical education as I was able to view demonstrations of various difficult airway management techniques, and gain hands-on experience with newly developed difficult airway equipment. Moreover, attendance at the Anesthetists in Recovery session was a moving experience that brought to reality the dangers of chemical dependency in nurse anesthesia as former chemically-dependent CRNAs shared their personal experiences with addiction.
Overall, attendance at the various AANA events has proved to be both gratifying and enriching, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of these experiences.
As a first-year nurse anesthesia student, I had the opportunity to attend both the 2011 Mid-Year Assembly in Washington, DC and the Annual Meeting in Boston, MA. Each was a special experience, and I learned from both meetings. Before the MYA in Washington, I had had almost no political experience and was uninformed about the political issues affecting nurse anesthetists at the federal level. However, in DC, I attended sessions that taught me how politics affect the practice of nurse anesthesia and how to approach legislatures and discuss issues that affect us as nurse anesthetists. With this information in hand, we spent a day on Capital Hill, meeting different legislators and educating them about who we are, what we do, and what political issues are important to us. It was a valuable experience.
The Annual Meeting in Boston was equally valuable to me, as a first-year student, but in different ways. This meeting was a week full of learning, discussion, fun, and getting to know nurse anesthetists from all over the country. It educated us through the many talks and workshops, such as difficult airway or trauma workshops, and, as students, it socialized us as professionals who respect each other and have common interests. For example, I was very interested to learn how the practice of nurse anesthesia varies from state to state. I hope to attend more of these conferences in the future and become more knowledgeable not only about the practice of anesthesia, but everything it encompasses.
I can’t believe I have completed one year of anesthesia school. I have learned so much in this one year not only through the program and clinical experiences, but also from my experiences at the AANA MidYear Assembly and the Annual AANA Meeting. It was wonderful to see the camaraderie that exists within the AANA. There is so much pride and unity within the profession. The support given to CRNAs and students was overwhelming. It was a great experience to be able to network with other students and CRNAs from all over the country. As different as we all are, we all share this wonderful profession. Every CRNA I have met loves their job, all for various reasons, most love the autonomy. But I’ve learned that our autonomy, our practice does not come without a fight. The MidYear Assembly helped me see this. There is and will be a constant battle for our profession and it is imperative to stand together and support each other and educate lawmakers. Nurse anesthetists were healthcare’s best kept secret, it is time to let the secret out and educate and promote not only the congressmen/women of Nurse Anesthetists’ impact on the healthcare, but all of America. Attending the MidYear Assembly gave me the “behind the scene” actions that influences our scope of practice. I saw the importance of being active for the growth and preservation of our profession. I thank DANA for their support and aid allowing me to have to opportunity to attend the meetings.
Participation in the AANA Midyear Assembly and Annual Meeting has been both an enjoyable and educational experience. I was given the opportunity to meet numerous CRNAs and SRNAs from all over the nation. Midyear consisted of educating ourselves regarding nurse anesthesia related issues and how we should present them to our legal representatives. At Capitol Hill, we actively participated in speaking with senators and representatives, educating them regarding the importance of our role in providing nurse anesthesia and advocating for both CRNAs and SRNAs with issues such as scope of practice, reimbursement, and educational funding. The Annual Meeting took place in Boston, Massachusetts. What an experience! There numerous workshops ranging from how to be politically active to substance abuse among CRNAs. We participated in numerous activities such as the Party with a Purpose, The Wellness Walk/Run, and the College Bowl. I myself was an alternate representative for Drexel in the college bowl. Concluding our visit to Boston was a beautiful dinner followed by music from a live band. Once again, I was able to socialize with tons of CRNAs from around the country, in the air force and navy, educators, and SRNAs. Everyone I spoke with loves their job. They love providing anesthesia, and understand the importance of advocating for current issues in nurse anesthesia. Not only have I been enlightened, but a passion has been instilled to be informed and to take an active role in making changes to improve our profession.
I want to take this time to thank the members of DANA for affording me the opportunity to attend the Mid-Year Assembly in Crystal City this past spring. It was a great opportunity to meet other SRNAs from around the country as well as receive such warm welcome and support from CRNAs locally and nationally. The experience was impressive, as I was able to see the other business of anesthesia as it pertained to the practice of nurse anesthetist.
Preparing for the days on Capital Hill helped me to understand the relationship between the AANA and the congressional representatives. There was a strong sense of purpose while reviewing the talking points to emphasize with the representatives; there was a sense of accomplishment while meeting with the aids as they were aware of nurse anesthetists and their importance in safe administration of anesthesia and the number of CRNAs who administer anesthesia to patients.
The AANA Annual Conference in Boston was a grand experience. I enjoyed the camaraderie amongst SRNAs and CRNAs and I was able to catch up with friends from other programs. What impressed me was the commitment of the organization to research. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the poster presentations. I also had the opportunity to attend a couple of the informational sessions. The Boston experience as a whole gave me plenty to consider in my practice (in the future) especially considering the economics of inhalational anesthetic usage.
I am glad to have had these opportunities and plan to encourage classmates to participate and attend conferences in 2012.
Thank you DANA.
I would like to extend a sincere thank you to the Delaware Association of Nurse Anesthetists (DANA) for the sponsorship to attend the Mid-Year Assembly and Annual Convention for the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. I wanted to expand my knowledge of the nurse anesthetist as a leader and gain a different perspective on clinical and anesthetic topics. Through the sponsorship and mentorship from DANA I was able to accomplish the aforementioned.
Attending the Mid-Year Assembly allowed me the opportunity to not only learn about political issues facing nurse anesthesia, but also be a part of lobbying. The experience of advocating for the nurse anesthesia profession was exciting. It can be intimidating to learn about all of the legislative bills facing the profession, but the organization attempted to reinforce some key points for new members to remember, such as QAC: quality, access and cost. These three points were the main pillars of discussion during lobbying. Overall, it was fascinating to witness the act of lobbying and learn how the nurse anesthesia profession is dealing with current events. The hard work and dedication by nurse anesthetists involved in the process to maintain nurse anesthesia’s autonomy and reputation was inspiring.
Additionally, I attended the Annual Convention in Boston. I was able to learn about new technologies, different practice approaches; various pathophysiological states related to anesthetic implications and attend political centered discussions. Specifically, the difficult airway seminar was interesting since it was hands on and allowed one to become familiar with difficult airway equipment. Also, I was able to attend an AIR, or Anesthetists In Recovery, meeting. I have learned about substance abuse and anesthesia through my anesthesia program, but hearing people’s stories in person made this problem even more realistic. I was privileged to have the members allow me attend the meeting. Lastly, I attended a regional break out session. I learned more about political problems, the continuing education proposal and the doctoral nurse anesthesia educational plan.
Again, I would like to thank DANA for affording me the opportunity to gain these experiences. I had the opportunity to gain knowledge that cannot be gained from reading a book or journal article, but can only be gained through interpersonal communication. I have witnessed how hard nurse anesthesia leaders work and plan to continue to remain abreast and be a part of the professional association due to my experience at the Mid-Year Assembly and the Annual Convention.
The midyear assembly was an amazingly educational experience. We stayed in the beautiful Alexandria, Virginia, and attended many educational lectures on effective communication with the legislators. We commuted to Federal Hill via the Metro system to lobby with the Delaware senators and representatives. The purpose for lobbying was to educate government officials on the differences between Nurse Anesthesia, Anesthesia Assistants and Anesthesiology including what the job entails as well as the scope of our education and abilities. We also discussed with the legislators & their aides the economic benefits of nurse anesthetists focusing in on our ability to practice at our full scope of education. This was a truly eye-opening event.
The AANA 78th Annual Meeting was a 4-day conference held in Boston, Massachusetts. The opening ceremony was absolutely incredible. There were topics such as: difficult airway & ultrasound techniques, bariatrics, trauma, pharmacology, pediatrics, and pain management. In addition to all of the educational seminars, there were fun activities such as the student bowl, a 5k run, the “Party with a purpose” event and the Annual banquet dinner. We were able to tour the fun city of Boston, network within the anesthesia community, meet other students and share our experiences.
The main point I came away with after attending these two conferences was how important it is for the profession of CRNAs to become politically involved. As healthcare professionals we realize how important change is not only to our own career, but for the advancement and improvement of everyday life. Technology and practice is ever changing, and constantly improving in the healthcare field. It is our responsibility, the nurses working in the operating rooms providing anesthesia, who come up with ideas to make things better, and who realize a change needs to occur. It is up to us to be involved in research and develop research based practice. Research is not something that should be done only during a crisis situation; It should be an ongoing process that prevents crisis. It is important for healthcare providers to educate ourselves on new upcoming policy changes statewide and nationwide. It is up to us to make sure that the best decisions are being made for our country and to protect our career. But, without political involvement from professionals in the workforce, change may not be in the best interest of our patients or our career. Not only do the current nurses in the workforce need to be more politically proactive, but the accreditation and education facilities of the prospective nurses need to integrate political activism at full force. CRNAs need to create the necessary impetus to address and protect our health care system and our profession.
Based on the small size of Delaware and the number of students who were able to attend the meetings, Delaware had a huge student representation. In addition to the amazing educational opportunities that we had at both the Mid-Year Assembly and the AANA Annual Meeting, it was a fun bonding experience with our classmates and DANA members. DANA’s officers and committee members went above and beyond and treated us very graciously. Students were highly encouraged to attend, share their ideas and opinions and were treated with the utmost respect. It was a wonderful experience and I will highly recommend attending both conferences to future SRNAs.
As a SRNA, I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend both the Mid Year Assembly (MYA) and the AANA Annual Meeting. Attending the MYA and AANA Annual Meeting helped me to become more aware of the issues that affect our profession. Meetings at the MYA helped to provide explanations regarding federal and legislative issues. Meeting with legislators and representatives of senators showed me the importance of raising awareness, informing government leaders of CRNAs and our mission to provide accessible and cost-effective healthcare. These meetings also provided SRNAs the opportunity to explain the didactic and clinical requirements of nurse anesthesia programs and how beneficial it would be to have educational funding to assist in obtaining a Masters of Science in Nursing degree. The AANA Annual Meeting reinforced the importance of continuing education and its effect on providing safe patient care. Attending district meetings allowed me to learn about differences in scope of practice among various states and about other issues specific to Pennsylvania. At the DANA Annual Meeting I was able to attend lectures on case studies discussing rare pathologies and anesthesia considerations. The support and encouragement to attend the MYA and annual meetings has provided me with great experiences and opportunities to become involved. My participation and involvement with DANA has encouraged me to volunteer as a student representative on the Program Committee. I am sure my involvement as a SRNA wiIl promote me to become an active member as a CRNA. It has been an exciting experience and I look forward to reaching out to fellow SRNAs encouraging involvement in MYA, annual meetings and committees.
My experience at both the AANA Mid-Year Assembly and Annual Meeting has been both rewarding and eye opening and I am very grateful that I was able to attend both.
A first-year student at the time, the only thing that was on my mind regarding nurse anesthesia was preparation for clinical and studying for my next exam. However, attending the Mid-Year assembly during this time period allowed me to be exposed to another aspect of being a nurse anesthetist, political involvement. It was so enriching to be able to learn about policies and protocols that will affect my future practice. It was also incredibly wonderful to be afforded the opportunity to meet Delaware’s legislators and to be able to converse with them on the practice of Delaware CRNAs.
The most memorable moment for me at the Annual Meeting in Boston was attending the Anesthetists in Recovery meeting. I felt so fortunate to be able to listen to the personal stories of recovering nurse anesthetists. It helped me realize that substance abuse is a real concern in the anesthesia community and that it is of utmost importance to recognize this fact, to prevent its reoccurrence and to help those who are currently struggling with dependence.
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