ALANA Candidates - Alabama Association of Nurse Anesthetists
Transcription
ALANA Candidates - Alabama Association of Nurse Anesthetists
ALANA NewsBulletin advancing quality anesthesia care, serving our members, promoting the nurse anesthesia profession I am pleased to announce that the ALANA membership approved the 2014 slate of candidates for the upcoming election at the annual Spring Meeting in Sandestin. As the Nominating Committee Chair, I would like to thank the members of the Nominating Committee and all of the Board members for their help in assembling the ballot. I would also like to express my appreciation to the candidates who have offered their time and experience to serve on the ALANA Board and work on behalf of the members and our great profession. This year’s ballot consists of the following positions: President Elect, Vice President, three Board of Directors positions (1 from each region [North, Central, and South]) and Nominating Committee Chair. Look for more information on the slate of candidates in the next ALANA News Bulletin. Also, please keep in mind that we will be transitioning to online voting for the upcoming election. Information regarding instructions for accessing the electronic ballot will be delivered primarily via Email. Please be sure you have a valid Email address on file with the AANA and ALANA. Again, I am very pleased to offer this year’s slate of candidates. I encourage each and every member to take the time to research and get to know the nominees and VOTE! Nick Berry, CRNA 2014 Nominating Committee Chair ALANA Candidates Board of Directors-Central: Stephanie Doss Lisa Reich Pat Smith Emily Trammell Lisa Vallely President Elect: David Gay Vice President: Heather Fields Jay Strickland Board of Directors-South: Trey Burg Todd Hicks Board of Directors-North: Lisa Ghavam Jay Kendrick Farlie Templeton Amy Yerdon ALANA NewsBulletin • Nominating Committee Chair: Carmen Ainsworth Jessica Elmes Summer 2013 • www.AlabamaCRNA.org Update from the Alabama Board of Nursing ALANA NewsBulletin Volume 31, Number 2 Summer 2013 Publisher Alabama Association of Nurse Anesthetists Code of Alabama 1975, Section 31-13-29(c)(1) provides that, “Any person entering into a public records transaction or attempting to enter into a public records transaction with this state or a political subdivision of this state shall be required to demonstrate his or her United States citizenship…” A public records transaction includes application for an initial professional license or renewal of a professional license. The Alabama Board of Nursing mailed a notice to each licensed nurse in April 2013. We sent you a checklist with a list of documents that demonstrates your citizenship and/or legal presence. For those who are non-citizens, a different set of documents are required and information is entered into the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program (a federal database). Sending the Board the checklist along with a legible copy of one of the listed documents is a requirement to renew your RN license and CRNA approval in 2014. The notice and checklist have a deadline of August 1, 2013 in order for Board staff to complete the review before 68,000+ Registered Nurses renew in 2014. If you have not submitted proof of your citizenship or legal presence in the U.S. before license renewal in 2014, you will not be eligible to renew. In This Issue If you lost your notice and checklist, you can download another one from our website, www.abn.alabama.gov, click on the correct checklist under the photos in the center of the screen. Be sure and submit the correct checklist with the correct, legible documents or we will not be able to process. You will not receive a confirmation that documents were received as we mailed out 85,000 + notices. You will be notified if the incorrect checklist, incorrect documents, or illegible documents were received. Thanks for your assistance in this new requirement. The good news is that once you prove you are a U.S. citizen or have a permanent resident card, you do not have to show us proof again! N. Genell Lee, MSN, RN, JD Executive Officer Anesthesia Abstract 7 11 Proposed Bylaws GRC Day 2 Ala-CRNA PAC 12 Spring Meeting 13 Stress Management 15 Post Office Box 240757 • Montgomery, Alabama 36124 334.260.7970 Board of Directors President Phillip Kendrick, CRNA, PhD Post Office Box 1225 Point Clear, AL 36564 251.517.7146 (home) 251.554.2820 (cell) [email protected] Director Edward W. Murphree, CRNA, BSN 2025 Cleveland Farm Parkway Pell City, Alabama 35125 205.338.1324 (home) 205.616.0063 (cell) [email protected] President-Elect Jennifer Overton, CRNA 4545 Crowne Point Lane Mt. Olive, AL 35117 205.531.4469 (cell) [email protected] Director William B. Parsons, CRNA, BSN 417 Woodridge Drive Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 205.752.7215 (home) 205.394.1362 (cell) [email protected] Vice-President/Secretary Heather Fields, CRNA, MBA, MSN Director 2330 Ridge Road Seth A. Richardson, CRNA, MNA Opelika, AL 36804 1908 Guthrie Dr. Bessemer, AL 334.728.3030 (cell) 35023 [email protected] (205) 497-9521 (H) (205) 541-8783 (C) Treasurer [email protected] Michael Humber, DNP, CRNA 1705 University Blvd, SHPB 489 Birmingham, AL 35294 205.999.7544 (cell) [email protected] Ex-Officio Members Senior Director David Gay, CRNA, MSN, MNA 6615 Lubarrett Way Mobile, AL 36695 251.895.2880 [email protected] Nominating Committee Chair Nick Berry, CRNA, MNA 2369 Hackberry Ln Vestavia, AL 35226-3037 205-444-9961 [email protected] Senior Director Patrick A. Hubbard, CRNA, MSN 2196 Ross Ave Hoover, AL 35226 205.531.8206 [email protected] UAB Student Representative Krista Miller, SRNA 1120 Beacon Pkwy E Unit 402 Birmingham, AL 35209-1023 [email protected] Senior Director Brian Koonce,CRNA, MSN 203 Morningwalk Lane Huntsville, AL 35824 256.529.3292 [email protected] Director Matt Hemrick, CRNA, MSN 709 Braddock Ave Birmingham, AL 35213 205-246-0183 (cell) [email protected] Samford Student Representative Amanda Long, SRNA 2411 Wildwood Crossings Birmingham, AL 35211 479.372.2478 (cell) [email protected] Federal Political Director Amy Neimkin, CRNA, DNP, MBA 368 Woodward Court Birmingham, AL 35242 205.243.8382 (cell) [email protected] Executive Staff Executive Director Larry A. Vinson Group Management Services Post Office Box 240757 Montgomery, AL 36124 334.260.7970 (office) [email protected] General Counsel T. Joe Knight Kress Building, Suite 500 301 19th Street N Birmingham, AL 35203 205.531.5157 (cell) [email protected] Government Relations Specialist Susan Hansen Franklin Resources Group 4120 Wall Street Montgomery, AL 36106 334.244.2187 (office) 334.320.7539 (cell) [email protected] ALANA NewsBulletin Copyright 2013 • Alabama Association of Nurse Anesthetists, Inc. • All Rights Reserved. The ALANA NewsBulletin (USPS 019-869) is published quarterly by the Alabama Association of Nurse Anesthetists, Inc, Post Office Box 240757, Montgomery, Alabama. www.AlabamaCRNA.org • Summer 2013 • ALANA NewsBulletin 2 Anesthesia Abstracts Pain PERIOPERATIVE SINGLE DOSE SYSTEMIC DEXAMETHASONE FOR POSTOPERATIVE PAIN: A METAANALYSIS OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS Anesthesiology 2011;115:575-88 De Oliveira GS Jr, Almeida MD, Benzon HT, McCarthy RJ Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this metaanalysis was to examine the effectiveness of dexamethasone as part of a regime to prevent postoperative pain. A secondary purpose was to identify the dose needed to contribute to analgesia and any side effects of that dose. Background: Postoperative pain is uncomfortable and can impede recovery. Multimodal analgesia is accepted as one of the most effective ways to minimize postoperative pain. Drugs such as ketamine, gabapentin, acetaminophen, and NSAIDs have been shown to reduce pain and/or opioid consumption when used as part of multimodal analgesia. While most commonly used as part of a strategy to prevent PONV, dexamethasone may also offer benefits as part of multimodal analgesia. The timing of dexamethasone administration may be important to achieve pain relieving effects as the onset of an IV dose is about 1 hour. Methodology: PubMed, the Cochrane Database, and Google Scholar were searched for randomized controlled trials of dexamethasone and postoperative pain. Studies included looked at single doses of dexamethasone compared to a control group. The reference lists in these studies were also examined to find additional studies not located with the search described above. The dose of dexamethasone, time of administration, number of patients in the study groups, patient weight, type of surgery, pain scores, and opioid use were extracted from selected studies. Three different dose ranges of dexamethasone were studied: • 0.10 mg/kg or less • 0.11 mg/kg to 0.2 mg/kg • more than 0.2 mg/kg (low dose) (middle dose) (high dose) When patient weight was not reported it was assumed to be 70 kg. When pain was reported as a visual analog scale it was “converted” [emphasis added] into a 0 - 10 numeric rating scale. “Early” pain was defined as pain within the first 4 hours postoperatively. “Late” pain was assessed at 24 hours. Opioids administered were converted into morphine equivalents for reporting. Adverse events associated with dexamethasone administration were also noted; including wound, urinary tract, or pulmonary infection; hyperglycemia; and delayed wound healing. Result: Following the literature search, 38 studies met inclusion criteria. Of these, 14 were excluded because needed data 3 ALANA NewsBulletin • Summer 2013 • www.AlabamaCRNA.org Abstract, continued from previous page could not be extracted; leaving 24 studies in the metaanalysis. These studies included 2,751 patients. Early Pain 0 - 4 hours Postoperatively Overall (all three dose ranges), dexamethasone improved early pain at rest slightly compared to controls. Low dose dexamethasone provided no improvement in pain relief. Middle dose dexamethasone improved pain relief slightly. High dose dexamethasone was no better than the middle dose. Overall, dexamethasone improved early pain with movement noticeably; and to a greater extent and with less variability than pain at rest. Low dose dexamethasone improvement pain during movement compared to controls. As the dose increased to middle dose and high dose the improvement in pain relief during movement grew larger compared to controls. Late Pain 24 hours Postoperatively Overall (all three dose ranges), dexamethasone improved late pain at rest to a greater degree than it improved early pain at rest. Both small dose and middle dose dexamethasone produced a similar reduction in late pain. High dose dexamethasone was no better than middle dose. Overall, dexamethasone improved late pain with movement about as well as late pain at rest. Both low dose and middle dose dexamethasone improved late pain with movement to about the same degree. High dose dexamethasone, however, improved late pain with movement about 6 times better than low dose or middle dose dexamethasone (P≤0.004). In studies of late pain, dexamethasone was sometimes administered preoperatively and other times intraoperatively. Late pain relief at rest was significantly better when dexamethasone was administered preoperatively (P<0.001). Opioid Consumption: Low dose dexamethasone had no effect on postoperative opioid consumption. Both middle and high dose dexamethasone decreased opioid consumption compared to controls and compared to low dose dexamethasone (P<0.003). The opioid sparing effect of middle dose dexamethasone was much greater when the dexamethasone was administered preoperatively (P=0.1). There were no differences in the incidence of wound, urinary tract, or pulmonary infection; hyperglycemia; or delayed wound healing in any dexamethasone patients. Conclusion: Dexamethasone doses of 0.1 mg/kg or less had little, if any, effect on early pain, late pain, or opioid consumption. Dexamethasone 0.11 mg/kg to 0.2 mg/kg reduced both early and late pain somewhat and had a definite opioid sparing effect. Doses of dexamethasone greater than 0.2 mg/kg did not offer much more than middle dose dexamethasone for relief of early or late pain at rest but did further improve pain with movement. Similarly, high dose dexamethasone had an opioid sparing effect. Preoperative dosing resulted in greater pain relief and opioid sparing effects than intraoperative dosing. A single dose of dexamethasone did not result in adverse effects such as wound infection or poor wound healing. Dexamethasone 0.11 mg/kg to 0.2 mg/kg was safe and effective as part of a multimodal pain relief strategy. (continued on next page) www.AlabamaCRNA.org • Summer 2013 • ALANA NewsBulletin 4 Anesthesia Abstract, continued from page 4 Comment: Time was, we didn’t understand how helpful dexamethasone could be in preventing PONV. When we did come to understand it, we used it sparingly for some time over concerns that steroids would prevent all the wounds from healing and do other bad things. Now we’re beginning to learn how Decadron can be part of a multimodal pain relief strategy. This study was a metaanalysis, a study of studies. Because of this, the investigators didn’t always have all the data they needed available in the studies they examined. In some cases they were able to get the data by contacting the authors of the original study. In other cases they did their best to read the data from figures. And, sometimes they simply couldn’t obtain it. Some of the data they did have was collected so differently from study to study that the results of the original studies were very different from each other. Thus, a few studies that collected data one way, may have biased the overall results of the metaanalysis. Overall, some of the data was only an estimate of the “real” data, and this makes me want to see a more significant result before I believe what this study says. Despite the limitations of this study, here is what I feel comfortable concluding after examining it carefully. 1. Doses of 0.1 mg/kg or less are great for PONV but don’t help with pain relief. 2. Doses of about 0.15 mg/kg cover PONV and reduce postoperative pain and opioid demand. 3. Doses above 0.2 mg/kg don’t get you any more pain relief. An exception may be greater pain relief with movement (e.g. early ambulation in total joint patients?). 4. Giving dexamethasone preoperatively improves pain relief considerably more than giving it after induction. (Op timally 1-2 hours before incision.) 5. In general, we need not worry about side effects with 0.15 mg/kg any more than we do with current PONV doses. So my overall recommendation is to consider about 12 mg dexamethasone (± 0.15 mg/kg) for cases where more postoperative analgesia is needed. It should also be considered when it can be substituted for other drugs, such as opioids, thus reducing side effects. You may want to increase the dose a bit if the surgical site is going to be subject to motion early in the postoperative period. Michael A. Fiedler, PhD, CRNA ANESTHESIA ABSTRACTS IS A PUBLICATION OF LIFELONG LEARNING, LLC © COPYRIGHT 2013 ISSN Number: 1938-7172 AnesthesiaAbstracts.com Provided as a service to the ALANA by Anesthesia Abstracts (www.AnesthesiaAbstracts.com) Michael A. Fiedler, PhD, CRNA, Editor 5 ALANA NewsBulletin • Summer 2013 • www.AlabamaCRNA.org ALANA Goes to Washington ALANA had a good delegation in Washington for the AANA Mid-Year Assembly earlier this spring. It is a fast-paced, working session with time built-in for Hill visits. We have featured photos of Hill visits for your review. Amy Neimkin, Jen Overton, Krista Miller & Seth Richardson visit with Congressman Spencer Bachus. Krista Miller, Amanda Long, Billy Parsons, Amy Neimkin, Congressman Robert Alderholt, David Gay, Jen Overton & Heather Rankin pose for a photo on the Hill. MBM Medical Business Management “CRNA Billing Specialist” Contact: Joe Gribbin 1025 Montgomery Highway, Suite 100 Birmingham, AL 35216 205-979-5882 [email protected] www.MBMPS.com www.AlabamaCRNA.org • Summer 2013 • ALANA NewsBulletin 6 Notice of Proposed Revisions to ALANA Bylaws In February, AANA posted online their recommendations for Model State Bylaws. This post came on the heels of a question to AANA State Association Resources from our Bylaws Committee regarding the discipline portion of ALANA’s bylaws. The Bylaws Committee reviewed our current bylaws and made recommendations for modifications in order to comply with the model bylaws. The proposed changes were reviewed by AANA’s parliamentarian. They have also been reviewed by ALANA’s Board of Directors, and after unanimous approval by the Board, the proposed changes will be presented at the ALANA Fall Meeting for a vote by the membership. These should not be very controversial changes and, as stated, are intended to keep us in line with our national organization. If there are any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Jen Overton ([email protected]). All proposed language to be removed is struck through. All proposed new language is underlined. 2013 Bylaws Committee Recommendations: 1. Strike the following language in Article III, Section 2: Section 2: Affiliate Membership Affiliate membership in the ALANA is permitted with the approval of the Board of Directors. Affiliate member ship fees and benefits shall be established by the Board of Directors. Affiliate members are not eligible to vote. Section 2. Honorary Membership Honorary membership in ALANA may be conferred upon an individual by voting body upon recommendation of the Board of Directors. Insert in lieu thereof the following language in Article III, Section 2: Membership and Honors Membership Membership in the ASSOCIATION and procedures with respect to admission to membership, maintenance of membership, classes of membership, qualifications thereof, and the exercises of the privileges thereof shall be such as are stipulated in the bylaws of the AANA. Honors Honors may be given to individuals upon the recommendation of the Board of Directors by presentation of awards or other honors without conferring honorary memberships. Rationale: No individual can be a member of the Alabama Association of Nurse Anesthetists without first being a member of the AANA. A portion of AANA dues goes to ALANA, therefore, ALANA exists because AANA exists. Allowing membership in the state association outside of the national association violates the mandates of the national association. 2. Strike the following language in Article IV: Disciplinary Action If the conduct of any member shall appear to be in the willful violation of the bylaws of the ASSOCIATION or interest of the ASSOCIATION, the Board of Directors may, by the vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the entire Board, suspend or expel such member. Before action is taken, a written copy of the charges must be presented to the Board of Directors of the AANA for consideration and counsel. If after consultation with the AANA Board of 7 ALANA NewsBulletin • Summer 2013 • www.AlabamaCRNA.org Directors, the ALANA Board of Directors still elects to press charges, a written copy of the charges must be served upon the member and an opportunity given that member to be heard before the ALANA Board of Directors. A recommendation for the suspension or expulsion of a member shall also be made to the AANA Board of Directors. A motion to reconsider the suspension or expulsion may be made at a regular meeting of the Board of Directors. Insert in lieu thereof the following language in Article IV: Professional Conduct and Discipline. Professional conduct and discipline shall be as prescribed in the AANA Bylaws. Rationale: ALANA is not authorized to discipline members. This bylaw is not enforceable. One becomes a member of ALANA by virtue of membership in AANA. The duty of disciplining ALANA and thus, AANA members resides with AANA. Any member concerned about the actions of another member should follow proper protocol through AANA for recourse or disciplinary action. 3. Add a Section 5 under Article V, Board of Directors. Section 5. Executive Director A. Appointment. The Board of Directors may employ or contract for an Executive Director and/or Association Management Company to serve the Organization on a part-time or full-time basis as the needs of the Organization may require and/or Organization finances permit. B. Duties. The Executive Director shall perform such duties as shall be assigned by the Board of Directors, including managing the operational affairs of the Organization. Rationale: Currently, Larry Vinson of Group Management Services acts as our Executive Director. Technically, we must have a bylaw allowing for the existence of an executive director. 4. Add a part A under Article VI, Section 3 to clarify. Section 3. Eligibility for Office A. Only active members shall be eligible to serve as directors. Rationale: Only active members can be members of AANA, thus ALANA, and thus directors or officers of ALANA. 5. Add a Section 14 under Article 7 to clarify. Section 14. Special Committees and Task Forces. Special Committees or Task Forces may be created as neces- sary by the membership, the Board of Directors or the President. All committee appointments shall be made by the President, subject to approval by the Board. Rationale: ALANA boards and presidents have appointed many special committees, task forces, and ad hocs in the past. This bylaw clarifies that authority. www.AlabamaCRNA.org • Summer 2013 • ALANA NewsBulletin 8 6. Insert the word voluntarily in Article X, Section 2. Assessments. To Read: Section 2. Assessments Members of the ALANA may be voluntarily assessed for funds to finance any legislation pertaining to our profession. The amount will be determined by the Board of Directors and subject to the approval of a majority of the membership. Rationale: A situation could arise in which there could be a vital need for extra capital. In such situation, any amount suggested by ALANA’s Board of Directors would be considered a voluntary assessment. Without this clarification, the bylaw could read as though the assessment would be mandatory for membership. As stated previously, this could not be the case as all members of ALANA are members by virtue of membership within AANA. 7. Rename Article XIII. ARTICLE XIII Rules of Order and Parliamentary Authority Amendments The bylaws may be amended at a business meeting of the ASSOCIATION, provided notice of the proposed amendment has been appended to the call of meeting and published in the ALANA NewsBulletin or mailed at least thirty (30) days prior to the date thereof. Approval shall be by two-thirds (2/3) majority of those present and voting. No restrictions shall apply to the renumbering of the bylaws to reflect the amended form. Rationale: This Article is now labeled Rules of Order and Parliamentary Authority, however the language within the Article pertains only to amendments. For this reason, the Article XIII may be more accurately labeled as such. 8. Create an Article XIV which truly describes Parliamentary Authority to be used in ALANA governance. Article XIV PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Organiza- tion in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order or policies and procedures that the Organization may adopt. Rationale: This states that ALANA will use Robert’s Rules of Order to guide parliamentary authority. These changes will be discussed, reviewed and submitted to the ALANA membership for their approval at the ALANA Membership Meeting scheduled for Saturday, September 21, 2013, at the Wynfrey Hotel in Birmingham. 9 ALANA NewsBulletin • Summer 2013 • www.AlabamaCRNA.org GRC Update The regular session of the 2013 Alabama Legislature adjourned on the 20th of May. The government relations committee and other invaluable members of the ALANA Board of Directors have been extremely busy this session keeping the Board of Directors informed of public policy issues and legislation that had the potential to impact nurse anesthetists in Alabama. David Gay, CRNA, MSN, MNA I would like to especially thank Jennifer Overton, Dr. Michael Humber, Dr. Amy Neimkin, Susan Hansen, David Hambright, and Heather Fields for their help with governmental issues this year. These individuals have logged countless hours on the phone, on the road, and on the internet working tirelessly to assure that the nurse anesthetists of Alabama were represented well in Montgomery and that our scope of practice is protected. The GRC has continued to improve relationships with our Alabama legislators, encouraged grassroots efforts, increased visits to legislators, improved our Legislative Day, and is currently redesigning a new GRC brochure that will be used as an education tool around the state. The ALANA Legislative Day was held on February 13th and was a tremendous success. Larry Vinson and Susan Hansen did an outstanding job organizing and revamping the event. President Kendrick presented Senator Slade Blackwell with the Healthcare Leadership Award from the ALANA for his work in healthcare in Alabama. Students from Samford and UAB attended and were introduced to advocacy, PAC, and legislation 101. The time to get involved is now. The 2014 state election cycle is quickly approaching. The full impact of the Affordable Care Act is right around the corner. The time to give back to your profession is now. CRNA’s will be affected by healthcare policy changes in the very near future. Non-physician providers are positioned to have a tremendous impact on the future of healthcare in the United States. This opportunity comes with great responsibility. Get involved and learn what legislation and regulations might impact your ability to practice as you do now. As you reap the benefits of your profession, look for ways to volunteer in your legislator’s campaign, give to the PAC, and volunteer on the board. www.AlabamaCRNA.org • Summer 2013 • ALANA NewsBulletin 10 ALA-CRNA PAC Alabama CRNA’s interests are being represented in Montgomery by the Alabama CRNA Political Action Committee (ALA-CRNA PAC) coordinating our efforts with the ALANA’s professional lobbying firm, Franklin Resources Group. In order to ensure that Alabama CRNAs have an effective voice in the Alabama legislature the PAC seeks to improve relationships with legislators and policy makers at the grassroots level. Your financial contributions to ALA-CRNA PAC help strengthen our political voice. Fill out the form, mail to 4120 Wall Street, Montgomery, AL 36106 and join one of the groups below! GOLD LEVEL More than a buck-a-day SILVER LEVEL Buck-A-Day BRONZE LEVEL Less than buck-a-day 11 ALANA NewsBulletin • Summer 2013 • www.AlabamaCRNA.org Spring Meeting Samford’s Terri Cahoon and AANA President Janice Izlar. Everyone is a Winner at ALANA Beach Party. The Gribbin Men of Medical Business Management. www.AlabamaCRNA.org • ALA-CRNA PAC Auction Raises PAC Dollars. Blair Perkins Draws Winning Ticket. Our Exhibitors Are the BEST! Summer 2013 • ALANA NewsBulletin 12 Spring Meeting Heather Fields, Jen Overton and Patrick Hubbard Visit Between Lectures. AANA President Janice Izlar Addresses the Student Session. The Pat Dye Signed Ball Was a Hit. 13 ALANA NewsBulletin • Summer 2013 ALANA Program Chairman Patrick Hubbard (Right) poses with ALANA Treasurer Michael Humber and Speaker Charles Vacchiano. ALANA President Phillip Kendrick Addresses the Membership. The Ever Popular Signed Bama Football. • www.AlabamaCRNA.org Managing Stress in a Beneficial Way for the Anesthesia Student It is no secret that anesthesia school is a stressful time in a student’s life. Right when one assignment is complete, it’s time to start a new one. Sometimes it feels like a never-ending cycle of class, study, sleep… repeat. With the responsibilities of anesthesia school come great levels of stress, and one of the biggest challenges is learning how to deal with that stress in a positive way. Personally, I have struggled with finding the balance between constant study and time to clear my head. As I have progressed in my clinical experiences, I have found that exercise provides a way for me to release some of the stress from a long day at the hospital. It is a time for me to focus on me, concentrate on personal goals, and improve my strength…because let’s get serious, sometimes intubating can leave your triceps feeling like Jello! “Being outdoors helps me to relieve stress. Whether it be hiking or laying by the pool, the fresh air and sunshine helps me to clear my head and relax a little.” – Adam Peeples, Class of 2014 Laura Durchsprung Samford Student Representative I turned to the experts, my classmates, for suggestions on ways they relieve stress while in anesthesia school. I received a myriad of answers, from dinner with friends to training for half marathons to horseback riding and spending quality time with family. Here are a few examples of some of the unique ways SRNAs relieve their stress… “I exercise to relieve my stress. Specifically, I do karate 3 days a week. There is a lot of concentration needed for training, so it forces me to think of something other than anesthesia for those few hours. I find it therapeutic to punch and kick after a long day of studying, and I sleep better since I am so physically tired…I have found that if I skip my exercise for study, I do worse.” – Emily Bromley, Class of 2015 “My go-to for stress relief is doing Crossfit!!! I love it…I try to go at least 4 days a week, and my favorite part about it is that my husband and I do it together!” – Brooke Williams, Class of 2015 “I ride my bike A LOT! Today, I did 68 miles after class. I run some and spend time with my family, but I always try to make CRNA school fun.” – Austin Bowen, Class of 2015 www.AlabamaCRNA.org • Summer 2013 • ALANA NewsBulletin 14 “I LOVE to come home and laugh with my girls (4 & 6) and maybe go out for ice cream in our PJ’s” – Nicole McMorris, Class of 2015 “Pedicure and foot/leg massage” which results in “fabulous looking nails.” – Lacey Davis, Class of 2014 “Spending time with my wife, working out, solving puzzles, playing video games, playing golf, watching tv/movies, playing guitar.” – Zack Adams, Class of 2015 My classmates have provided wonderful examples of the ways they relieve their stress while in school, which is proving to be beneficial in the long run! Giving themselves the freedom to push away from the books, even for a short time, brings them more peace of mind. They are able to return to studying feeling refreshed, which in turn, results in better grades and happier students! I am so honored to be a part of this incredible program at Samford and thankful for my classmates that make school fun! 15 ALANA NewsBulletin • Summer 2013 • www.AlabamaCRNA.org ALANA Post Office Box 240757 Montgomery, AL 36124 Calendar of Events August 10 - 13, 2013 AANA Annual Meeting September 20 - 22, 2013 ALANA Fall Meeting January 14, 2014 Alabama Legislature Begins April 6-9, 2014 AANA Crystal Gateway Marriott April 25 - 27, 2014 ALANA Spring Meeting April 28, 2014 Alabama Legislative Session Ends ALANA NewsBulletin • Summer 2013 • Las Vegas, NV Birmingham, AL Montgomery, AL Arlington, VA Destin, FL Montgomery, AL www.AlabamaCRNA.org
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