Dylan Crawford

Dylan Crawford

Enterprise

Nursing

Leadership center

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Job Shadowing as a CRNA

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For my project, I traveled to Fallon Nevada during spring break (2018) to job shadow as a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA). I worked Monday through Friday and spent eight hours a day on average at the hospital. I also traveled to Carson to work at the endoscopy center for a day. In total, I shadowed 4 different CRNA's. I observed a  wide variety of unique procedures during the week.

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The most common procedures I saw was esophagogastroduodenoscopy's and colonoscopy's because of my time spent at the endoscopy center. I also witnessed several cataract replacements, a wound debridement, laparoscopy, carpel tunnel release, and an epidural. Banner Churchill Hospital is where I spent most of my time and it is a relatively small hospital so the amount and types of procedures was not too extensive. What I saw was fascinating nonetheless. 

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I received the inspiration to do my project because I simply love being in the operating room and the medical field is my passion. As soon as I discovered I could count job shadowing as my project, I set out to arrange with a hospital for me to visit for a week. Since my current end goal with nursing is to become a CRNA, I decided I should observe their day to day work to make sure it is something I am truly interested in. I figured that the more overall exposure I have to the hospital would prepare me for the nursing program. Also, it would give me a leg up on other applicants to the same program.

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Some challenges I encountered with the project was awakening at such early hours. A day in the hospital starts early and I have always loved my sleep. I have long ago accepted that a lack of sleep is one of the prices I will have to pay in this field. Another challenge was commuting to the town which I would be working in which is nearly a nine hour drive from Cedar city. Lastly, balancing an inquisitive and questioning personality with restraint was difficult as I would often have questions that had to wait to be asked at an appropriate time due to the nature of the work.

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This project did not have any current benefits to others but it will have an impact later on in my career. The reason there was no immediate impact was because practicing medical skill is prohibited when shadowing as an unlicensed person. I was merely there to observe and learn. What I learn is what I will take with me throughout nursing school and into eventual practice to help others. Even now, I have been practicing some basics during my nursing clinicals when it comes to patient interaction that I learned during my time shadowing.

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This project benefited me greatly in many ways. As already discussed, I have learned some patient interaction skill that I have been able to implement into practice. The project was also instrumental in obtaining a seat in the SUU nursing program. In the future, I see this project looking good on an application to the hospital I apply to, and the CRNA programs I apply to. Lastly, to someone who had limited experience in the medical field and only being a certified nurse assistant, all patient exposure hours are very beneficial to my growth and understanding of the healthcare system.

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