Anesthesia Students Develop Online Course

What started as a capstone project for two nurse anesthesia students has become a résumé-worthy accomplishment.

Inna Malkin and Gwen Locke, seniors at Adventist University, developed an online course that certified registered nurse anesthetists can take for continuing education credits. The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) will publish their project, Peripheral Nerve Injury and Positioning in the OR, this year.

Through it, anesthetists can learn more about how to prevent nerve injuries, the second greatest risk after death in patients who are undergoing anesthesia.

Kathy Wren, chair of the Department of Nurse Anesthesia, says she’s proud of her students for achieving a level of scholarship that many licensed anesthesiologists have yet to obtain. “This will give them a certain prestige in the nurse anesthesiology community and help when they apply for doctoral programs,” Wren says.

But the real motivation for pursuing the project is much closer to the heart than the head, Malkin says. “I’m happy to make a difference for our patients.”

Locke agrees. “It’s very satisfying that this initial curiosity turned into a labor of love, and that the information can be disseminated to a wider community.”

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Anesthesia Students Volunteer in Guatemala

On March 3, 2012, two nurse anesthesia students left for a mission trip to Guatemala. In the span of just a few days they provided anesthesia for more than 30 gynecological and general surgeries using skills they learned at Adventist University of Health Sciences.

“It was a wonderful experience,” says Gwen Locke, a first-time volunteer. “I’m definitely going back in the future.”

Though she already has 15 years of nursing experience, Locke has never seen lines of patients like the ones that showed up to receive treatment in Guatemala.

“Hundreds of people would stand under the hot sun for hours just to receive Motrin or Tylenol,” Locke says.

All the students had to offer and use in surgeries were the supplies they brought with them, including masks, gloves, and blankets.

“It teaches you how to improvise and think on your feet,” says Erica Shaw, senior anesthesia major.

Though challenging, both women feel they’ve grown from the experience.

“Healthcare is a very humbling experience,” Locke says. “You learn to appreciate not just what you have, but the strength you see coming from patients.”

The effect, Shaw says, is life-changing. “There’s something about giving back to the community that teaches you what your purpose in life might be. It shows that the talents you learn in class can be used in a positive way outside of your everyday career.”

In May 2012, several more anesthesia students will leave for a mission trip to Peru.

“It’s something we really encourage in our department,” says Johanna Newman, assistant chair of the Department of Nurse Anesthesia. “Not only does it give students the opportunity to practice skills outside of their comfort zone, it gives them a greater sense of compassion and mercy for patients who come in the door.”

By Rainey Park

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Anesthesia Students Attend Meeting in California

The group of nurse anesthesia students with two of their professors before attending the AANA Annual Meeting. From left to right: Manuel Tolosa, assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesia; Amanda Hughes, Marian Santos, Kate Olsen, Vickie Stephens, senior nurse anesthesia majors; Alescia DeVasher-Bethea, chair of the Department of Nurse Anesthesia; and Michael Kuria, senior nurse anesthesia major.

In August of this year, five students travelled to San Francisco, Calif. to attend the annual meeting for nurse anesthesia students and certified registered nurse anesthetists.

At the meeting, which is conducted by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA), the students attended lectures about current anesthesia practices and met anesthesia professionals. The meeting also gave them a chance to get a foot in the door in the industry.

“You have employers and recruiters from all over the country so it was a good opportunity to network,” says Michael Kuria, senior nurse anesthesia major.

Not everything at the event was business though, and this year one student from Adventist University of Health Sciences had a unique opportunity.

Amanda Hughes, senior nurse anesthesia major, participated in the AANA annual college bowl.

This year, Amanda Hughes, senior anesthesia major, was the first ADU student selected to participate in the annual Anesthesia College Bowl. She joined a team of students from around the country and competed to answer anesthesia-related questions.

For Amanda, it was a fun way to step outside of her comfort zone and gave her a great reason to restudy all the anesthesia-related material she’s learned in her classes. “It was exciting to be asked to represent the school and show what we’ve learned,” she says. “I’ve never done anything like this before.”

While her team did not make it past the first round, Amanda and the rest of the students that attended left the event with something better than winning a competition.

Manuel Tolosa, assistant professor in the Department of Nurse Anesthesia, described their excitement upon returning:

“They came back and shared their experience, it was motivating for them and their classmates.”

-by Sarah Crowder

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