In the beginning . . .

Before I start get into what is going on currently some may be interested to know why I chose to go back to school in the first place. This story begins about two years ago when I was in the car with my brother Greg. We had just finished playing raquetball and were discussing our future career plans. Greg asked if I saw myself doing what I was doing for the rest of my life. I considered his question. I was happy with what I was doing. At the time I was working with a vascular surgeon as a nurse practitioner. I felt like I was contributing to society and using my talents to make people's lives better. However, as I contemplated over the ensuing days the prospect of never doing anything different I began to feel a desire to make a change.
Why nurse anesthesia you may ask? Well the truth of the matter is that I considered nurse anesthesia while I was still attending my nurse practitioner program at the University of Utah. I found a program that would bridge me into a nurse anesthesia program so that at the end I would graduate with both degrees. I applied and was accepted but before making the change I got cold feet and decided to stick with my chosen course and see how it played out. I graduated with a degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner in 2006 and started working in a family practice office. Initially I enjoyed the challenges of family practice but quickly grew tired of seeing 40 people a day having 5-7 minutes per patient and constantly being double or triple booked. One night I met with a distraught young lady about my own age that had just had a baby and was struggling with severe postpartum depression. She reported that she had considered suicide and was coming to see me out of desperation. I had three other rooms with people waiting for me already upset because I was running behind. I did my best to help this young lady in the allotted time I was given and then was forced to move on to my other patients. Upon returning home I began to look for another position. Over the next four years I worked with an interventional radiology group and for the vascular surgeon who was also part of the group. I found that I was happier there being able spend a bit more time with people. The longer I worked the more about myself I began to learn. I liked being more specialized rather than doing family practice. I found that I did a better job when I knew more about the underlying problems the patient's were facing. I liked to be able to feel like I really knew what I was doing. When I decided to go back to school I knew that I wanted to do something that I could truly master, something I could make my own, and anesthesia fit the bill.