Though COVID-related disruptions have delayed the plans of many students across the country, some SRNAs are taking advantage of early graduation opportunities to join the fight against the virus. And there’s no doubt greater numbers of SRNAs in the workforce will make a difference: registered nurse anesthetists have particular skills that are invaluable when it comes to the care of the sickest COVID patients.
Prepared and Ready to Help
The newest wave of SRNAs entering the workforce will be graduating only a few weeks earlier than expected, but campus closures, training requirements, and the logistics of board exams had the potential to derail the process completely. However, administrators and educators from some of the country’s SRNA programs, as well as representatives from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing worked together to make sure unnecessary hurdles didn’t hold back qualified SRNAs. These students (many of whom have previous nursing experience in critical care) had already completed their classes and clinical requirements and were waiting for graduation and board exams. Social distancing guidelines initally posed a problem for hosting and scheduling exams. But a few key changes in how and where the exams were administered allowed for greater numbers of SRNAs to participate without compromising public health.
A New Trajectory
In a time when so many elective surgeries and other non-essential medical procedures have been postponed, the push to help SRNAs join the workforce may not, at first glance, seem a pressing issue. However, CRNAs are redirecting to COVID hot spots, where their training in ventilation-related techniques are critical in both patient recovery and relieving pressure on overtaxed ICU nurses and doctors. SRNAs who graduate early this year may be launching their CRNA careers in a slightly different direction than they might have originally planned, but in a way that is in line with every nurse’s core motivation—to use their talent and training to help those who so urgently need it.