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It's Never Too Early...In Fact, Right on Track!!/Lena Gould, CRNA, MSN

Hello Everyone You are absolutely right,you are never too early to learn about the Nurse
Anesthesia profession. I strongly believe the pipeline should start in junior and senior
high school. I have visited Woodbury High School and Philadelphia High School for Girls on
their respective Career Days.

I have spoken to the eigth graders at Wooodbry High School who never met a Nurse Anesthetist
in their lives. As a Nurse Anesthetist, I bring along anesthesia equipment (laryngoscope,
endotracheal tubes, LMAs, intravenous fluid and stethescope). Not only do I speak about how
to become a Registered Nurse with the essential backgroung of working in a Critical Care Unit,
but also, I simulate putting a patient asleep. I ask for a volunteer to be the "patient" and
speak to them about obtaining the patient's medical and surgical history. Tell all the students
as a Nurse Anesthetist how and why we have to pay particular attention to age, weight, allergies and evaluate their airway. They love it!! I pass the equipment around in the classroom because I
know for most of them, it will be their first time feeling, touching and checking the functionality of it
all. I distribute a typed "how to" on the varied levels of nursing. Indicated very briefly the
education level, working units and salaries. For the first time, a Nurse Anesthetist that "look like
them" who "came from the same city and family background" had a profound impact...and maybe, just maybe, they too will become Nurse Anesthetist in a Level I Trauma Center, Community Hospital, Surgery Center, Endoscopy Center, or even a faculty member in a Nurse Anesthesia Program.

Next year, I plan on visiting more junior and senior high school Career Days across this country.
The list includes Georgia, North Carolina, Montana, Illinois, New York, DC, Texas and Florida.
I am particularly interested in the Western States. The lowest number of minority Nurse Anesthetist
are from those that are American Indian. They will need the long term outreach for the pipeline to
Nurse Anestheisa. It is the junior and senior high school students from the Western States, in particular, to whom I would want to see in my life time become Nurse Anesthetists in their communities.

It will happen...

Wallena Gould, CRNA, MSN Founder, Diversity in Nurse Anesthesia Mentorship Program
www.diveristycrna.org