About

Danielle MSN, CRNA

Hi! My name is Danielle and I’m a CRNA. I started My CRNA Life as a resource site for other anesthesia professionals. I searched the web for months collecting and curating the best anesthesia-related content it had to offer. I’ve organized it all on here for you to reference, share and enjoy. 

Becoming a CRNA

My journey to becoming a CRNA was kind of a long one, 11-years start to finish. I earned a BA in Portuguese and Latin American Studies for my first degree.  Half of my classes were language-based, while the other half were science pre-requisites in preparation for nursing. Having this major gave me the opportunity to live, travel and study in Brazil as an undergrad. I even learned Portuguese!

At the end of my junior year I applied to a second-degree BSN program at an ivy league university and was accepted. By that point I knew I wanted to pursue nurse anesthesia and had my eye on their MSN program.

Work Experience

I worked in several different ICU specialties before CRNA school. My senior BSN rotation was in the trauma ICU and my first job out of school was in the CVICU. I also worked on a medical/surgical ICU, which after a year split into a neurosurgical ICU.  I had the opportunity to learn about critical care nursing for neurology and neurosurgery patients, which has also helped me care for these patients in the OR as a CRNA.  I took a total of four master’s courses while working in the ICU, which I transferred into my CRNA program when the time came.  After 3 years in the ICU I applied and interviewed for the CRNA program at the same university I completed my BSN. I was accepted and I started the program the following summer.

School was challenging! There is an incredible amount of information you must learn before entering the clinical arena to care for patients. It’s also challenging to revert from expert to novice, learning completely new skills every day. I completed the program and took my boards soon after graduation. 

My first job as a CRNA was with a large, private anesthesia group. I worked in many different hospitals throughout the state from a large trauma level I teaching hospital to small community hospitals and surgery centers. I loved the variety of environments and cases it brought with it. I’m thankful I credentialed at many different facilities. I believe constant change of environment and colleagues made me an adaptable and highly competent practitioner. 

In 2020 I took a 4 month RV trip across the US on my move from the east to west coast. It was an amazing adventure and one I’ll never forget. I’m now an independent 1099 practitioner in the Pacific NW practicing in the outpatient setting.

I’m so glad you’ve found My CRNA Life and I hope you enjoy the site!

Danielle