Lifespan Development
A central theme of our vision is not to produce only competent practitioners, but to prepare individuals for a lifetime of success in their career. Accordingly, we believe that our educational resources and support should not be utilized only during the formal educational program leading to certification. We appreciate the opportunity to also support the development of prospective students, and to provide educational services to those who are further along in their career trajectory.
Below is a summary of services we offer as part of our Lifespan Development initiative.
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Career Lifespan Stage |
Program |
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Prospective student |
Camp Med summer program |
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Teen volunteer opportunities |
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Internships for college students |
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H3A: Tri-Development in Anesthesia, Gateway version. |
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Incoming students |
H3A: Tri-Development in Anesthesia, Pathway version. |
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Current students |
Surviving the Bubble orientation |
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Senior buddy, CRNA mentoring program. |
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Practicing or past CRNAs |
Mini-Fellowship in regional anesthesia |
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Re-entry to workforce |
Services for Prospective Students
High school students interested in learning more about careers in medicine and nursing should consider the Wake Forest University School of Medicine Camp Med program. This program was designed to recruit, educate, and prepare high school students for careers in health professions. Students gain exposure to numerous healthcare specialties over a five-day period. As part of the Camp Med program, students will learn about nurse anesthesia and try their hand at some anesthesia techniques. Interested students can learn more about Camp Med by clicking here.
Volunteer opportunities: We host one teen volunteer at a time, typically during the summer months, as we prepare for the upcoming academic year. Individuals interested in volunteering opportunities may contact the office of volunteer services at (336) 713-3514. We can also provide internship opportunities for college students studying nursing or science.
For those with aspirations of a career in healthcare, a summer internship can provide an opportunity for real-world experience in the setting of a healthcare graduate educational program, along with unique observation opportunities in other areas of the hospital and surgery. The intern will also gain experience performing work functions that can benefit their ultimate career goals, and begin to build that all-important resume for their graduate or medical school application.
Below is information about the Tri-Development course. The spring track of Tri-Development is specially designed to cater to the interests of those ICU nurses who are interested in learning more about a career in nurse anesthesia, as well as those who are currently applying for admission to a nurse anesthesia program.
Programs for Prospective Students
We realize that students undergo many transitions to become part of a nurse anesthesia program and to move into this career. To help smooth the transition to becoming an anesthesia student, we provide a number of resources to prospective students. 
H3A: Tri-Development in Nurse Anesthesia
H3A is a unique program to foster the success of nurses who aspire to be excellent anesthetists. Development is focused on the three critical "H's" of success:technical knowledge (head), self-awareness of one's personality, strengths and weaknesses (heart), and competence with manual skills (hands). There are three tracks of the H3A program, titled Gateway, Portal, and Segue. Each is for a different stage of the career trajectory, but all serve as your directional compass to success in anesthesia.
The Gateway track is designed for the ICU nurse who wants to learn more about anesthesia as an advanced practice nursing specialty, or for those who are already in the process of applyling to a nurse anesthesia program. Gateway provides an introduction to the role of a CRNA, and useful practical tools for gaining admission in the highly competitive environment of anesthesia school applications. Participants learn advanced ICU skills that can either bolster their competence in their current role, or which can serve as the foundation for advanced nursing practice later.
Topics addressed in the two-day Gateway seminar include:
- Professional role of the CRNA
- Pathophysiolgy of shock
- Advanced airway management
- Advanced ICU pharmacology- CNS depressants
- Arterial blood gas interpretation and ventilator management
- Advanced monitoring: ICP, BIS, Nerve stimulator, Arterial line
- Nuts and bolts of school- planning for finances and family care
- Admissions and curricula of CRNA educational programs
- Personality type/self-assessment. Is CRNA right for me?
- Characteristics and challenges inherent in graduate study of nurse anesthesia.
- Different formats of anesthesia programs- which one is best?
- Application writing and personal statements. View some sample "winning" applications.
- Candid discussion with other prospective and current students.
- High fidelity human patient simulation lab experience- "The Ultimate ICU Challenge". Pit the skills of your team against this robotic patient who is intent on checking out and see how long you can "ride the bull".
The Portal track is specially designed for the individual who has already been accepted into a nurse anesthesia program and serves as the portal to success as a student. This introductory course is based on a nationwide study we conducted of nurse anesthesia students to determine the most important areas of learning need for new students. Participants learn basic anesthesia nursing skills, and they receive an introduction to the study of nurse anesthesia.
Topics addressed in the three-day seminar include:
- Academic skills for success
- Learning style assessment and its application to successful academic skills
- The challenges involved in the study of nurse anesthesia
- Invasive airway management- routine and emergency techniques
- Anesthesia pharmacology
- Physics of oxygen storage and administration; demonstration of gas laws
- Neurologic system anatomy, and cardiovascular assessment
- Pulmonary, physiology, and management of mechanical ventilation
- Hands-on experiences in our laboratory with advanced skills such as laryngoscopy, spinal and epidural injections, and advanced vascular access techniques. Laboratory experiences will include practice on human specimens (subject to materials availability).
Also included will be:
- A "Role-model luncheon" including roundtable discussion with accomplished CRNAs of national stature, and program administrators.
- Candid discussion with other prospective and current students.
For those who have been granted admission to the Nurse Anesthesia Program, this seminar is highly recommended. By completing this seminar, you will have gained meaningful exposure to the challenges of being a student nurse anesthetist. You will also be armed with an understanding of your own additional learning needs, so that you may undertake additional individual preparation before you begin the program. The goal of this seminar is not only to improve your chance of success in the nurse anesthesia program, but also to make the transition smoother and less stressful. Due to the perceived value of this program in fostering success of anesthesia students, development of the H3A program was funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.
The next Gateway seminar will be held on June 14-15, 2010.
The next Portal seminar will be held in July, 2010 (dates TBD).
Please give us your email address if you would like to be informed about future H3A seminars.
 
In the H3A course, future nurse anesthesia students learn critical student success factors in the realms of academic and clinical skills.
Read some comments from participants in H3A:
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"Far exceeded expectations- I can't wait for August!"
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"I didn't expect the level of exposure we would get- Great job!"
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"All of the labs were outstanding!"
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"This seminar was amazing. It would also be helpful for those considering the profession to solidify their decision."
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"This whole course was excellent!"
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"This course exceeded my expectations by far!"
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"I would definately recommend this course to my peers! It was very well thought-out and executed.
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"It very much exceeded my expectations."
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"Overall great way to start off school."
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"The course was excellent. It really helped me realize what I need to do to be better prepared for school."
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"It made the next two years seem less scary!"
H3A graduates excited to embark on the pathway to success in their nurse anesthesia programs.
The H3A program was made possible with the assistance of the Piedmont Triad Partnership through a WIRED grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Orientation Programs for Current Students
One of the more innovative of our socialization programs is our pioneering orientation program, called “Surviving the Bubble”. This program was developed by one of our own graduates, Jennifer Ferguson, based on her own extensive experience with team-building activities as a long-time camp nurse. Recognizing that students feel isolation analogous to being encapsulated in a “bubble”, Ferguson custom-developed this program to introduce students to the concepts of teamwork, interpersonal communication, problem-solving, goal-setting, and time-management as they relate to navigating a nurse anesthesia program.
Ferguson is assisted in implementing the program by Kat Vanden Heuvel and Aimee Jones. Kat, a long-time Resident Camp Director, has over 12 years peer facilitation experience, and Aimee is currently a Resident Camp Director and has 6 years peer facilitation experience. Together, the team brings their collective experience to provide a very meaningful and effective program.
The program is held at the Piney Lake Experiential Education Campus of UNCG. During the one-day program, new students participate in various physical activities as well as group discussions.
The activities foster trust and commitment toward one another, while also giving students the opportunity to learn more about each other.
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Afternoon sessions focus on keeping a positive attitude and attending to social and emotional needs of being a student.
The class comes together to formulate a group mission statement and an understanding between themselves as to how they would tackle the difficult years ahead.
What some participants said about “Surviving the Bubble”:
“It was a wonderful day that exceeded my expectations. I enjoyed it.”
“Very real. Fun, too. Great balance. Eight hours of activity that will mean a lot in the next two years. Strongly recommend this!”
“Discussing real life situations gave us guidance and some reassurance as well.”
“Today was great! Thanks so much! I really feel that our class bonded together as a team and as a new “family”. The exercises built trust and confidence in each other.”
“I enjoyed learning to work together as a team with strangers (who are no longer strangers after today!)”
In other social orientation programs, efforts are made to provide students with helpful resources prior to large transitions. Starting in the spring before the program starts, students are invited to join a discussion board and to utilize a chat room to get to know their new classmates. In the 5 months prior to the start of the program last year, students posted 160 messages as they made connections with their prospective classmates.
Once in the program, prior to starting clinical, students are paired with both a senior student advisor as well as a faculty mentor. These resource people provide a “friendly face” in the OR, and someone the student can go to with questions, problems, etc. without the apprehension sometimes associated with bringing every concern to their instructors.
Just prior to starting clinical, students and CRNA mentors get together for a breakfast to discuss the upcoming phase of the program and allay anxieties regarding clinical practice expectations.
New students are welcomed to the program with a mentor breakfast hosted by their CRNA mentors.
These orientation programs support our vision of Creating Excellence in Nurse Anesthesia: to produce practitioners who possess an awareness of their role and who are comfortable taking a leadership position in the health care system. Development of the Surviving the Bubble program was also completed in fulfillment of Jennifer Ferguson’s Service Learning requirement: an opportunity for students to expand their leadership and management abilities beyond the typical realm of clinical anesthesia.
Programs for Practicing or Past CRNAs
We are glad to partner with CRNA Review and Update to host a biannual review course for certified registered nurse anesthetists. The program is designed to update skills and knowledge of current theoretical practice in anesthesia in order to meet prevailing standards of nurse anesthesia practice. For more information or to register for an update course, click here: CRNA Review and Update
We are also planning educational opportunities for practicing CRNAs to bridge their current knowledge and skills into competencies that they have never had, or where they lack recent practice. One such offering is a mini-fellowship in regional anesthesia. In this course, CRNAs can attend 8 hours of theoretical classroom work, followed by a second day of hands-on practice in our clinical skills lab. Practical experience includes performing spinal and epidural techniques in our Anatomical Resources Training Center, where students learn the feel of real tissue and interpatient variability while practicing on human cadavers. For more information, click here: Interested in mini-regional fellowship.
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