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CRNA’s take the pain awayExperience is key to CRNA teamOf all the team members who are present in the surgical suite during a surgery, Nurse Anesthetist Chris Pippert feels he may be the luckiest one there. “We spend all day taking people’s pain and fears away,” he said. Pippert is the lead Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) in the New Ulm Medical Center Surgery Department. There are four primary CRNAs in the anesthesia department. “I feel fortunate to work with such experienced and incredibly capable anesthetists as John Konz, Rod Miller and Shirley Steele,” said Pippert. “Together we have more than 75 years of experience in anesthesia alone.” Experience is one thing this group has plenty of. Prior to becoming a CRNA, each is first a registered nurse with extensive critical care experience. They then return to school for another two to three years to complete a master’s degree program in anesthesia. “If you take anesthesia and break it down, we are placing and keeping the patient in a particular state. That state allows the surgeon to do what they need to do,” Pippert said. The field of anesthesia has developed into a more complex part of the patient’s care, Pippert said. There used to be just a handful of medications to choose from to do the job, now there are many more medications and techniques. “We can tailor our anesthesia to the patient’s medical background and history to obtain the best possible outcome,” he said. To that end, CRNAs make specific preparations prior to each surgical case. “We review the chart and patient information, then meet with the patient to talk about their options and the associated risks and benefits. All this information is used to help the patient make an informed decision,” Pippert said. In a nod to the early years of anesthesia, there is the recognition that patients are often afraid of undergoing an anesthetic. With advances in medications, monitoring and training, though, an anesthetic is usually very safe. “It’s a combination of using the right medications and your years of experience … and being able to watch and monitor the patient and make the right decisions,” Pippert said. “The amazing part about anesthesia, to me, is simply that it can be done. I see it every day and it still fascinates me.” Coupled with that amazement, for Pippert, is humility. “It’s an honor when people say ‘This is my family member … take good care of them’,” Pippert said. “It’s very humbling. It’s a wonderful thing to be able to do for people.” |
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New Ulm Medical Center
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