Chiamaka Emelife

1st ISM
October 10, 2016

ISM- INTERVIEW ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS

Student Name:
Printed Name of Person
Interviewed:
Role of Individual:

Chiamaka Emelife

Period:

1st

Christie Delaune

Place of Business:

_X_Mentor ___Other Professional #1

Clear Lake Regional Medical Center

___Other Professional #2

Business Address:

500 W. Medical Center Blvd, Webster, TX 77598

Phone Number:

412-716-1337

Date of Interview:

October 25, 2016

Type of Interview: _X_ In Person ___ Telephone* ___Email*

*Documentation Required (Attach E-mail to Interview Verification Page)

1. For someone working in your field, please describe the fantasies versus realities of the job.
(fantasy vs. reality)
Fantasy: Patients take care of themselves and want to be healthy.
Reality: Many patients continue to smoke, drink, remain inactive, overeat, or be noncompliant with medical
advice. These patients have chronic illnesses and create a financial and emotional burden.
Fantasy: Have an efficient and timely practice
Reality: lots of paperwork and documentation (lack of electronic anesthesia record), unable to open needed
supplies in advance, need to work with people not as motivated as myself, surgeons run late.
2. What is your current educational level? What continuing education and training are required?
(educational level and requirements)
I have a Masters Degree in Nursing. (And a Bachelors Degree in Nursing)
Continuing education: 40 credits of continuing education every two years. A CRNA can obtain credits by going
to professional meetings or reading journal articles. I have always done journal articles because they are cheaper.
(26 hours for $285 vs. $700-1000 for a conference). However, starting in August 2017, the process will change.
It will be 100 credits every four years, four core modules every four years, and an exam every 8 years.
3. Please describe the typical day to day activities of someone working in your field.
(day-to-day activities)
No day is the same.
I have one or two complex cases (open heart surgery, coronary artery bypass or valve replacement).
I have multiple cases: cholecystectomy, hernia repair, hysterectomy.

Chiamaka Emelife
1st ISM
October 10, 2016
I have no cases: give breaks, work on pre-ops for later in the day or the next day.
In labor and delivery: pre-op laboring patients, patients scheduled for induction, Cesearean sections, manage
epidurals for laboring patients.
In endoscopy: give IV sedation only for esophagogastroduodenoscopies, colonoscopies, and endoscopic
retrograde cholangiopancreatographies
Sundays: emergencies only-neurovascular intervention for an acute stroke, craniotomy for a hemorrhage, foreign
object removal for a pediatric or adult patient (swallowed a coin or fish bone in throat), do pre-ops for Monday
4. How secure are you in your current position? What do you think is the future of your field?
(job security)
Currently, my job is very secure. I have been there for 4.5 years now (if there were cuts, less senior employees
would go first). I have a good relationship with my boss.
As healthcare costs continue to rise, CRNAs are a cost effective option to safe anesthesia care. The Veterans
Health Administration is seeking full practice authority for advanced practice registered nurses of all kinds. This
means than CRNAs would not need an anesthesiologist to supervise them at VA hospitals if this legislation is
passed.
5. What is a typical (average or lowest to highest) salary of someone working in your field?
(salary)
The lowest is about 144,995, average is 171,574, and the highest is about 201,415
6. What potential for growth is there in your field?
(growth potential)
Get a Doctorate of Nursing Practice: able to better evaluate research and translate research into clinical practice
changes
Get a Doctor of Philosophy: Do more basic science research related to anesthesia
Get a Doctor of Education: teach in an anesthesia school
Become a Chief CRNA

Chiamaka Emelife
1st ISM
October 10, 2016

My mentor showed me what the real world is like for her job, I imagined it as a simple basic job
I always thought after you graduate, you dont need to keep reading and going for more school.
I am now able to see that even with all the technology that is out in this world, you still have to
do much of the paperwork by hand, rather than using a computer.
There is a chance for so much growth in a job
My mentor even expressed to me that there is always a growth in a job, even though she is doing
one of the most well-paying nursing occupations, she can always expand everything and even
become a chief nurse anesthetist.
CRNAs can also get a doctorates degree in nursing practice, get a doctors degree in philosophy
and education.
One of the better things of her job is that not every day is the same, there is always a new case to
do, and many more things can come from it.
Not all fantasies of work are true,
My mentor thought that once people see how bad their body could get, that they would treat their
bodies better by working out and eating well, but people still fail to do so.
The pay for CRNAs are very well
My mentor is required to have 40 credits of continuing education every two years.

Chiamaka Emelife
1st ISM
October 10, 2016

Student Name:
Printed Name of
Person Interviewed:
Role of Individual:

Chiamaka Emelife

Period:

1st

Edwardo Lopez
___Mentor

_X_Other Professional #1

___Other Professional #2

Place of Business:
Business Address:

500 W. Medical Center Blvd, Webster, TX 77598

Phone Number:

281-338-3230

Date of Interview:

November 6, 2016

Type of Interview: _X_ In Person ___ Telephone* ___Email*

*Documentation Required (Attach E-mail to Interview Verification Page)

1. For someone working in your field, please describe the fantasies versus realities of the job.
(fantasy vs. reality)
Fantasy: to put people to sleep. I thought I would use more central lines & nerve blocks.
Reality: more restrictive. salary and job satisfactions are higher than I thought it would be.

2. What is your current educational level? What continuing education and training are required?
(educational level and requirements)
Current: masters in science and nursing in anesthesia
Continuing education: 40 credits of continuing education every two years.
3. Please describe the typical day to day activities of someone working in your field.
(day-to-day activities)
Every day is different. I normally do pre op prior to surgery, then I put people to sleep & check their
vital signs. I then wake them up after surgery & check on them for post op pain. Then after that I do pre
ops for the next day and get what theyll need after surgery.

Chiamaka Emelife
1st ISM
October 10, 2016

4. How secure are you in your current position? What do you think is the future of your field?
(job security)
The market is very good for CRNAs, feels safe as long as doing job appropriately, the market in
Houston is very good.

5. What is a typical (average or lowest to highest) salary of someone working in your field?
(salary)
Average: 171,574
Lowest: 144,995
Highest: 201,415
6. What potential for growth is there in your field?
(growth potential)
I can always go back to school and become a chief anesthetist. I could go to a neural hospital and
practice. But there isnt too much growth for CRNAs.

Chiamaka Emelife
1st ISM
October 10, 2016

Student Name:
Printed Name of Person
Interviewed:
Role of Individual:

Chiamaka Emelife

Period:

1st

Adela Camarillo

Place of Business:

___Mentor ___Other Professional #1

Clear Lake Regional Medical Center

_X_Other Professional #2

Business Address:

500 W. Medical Center Blvd, Webster, TX 77598

Phone Number:

281.525.8986

Date of Interview:

November 6, 2016

Type of Interview: _X_ In Person ___ Telephone* ___Email*

*Documentation Required (Attach E-mail to Interview Verification Page)

1. For someone working in your field, please describe the fantasies versus realities of the job.
(fantasy vs. reality)
Fantasy: I thought Id be saving people
Reality: Im just helping people with their basic needs

2. What is your current educational level? What continuing education and training are required?
(educational level and requirements)
Currrent: AND (associates degree)
Continuing: life support training, ACLS (advanced cardiac life support), PALS (pediatric advanced life
support)
3. Please describe the typical day to day activities of someone working in your field.
(day-to-day activities)
I get patients 1 at a time, and I identify myself to the patient & we discuss the operation theyre having,
to make sure there arent any miscommunications. I then start an IV on them & get their antibiotics & special
requests from the surgeon, then I start my paperwork.

Chiamaka Emelife
1st ISM
October 10, 2016
4. How secure are you in your current position? What do you think is the future of your field?
(job security)
My job is very secure because not many people would like to work weekends, and Ive been in clear
lake for 2 years.
Im ready to retire, but until I save more money, Ill hold this position because no one will work it

5. What is a typical (average or lowest to highest) salary of someone working in your field?
(salary)
The highest I ever earned was $74,000
6. What potential for growth is there in your field?
(growth potential)
There is much potential in my job, I can go back to school and get my BSN. I love what I do right now
and I like talking to my patients & I love being my patients advocate. I love talking to my patients about all the
questions they have.

Chiamaka Emelife
1st ISM
October 10, 2016

Not every job is the same

Many people like to be more hands on with their patients
If a job doesnt have many people that are willing to work it, one person might be stuck with it
The other CRNA I interviewed said that he wasnt expecting the pay to be as good as it was
Even the things people learn in school might not be used in the working environment
Companies do things much differently compared to others
To be a preoperative nurse you have to have an AND
All jobs in the medical field require you to have some sort of continuing education
All jobs have a chance for growth or to do something better
People that work on the floor usually enjoy interacting with people and patients
In August 2017, 100 credits every four years will be needed.
CRNA is one of the best paying nursing jobs