The Anesthesia Record

One of my responsibilities as AANA Student Representative to the Education Committee is to write a student column to be published monthly in the AANA News Bulletin.  While these articles are typically available for viewing on the student section of the AANA, it appears as though our friends in Chicago have gotten a bit behind given that the last article posted online is Chris Leger's March 2010 offering.  That being the case, I thought I'd start posting the articles I've submitted each month so that people without access to the printed version (i.e. my parents) have the opportunity to read my submissions.

The recently published November article is below.  If you would like to read my introductory article (originally published in October), please click here. 

The Happy Hour

Upon hearing the results of this year’s student representative election proceedings, my first few thoughts would have been best expressed using emoticons in lieu of actual words.  Once the smiley faces and exclamation points faded away, however, I distinctly remember thinking to myself, “Uh oh, what on Earth am I going to write about every month for the next year?”

I have gained a great respect for this column since joining the anesthesia community as an SRNA.  I’ve looked forward to reading its contents each month, and not merely because – unlike most of the anesthesia-related literature currently splayed across our respective residences – the material is consistently presented in a way that doesn’t require the use of caffeinated beverages or sugar-laden treats to complete.  The News Bulletin’s student column is more than just a mental vacation from the dense texts we study night after night; it is an incredible vehicle for information dissemination of important student issues.  

For this reason, I chose to highlight an important, though often under-appreciated, topic in this month’s column.  In fact, the same subject served as the focus of my campaign speech at the AANA National Meeting this past August.  As the small subset of SRNAs who were able to attend the Student Session in Seattle are aware, I’m referring to the topic of happy hour.

What Is Happy Hour?

The term “happy hour” is, for the purposes of this discussion, used in a much broader sense than its traditional application.  It is a period of time spent fulfilling one’s personal needs in order to satisfy the “life” component of the ever-elusive work-life balance. While happy hour in this sense of the phrase may include the act of imbibing with coworkers at five in the afternoon, it also encompasses spending time with your classmates over a relaxing dinner or meeting your exercise buddy for a trail run.  A more accurate term, as suggested by my classmate, may therefore be “hour of happiness.”

The Benefits of Happy Hour

While discussing this topic in Seattle, I highlighted three very important reasons nurse anesthesia students should partake in the occasional happy hour.  The first involves getting to know and bonding with one’s classmates.  Since we endure the same experiences, stressors, and demands as those who sit beside us during lectures, we become each others natural support system.  We assist one another through challenging anesthesia concepts and offer guidance during the difficult moments at home, the school, or the hospital.  For this reason, taking some time out of our busy student schedules to build and maintain our friendships is crucial to our success while enrolled in graduate school.

Happy hour may also serve as the impetus for improving the anesthesia education process for future generations of CRNAs.  Like any group of individuals joined by a common experience, anesthesia students naturally gravitate towards discussion topics related to anesthesia school.  Engaging in these conversations in a social setting allows us to find humor in our shared experiences, as well as an opportunity to assess whether or not the deficiencies in our own student experience are, in reality, widespread problems affecting our classmates as well.  While the existence of deficiencies in any important process is unfortunate, identifying shortcomings within the nurse anesthesia educational system is the first step to improving the SRNA experience as well as the future of our profession.

Lastly, happy hours offer anesthesia students the opportunity to recuperate from the constant demands of school.  An article published in the April 2000 issue of the AANA Journal provides evidence in support of what every past and present anesthesia student inherently knows to be true: nurse anesthesia school is stressful.¹  While low to moderate levels of stress have been shown to heighten mental acuity, continuous exposure to stressful situations often leads to burnout.²  This emotional response to stress is especially detrimental to students, as it may lead to decreased mental acuity, impaired cognition, and difficulty retaining information.²   It is important to note too that, while SRNAs are found to experience greater levels of stress and report fewer coping resources than our CRNA counterparts, the stress we currently feel does not diminish entirely following graduation.¹  In fact, another study found that the most stressful work environments were characterized by 1) an unpredictable work-load, 2) the extensive use of technical equipment, 3) intense levels of environmental stimuli 4) the constant threat of crisis, and 5) the continuous prioritizing of needs.³  Sound familiar?  While nurse anesthesia is, without a doubt, an amazing profession, it is one that is inherently stressful.  Knowing this, it is important that we learn to develop stress management techniques that will help us succeed not only as students but also later, as practicing CRNAs.  Allowing ourselves an occasional “hour of happiness” to escape from the stress of anesthesia training and strengthen our support system is one of the ways that we can accomplish this goal.

Understanding the importance of balancing of our work and social lives is easy.  Accomplishing this goal, however, is challenging – for anesthesia students more than most.  We are short on both time and financial resources, making it difficult to justify spending either on non-school related activities.  While investing in our happiness while in anesthesia school may be counter-intuitive – similar to the act of purchasing a financial planning book in an effort to escape from debt – it is nevertheless vital to our personal and scholastic success.  I have found through personal experience that I am more productive when I allow myself periodic study breaks than when I steadily push through my mental fatigue without a reprieve, and I doubt my experience is unique.   So the next time you’re forced to reread the same paragraph for the third time due to an inability to concentrate, don’t get mad.  Get yourself to a happy hour. 

References

1.       1. Kendrick P. Comparing the effects of stress and relationship style on student and practicing nurse anesthetists. AANA Journal. 2000;68(2):115122.

2.      2. Saadat H, Lin SL, Kain ZN. The Role of “Wellness” in Medical Education. International Anesthesiology Clinics. 2010;48(3):131-8.

3.     3. Lees S, Ellis N. The design of a stress-management programme for nursing personnel.  Journal of Advanced Nursing. 1990;15:946-961.