Hi! My name is Jessica Chang, MS, CRNA. I’m a certified registered nurse anesthetist and I’m writing this blog to give my readers insight into nurse anesthesia and nursing.
I grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and moved to New York City for 8 years. While there, I learned that flexibility and resiliency are important. You have to know when to ‘never give up’ and when to ‘give up and move on.’ I went to NYIT and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology in December 2010. During my time there, I decided that I wanted to pursue nursing instead, and completed prerequisites during that summer and fall prior to graduation. Immediately, I attended the NYU Accelerated Nursing Program and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in May 2012.
My career started in a rehab/nursing home and transitioned to the telemetry, and finally to the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU).
I knew I wanted to advance my nursing degree and started to explore some options. After speaking and shadowing with many people, I felt that nurse anesthesia suited me the most. To give myself the greatest opportunity, I decided to take the GRE and CCRN. Often these aren’t requirements but it does make you stand out from the crowd. After making a list and attending information sessions, I applied to UM-Flint and got in. I feel so fortunate to have this opportunity to make a positive difference in people’s lives, including patients, families, and you, the reader.
There are a few things that guide my actions that I’d like to share.
- Be honest.
- Be kind.
- Say hello and smile.
- Set big and small goals and be relentless about pursuing them.
- Don’t give up, except when necessary. Then do it with grace and have your next plan.
- Be open to other people. Think in another person’s perspective. Listen more than you talk.
- Experiences matter more than materials.
- Maintaining a healthy body and being mindful is a journey.
- Don’t be wasteful. Don’t get things in excess and know where to recycle.
- In our society, a financial education is important. Read, read, read, and then act.
After graduating in August 2017, there was a long deserved break between graduation and starting work in January 2018. I’m really happy that I went through the training and providing great anesthesia every day. It is simply amazing.
My goal will be to continue to provide insight into the nurse anesthesia profession and into my life as I start to think about my future family life.
Free feel to contact me through comments or emails (jesschang07@gmail.com).