Compassion and Critical Situations: Q&A with Kalin Wade
March 30, 2018
Kalin Wade, Nurse Anesthesia student, knows that successful procedures and surgeries would not be possible without proper anesthesia administration. A Nurse Anesthetist can handle critical situations with both confidence and compassion. This is what drove Wade to pursue this nursing role in healthcare.
"Every patient has taught me something about myself and I will always take their experiences with me throughout my career," affirms Wade.
Q: Why did you choose
A: I became a nurse because I wanted to work in a profession that impacts people on a daily basis and would continually challenge me. Nursing allows me to use my education and clinical skills to provide the best care to my patients. Furthermore, this field allows me to show compassion and support to both patients and families who are at a vulnerable time of their life.
Q: Why did you choose MSU to pursue your nursing career?
A: Green and white runs in my blood. My parents and extended family attended MSU, so growing up I knew I wanted to become a Spartan. When deciding to further my nursing career, I knew Michigan State was the place for me.
Q: What nursing specialty do you plan to pursue and why?
A: I am entering the MSN program with a concentration in Nurse Anesthesia. I had an interest in anesthesia before starting my undergraduate nursing career due to family members within the field. However, I did not fully grasp the complexity of this career until I started working in an environment where CRNAs are present. It provided me with a first-hand experience at what a CRNA does. Additionally, anesthesia is an essential aspect of the healthcare field. Successful procedures and surgeries could not be possible without proper anesthetic administration. Seeing how a Nurse Anesthetist can handle a critical situation with both confidence and compassion makes me excited to be in this field of healthcare.
Q: How have you made a difference as a Nurse?
A: I was a bedside nurse in the ICU and was responsible for the care of critically ill patients. Our ICU saw all types of patients, including: cardiac, pulmonary, renal, neuro, and post-operative. It was a great experience to be exposed to various types of patient populations, and I constantly left each day of work learning something new.
Q: What was your favorite part of this experience?
A: My favorite part of my experience was the people I met and the patients that made an impact on my life. I loved working alongside nurses from all walks of life; each taught me something different about the field of nursing.
When starting out in nursing, I did not realize how many patients would have an effect on me. Every patient taught me something about myself and I will always take their experiences with me throughout my career.
Q: What are the top two things you have learned in your career?
A: The two most important things I learned is patients always come first and the importance of time management. No two patients are the same, and ensuring you walk into every patient’s room with confident and professionalism can greatly impact your care. It is also important to properly manage your time and prioritize accordingly.
