Meet Your PANA Board Members - Aaron Ostrowski

Aaron Ostrowski is an officer in the Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists (PANA), which represents more than 3,000 certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) and students across the commonwealth, and he will become the PANA President this fall.

We took some time to get to know Aaron and learned that he is deeply passionate about his profession – including the time he spends educating future CRNAs and the time he dedicates to pursuing PANA’s interests. But he is much more than a CRNA, MSN and future DNP. Aaron is a family man who enjoys travelling, driving sports cars and doting on his family’s misbehaved cat.

Take some time to get to know Aaron Ostrowski, your President-elect…

Q: What is your position on the board?

A: I am currently the President-elect on the PANA Board of Trustees and serve as the Chair of the Government Relations Committee (GRC). I have been the GRC Chair for two years, and I have been on the PANA Board since the fall of 2012.

Q: Why did you choose to serve as a PANA Trustee?

A: I realized that serving on the PANA Board was going to be the best way for me to help effect change for CRNAs and our profession.

Q: Where do you currently work?

A: I work at UPMC-Presbyterian in Pittsburgh where I am a Trauma-Transplant CRNA, and I also serve as the hospital’s SRNA Clinical Coordinator for Anesthesia Specialties. About half of my position is clinical, and the other half (and more) of my time is spent in education as an instructor in the University of Pittsburgh Nurse Anesthesia Program where I have been a member of the adjunct faculty since 2008.

Q: How long have you been practicing?

A: I’ve been a nurse for 23 years, and I’ve been a CRNA for almost 15 years. At the end of this year, I will earn my Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree.

Q: Where did you go to school?

A: I had the dream of attending a major college as a young man. I am an alumnus of the Washington Hospital School of Nursing (1992) and the California University of Pennsylvania (1996), and after taking the sensible path to my nursing education, I wanted to make the jump to major graduate school. I felt that Pitt was the school for me, and I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2001. Even after all of these years, I do not regret my decision because the nurse anesthesia program remains among the best programs in the country.

Q: What made you choose being a CRNA as a profession?

A: As a young man, I knew I had interests in anatomy and physiology, working with people, and having an active job. I thought that meant being a doctor, but I found out during my freshman year of school that there was another option – nursing. As a young nurse, I knew that my future was going to develop into more than a career in the ICU. While looking into the different options available to me, I attended an open house for graduate programs and met Laura Palmer, who has since retired from her position as the Assistant Director of the University of Pittsburgh Nurse Anesthesia Program. In about 15 minutes, I realized we grew up in the same area and that she knew my family. At that time, I had no idea what a nurse anesthetist was, but I learned. And the rest is history.

Q: What do you feel are the most important issues currently affecting the field?

A: I feel that identity is a key issue. If CRNAs were readily identifiable as a healthcare solution by our health care system, there would be no discussion about scope of practice, reimbursement, credential recognition or title protection with legislators, administrators and the public.

The other aspect of identity is how we feel about ourselves, our profession. I work with a great group of CRNAs who are capable of resurrecting very ill patients, but they struggle with the reality of our profession requiring an entry-level doctoral degree, which I can understand. I am pursuing my DNP, and once a skeptic, I now see the value in assessing needs at work, being able to look at the evidence, and developing interventions to improve the workplace. I characterize doctoral education as personalizing your profession to fit your career aspirations. You can cut your own road. The challenge with the DNP will be finding suitable and relevant projects for young, relatively inexperienced nurses to finish in a short, three-year timeframe.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your career?

A: On the clinical side, I enjoy the everyday rewards of a smooth emergence, a comfortable patient, and the ability to walk away from the job at the end of the day. On the education side, the job may never complete, but the interaction with the students is priceless. They tend to teach me as much or more than I teach them.

Q: Do you have any advice for CRNAs in the field or SRNAs studying the profession?

A: Of course! For CRNAs in the workplace, know your value. There are opportunities to hear this information from time to time at various AANA meetings. Also, don’t forget how well this profession has treated you. Where would you be without it? What has it afforded you? You can give back to your profession by remembering “CARVED.” Communicate new things, information and ideas with each other, your hospital, your legislator, your family and your friends. Attend state and national professional meetings and legislative fundraisers. Read emails and literature from AANA and PANA. Vote in your professional, state and national elections. Educate yourself on your scope of practice, your rights as an employee, billing, etc. Finally, Donate your fair share, $10 to PANA-PAC and $10 to the AANA’s CRNA-PAC. Link it to your credit card, and rest assured that you are doing all that you need to promote your profession.

Q: What do you do in your free time (when not working)?

A: I am a car guy. I like to drive a six-speed, and I just test-drove the new Camaro SS with the 6.2L V8. I also like to travel with my family, and we have been blessed to do a fair amount of travelling as a family of five. Our family trips have created a lot of great memories!

Q: Give us one interesting fact about you that no one would guess in a million years?

A: Our pet, TC – or Top Cat, has ruined a leather chair, scratched a newly refinished heirloom

desk, and tracked sky blue paint around the house, but in spite of all my grumbling about our cat, I do enjoy petting him. He even spent the past hour with me, soaking up the sun as I worked on my PANA profile.

Meet Your PANA Board Members - Dana Rodgers

“We should not be intimidated to meet with our local legislators to educate them about our profession so that they can better represent our interests.”

Dana Rodgers, a Pennsylvania native who currently lives in Wilmington, Del., is a student representative on the board of the Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists (PANA), which represents more than 3,000 certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) and students (SRNAs) across the commonwealth. She’s a senior in the nurse anesthesia program at Villanova University/Crozer-Chester Medical Center, graduating this November.

We took time to get to know Dana a little bit more. Among the many interesting things we learned: She was inspired to become a CRNA by Larry Heredia, CRNA, DNP, JD, when she was a nursing student. As she nears her graduation date, Dana has plenty of words of wisdom for SRNAs. (Read the Q&A to get her sage advice!) And, when she’s not studying or advocating on behalf of CRNAs, Dana enjoys traveling, spending time with her family --- including the four-legged kind --- and reading the occasional non-anesthesia-related book. (She’s looking for a good book suggestion right now!)

Meet Dana Rodgers, your 2015-16 student trustee on PANA’s board:

Q: What is your position on the board?

A: I am the Student Board Representative, which is a position I’ve held since October 2015.

Q: Why did you choose to serve as a PANA Trustee?

A: I wanted to become involved in the political aspects of our profession, and I also wanted to work with and support SRNAs in Pennsylvania. I have enjoyed learning ways to advocate for and promote our profession.

Q: Where do you currently work?

A: For the last five years, I have been working in the CICU at Nemours A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Del., and I continue to work there per diem. After graduating, I will be working at Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland, Pa., with Associates in Anesthesia.

Q: Where are you going to school?

A: I am a senior in Villanova University/Crozer-Chester Medical Center’s Nurse Anesthesia Program, and I will be graduating this November.

Q: What made you choose being a CRNA as a profession?

A: As a nursing student, I was shadowing in the operating room (O.R.) when I started talking to the CRNA who was in the case. He was so intelligent, technically sound and passionate about his career that I decided to further investigate the field. After becoming an SRNA, I also had the opportunity to work with him again in the O.R. on several occasions, but I never told him that he inspired me to become a CRNA. Thank you, Larry Heredia, CRNA, DNP, JD, for inspiring me to become a CRNA and for being such a great educator and mentor!

Q: What made you choose the school you’re attending?

A: Villanova has a great reputation for producing intelligent and successful CRNAs. A few of my friends went through the program and had positive experiences. They spoke highly of the diversity of clinical sites, supportive administrators and teacher, and the well-rounded education they received. It is also located near my home; it’s nationally recognized for being a top graduate program, offering online programs; and it’s reasonably priced.

Q: The PANA board notes say you live in Delaware. Do you still live there or are you now living in Pennsylvania somewhere?

A: I currently live in Wilmington, Del., with my husband, Eric; dog, Winnie; and cats, Izzie and Riley. I grew up in Wallingford, Pa., and lived there for 25 years before moving to Delaware. I hope to move back to Pennsylvania one day soon!

Q: What are your hopes for post-graduation?

A: I look forward to working full time as a CRNA with Associates in Anesthesia starting in December. I also hope to continue my education and obtain my PhD. I would love to educate future CRNAs and hopefully become a program director of a nurse anesthesia program.

Q: As you look to become a CRNA, what do you feel is one of the most important issues that currently is affecting the field?

A: It’s hard to pick the most important issues as there are several issues currently affecting our field. However, I think engaging CRNAs in political and social issues that impact our profession is extremely important. Membership in state and national organizations is imperative to the growth, advancement and advocacy of our profession. With over 3,000 CRNAs and 12 nurse anesthetist programs in Pennsylvania, we could make a large impact at the state and national level by working together. We should not be intimidated to meet with our local legislators to educate them about our profession so that they can better represent our interests. I have found that many of our legislators are very approachable, easy to talk to and willing to learn. Many legislators do not even know what a CRNA is and do not know about our scope of practice or education. We cannot expect our legislators to support our interests if they do not even know what we do!

Q: Do you have any recommendations for student CRNAs who only recently started in a CRNA program?

A: I have several recommendations for new SRNAs. One is to be supportive of your classmates. Although most of us are competitive by nature, it is not always about who gets the best grades or the most intubations. Adopting a “team” mentality by sharing notes, forming study groups, sharing clinical experiences or going out together socially will help you succeed during your program. It is difficult for those who are not enrolled as a SRNA to understand what you are going through both academically and emotionally, so it is crucial that you have at least one person in your program that you can lean on when needed. Also, take time for yourself to do non-academic activities such as working out, doing out to dinner with friends/family, etc. It is important to find a school-life balance, otherwise you will burn out. The last bit of advice is to be humble throughout your program. We have all been successful ICU nurses, so it may be hard to take criticism (constructive or not) from the people we interact with in the OR. The best thing you can do is to be gracious instead of defensive in those situations.

Q: What do you do in your free time (when not studying)?

A: I like to spend time with my sister and niece in North Carolina. They live 10 minutes from the beach, so it’s always fun and relaxing when I am there. I also enjoy traveling and working out with my husband. I hope to go out West on a ski trip with him next year. I am also very busy with my four-month-old puppy Golden Retriever, Winnie. She has a TON of energy so I like to take her on long walks and have her play with my mom’s 2-year-old Chocolate Lab, CoCo. I try and read one non-anesthesia book a year. Last year, I read “Go Set a Watchman,” the sequel to “To Kill a Mockingbird.” I am looking for recommendations for a book for this year, so if anyone has any recommendations, feel free to contact me!

Q: Give us one interesting fact about you that no one would guess in a million years?

A: I played tennis with Martina Hingis, a former top ranked tennis player. She was in the Philadelphia area for a tournament, so my coach arranged for me to hit with her during one of her practice sessions. It was such an amazing experience and she was very down to earth.

Meet Your PANA Board Members - Ann Culp

Ann M. Culp, of Jenkins Township in Luzerne County, is president of the Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists (PANA), which represents more than 3,000 certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) and students across the commonwealth. She’s been on PANA’s board for six years --- serving two years as Trustee, two years as Secretary, and then a year as

President-elect before being named to her current post in the fall.

We took time to get to know Ann a little bit more. What we found is that she’s not just PANA’s president, she’s also one of the presidents of her family’s planned 105th reunion. She’s not just a practitioner, she’s a teacher. And when her third grandchild, William Christopher, was born, Ann was right there when it all happened. Find out why …

Q: Why did you choose to serve as a PANA trustee?

A: Being a CRNA for over 30 years, I believed it was time to give back to my profession. Therefore, I ran for Trustee.

Q: Where do you currently work?

A: The clinical position I hold is at the Wilkes-Barre General Hospital (WBGH), which is an affiliate of Commonwealth Health Systems.

Q: What do you do there?

A: Surgical procedures performed at WBGH include: orthopedics, vascular, and general and robotic procedures.

Q: From what institution did you receive your degree?

A: I’m a graduate of Wilkes-Barre General Hospital Anesthesia Program. My master’s degree and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) were earned at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.

Q: Do you teach? If so, where do you teach?

A: I’m a didactic instructor at the University of Scranton’s Nurse Anesthesia Program. Courses include regional anesthesia, pain management, endocrine, obstetrics, the anesthesia machine and the basics of anesthesia.

Q: What made you want to become a CRNA?

A: I worked for two years prior to entering the nursing field. Within months of my graduation, I was fortunate to obtain a day shift positon in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Moses Taylor Hospital in Scranton. I began considering anesthesia after meeting a CRNA who was performing a post-operative visit on a patient in ICU. After just a few minutes of conversing with him, his professionalism, dedication and contentment with his practice had me investigating this new avenue. Fortunately, there was an anesthesia program 15 minutes from my home. I was fortunate to be accepted into a class of four anesthesia students, and have been practicing ever since.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your career?

A: Since I have two jobs as a CRNA, I can divide this into two answers. First, the student: The new student entering the operating room is anxious and tense. Nurturing guidance fosters growth in the anesthesia student. Observing the student develop from novice to expert is a fulfilling experience. One of my proudest moments of my career was when my son Eric followed in my footsteps and became a CRNA. He currently is working at Regional Hospital, in Scranton, which is also an affiliate of Commonwealth Health Systems. Second, the patient: Each individual requiring anesthesia for a surgical procedure is scared, nervous and very alone. Therefore, I find comfort in calming their fears and the fears of their family by being caring, kind, and considerate to every member present. After showing them my name badge, I tell them to remember me as “Ann from Anesthesia.” This is the first ice breaker. I get a warm blanket for the patient to demonstrate empathy. Lastly, I tell them I will be with them throughout the procedure. The calm reassuring sound of your voice, a smile, and showing an interest in the patient is many times equal to two milligrams of Versed. The joy of waking up the patient and having them call out to you to find out how things went, is priceless.

Q: What do you do to relax when you are not taking care of others?

A: When I have free time, I like to spend it with my husband David, to whom I have been married for 33 years; my three children, Eric, Katie, Jeff; and my three grandchildren: Lindsay Ann, David James, and William Christopher. There have been three weddings in my family within the last three years and I’m proud to have Megan Watkins Culp, Shay Robinson, and Jennifer Miller Culp into the family. My granddaughter Lindsay is 4 years old and believes we are “twins.” Reading relaxes me --- I enjoy science fiction --- and I love the beach. I could sit watching the waves for hours. I am one of seven children, and we all remain close friends. During the summer, my parents invite their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren for breakfast each Sunday, all 50 of us. Also, being a good Irish family, on my mother’s side, I have over 500 relatives. This year will mark the 105th Clifford reunion. I am one of the reunion presidents!

Q: Tell us something no one knows about you.

A: I’m like an open book. However, I do have a story to tell: a few weeks ago my daughter-in-law Megan was in labor and fetal heart tones plummeted, so an emergency cesarean section was required. I quickly switched from Grandma mode to CRNA and prepared the anesthesia workstation in order to expedite the emergent surgery. Luckily, all went well and my third grandchild, William Christopher, was born healthy on Feb. 17, 2016. This was the scariest, yet most fulfilling moment of my career. No one can comprehend the importance of a quick, properly prepared anesthetic workstation until you are thinking your new grandchild, still unborn, may not survive the next few minutes. When I heard his cry, I followed right along and cried with him, very happy tears.