CRNAs in the News: John Borza, NY City Marathoner

John Borza, a CRNA from Pittsburgh, recently became a New York City marathoner. John ran in a shirt that represented PANA and CRNAs; and in support of this sponsorship, PANA made a $2,500 donation to the American Heart Association in John’s name.

🫀 In July of 2017, John Borza became a heart attack survivor. The hardworking CRNA realized committing to bettering his health and wellness was not only a must, but a gift. John’s determination led him through cardiac rehabilitation, and meeting with a nutritionist, to strengthen his commitment to being “focused on staying healthy to be able to enjoy the rest of my life,” and he’s done just that.

While John has a fierce dedication to developing his own health and wellness, he is also dedicated to improving the health and wellness of others. Throughout his marathon training, John was tallying up miles to take to NYC and donations from his community to give the American Heart Association.

🎽 John explains that "as a heart attack survivor, it's amazing to consider myself part of the American Heart Association Heart and Stroke Marathon Team in the New York City Marathon. Thanks to PANA, a donation in my name to the American Heart Association means so much." The donation PANA made will contribute to helping fund medical breakthroughs, programs advancing cardiovascular health, and life-saving research.

John’s devotion demonstrates the fundamentals PANA proudly upholds and promotes to its member CRNAs and SRNAs:

“Supporting each other in our wellness journeys and prioritizing our mental health and wellness is why being part of an organization like PANA is so incredible.”

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PANA proudly recognizes John’s contributions, advancements, and improvements to his own and others’ health and wellness. We are happy to support John and the CRNA profession. Congratulations, John!

SRNA Perspective on Handling Parenthood and School

Laura K. Blank, Senior SRNA

York College of Pennsylvania / WellSpan Health Nurse Anesthetist Program

It’s Sunday, and I’m in the middle of my cardiac rotation, with an on-pump aortic valve replacement scheduled for tomorrow. My 3-year-old son is in daycare, and when I awoke this morning to prepare for the week, a notification from his school popped up on my phone --- and a feeling of dread immediately washed over me. Yet again, another unpredictable daycare closure because of COVID-19 exposure. Another week of shuffling schedules, exercising adaptability, and remembering expectations don’t change for my husband’s job and my clinical requirements. Another week of hoping our unvaccinated son doesn’t get sick.

I’d like to say this happens infrequently, but I can recall on two separate occasions my son’s daycare closing the week before finals. My perfectly planned study and paper-writing schedule instantly went up in smoke. All this is on top of the normal daily struggles of trying to juggle school, work, family, and parenting.

It hasn’t all been challenging. The joys that come from working hard and setting a good example for my child give me confidence that my husband and I are paving the way for him in life. We hope we are teaching him kindness, joy, and thankfulness as we adapt to uncertainty. We make sacrifices in other areas to be able to always show him love and attention while prioritizing my schooling and patient care. He may be too young to remember this pandemic season, but perhaps one day he will ask us how we got to where we are. We are teaching him ownership, hard work, and dedication.

As a senior SRNA, the end is in sight. I have an ode to all the other mothers and fathers out there in school. We all have different challenges. Some battle with illness and others need more from their support system than available; there are relationship troubles and financial troubles. School demands time and sacrifice. It’s difficult to miss Mother’s Day trips, big birthday parties, or life events.

Here’s to the parents who put their patients first and still show up for their kids. Here’s to the support systems, the life partners, and the family and friends who jump in to help or understand the absence of time. Here’s to the faculty and preceptors who understand the balance as well. In the end, showing love to our families while learning how to best care for our patients will be worth all the sacrifice in the end.

Finding Health & Wellness During a Pandemic

It’s hard to believe, but CRNA Week in Pennsylvania this year is starting to look and feel a lot like CRNA Week last year.

We may not be locked down in 2022 like we were in 2021, but hospitals and health-care facilities once again are facing critical staffing shortages, with some areas setting COVID-19 case records.

Clearly, the pandemic is not finished. The dizzying speed of omicron’s spread has left everyone scratching their heads and questioning what they know about COVID-19.

Through it all, certified registered nurse anesthetists have remained on the frontline, putting their advanced education and training to work to care for critically ill patients.

This year, CRNA Week in Pennsylvania is a tribute to every nurse anesthetist who courageously has stepped forward to serve during this pandemic and who works daily to save lives and provide the best possible care in a variety of settings.

Thank you for all you do to serve our profession so honorably and your patients so faithfully.

All of us are under enormous pressure. To be the most effective we can be, however, we need to ensure we take care of ourselves, so we are able to care for others.

One of my top priorities as PANA president is promoting health and wellness.

Health and wellness have always been important in our profession, but they take on a new meaning during this prolonged pandemic, as health-care providers, including CRNAs and SRNAs, confront a disproportionate share of physical and emotional strain.

Self-care in the workplace and at home is essential. Health and wellness issues span a wide spectrum --- from finding ways to reduce risks and limit stress on the job to making positive choices and managing lifestyles to improve health and fitness.

We are best for others when we are at our own personal best.

PANA values the importance of pillars, which is why you will see more health and wellness activities incorporated into regular meeting, lectures, and spring and fall meetings. Now more than ever, we need to support each other.

I hope CRNA Week in Pennsylvania offers you a time to reflect and celebrate the work we do.

Please share your stories with PANA and your peers, and tag #CRNAinPA on Facebook and Twitter so we can add them to our collections. While you’re at it, visit our new Instagram page, @PANACRNA, which launched this week. Tag us here, too, and show us what you’re doing.

Thank you for stepping forward to serve during this pandemic, for proving yourselves as battle-tested providers on the frontlines at home and in combat, and for fighting to ensure access to safe, cost-effective anesthesia care each and every day.

Lew Bennett, DNP, CRNA

President

Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists