When it comes to patient care, especially surgery, trust between healthcare provider and patient is key.
Just ask Susie Shafer, a CRNA at UConn Health in Burlington, a certified registered nurse anesthetist who has cared for patients in operating rooms and delivery rooms across UConn Health for eight years.
“Trust is everything!” says Schaefer, who works daily in the pre-op area and operating room with OR nurses as the primary point of contact for each patient undergoing anesthesia surgery. CRNAs like Schaefer serve as a critical support role for both surgeons and anesthesiologists, who already have built trusting relationships with their patients.
“It's so important to build rapport with the patient in the very short time at their bedside before surgery,” she says. “As a CRNA, I do everything I can to build that rapport and make sure my patients have a good experience before they go to sleep for surgery.”
Heartwarmingly, Schaefer adds, “I see each and every patient as an individual. I treat every patient like a member of my own family. I always tell each and every patient and their family that I will look after them as if they were a beloved member of my family.”
Schafer said becoming a CRNA is hard work, but well worth it: She completed her nurse education at nearby CCSU, gaining the required two years of experience in ICU/intensive care nursing, and then completed a 30-month CRNA training program, which also required two years of OR experience.
She was working at another hospital in Connecticut at the time, but a former colleague and friend who had moved to UConn Health had raved about the hospital and its people.
“A friend told me I would really love it here at UConn Health, so I gave it a go, and I really did. It's been a great career advancement,” Schafer said.
A CRNA's day can be very busy. On any given day, Shafer, for example, can be in one of more than 20 anesthesia rooms. Every night before surgery, CRNAs like Shafer receive and review their patient case assignments for the next day, perform any necessary pre-work, and wait for the first patient to enter the operating room at 7:30 a.m. CRNAs arrive at the OR well ahead of time to do all the essential prep work, check the anesthesia machine, prime the ventilator, and check blood pressure cuffs, pulse oxygenators, IV pumps, and other vital patient-care equipment.
“When caring for a patient during surgery, it's a whole team effort. And the patient is at the pinnacle of our team approach. We always want to provide them with the highest quality of care, safety, and the best patient experience possible,” Schafer emphasizes.
A former RN and now a CRNA, she collectively praises all of the nurses at UConn Health.
“From the operating room to the phlebotomy and collection rooms, the nurses at University of Connecticut Heath are the best. I learn from and work alongside all of them every day and perform better,” Schafer said.
She is also proud of the incredible growth of UConn Health and its academic medical center’s teaching hospitals and its unwavering commitment to patient safety.
“UConn Health just gets better and better every year!”
Mentoring is important
Molly McGrath, a CRNA from Unionville, is a colleague who has worked alongside Schafer at UConn Health for the past three years.
Susie Shafer and Molly McGrath are excited to work at UConn Health as CRNAs.
“I love Suzie. She was a great mentor to me,” says warmly McGrath, who also trained as a nurse in Central Connecticut. She went on to work as a nurse in Washington, D.C., and trained as a CRNA at Georgetown University.
“I heard that the University of Connecticut Medical Center took really good care of their staff during the pandemic and it's a great place to gain experience across surgical specialties,” McGrath said, which led to her decision to return to Connecticut in 2021 to become part of the CRNA team at the University of Connecticut Medical Center.
“The CRNAs who work in the anesthesiology and operating rooms at UConn Health have such great relationships with not only our patients but also with our colleagues at work. We even choose to perform procedures alongside surgeons at UConn Health,” McGrath says.
McGrath decided to become a CRNA after watching a longtime family friend work as a CRNA.
“I always wanted to be just like her, and even had the opportunity to observe her work as a CRNA as a nursing student,” she says.
“Becoming a CRNA is the best decision I've ever made. It's the best career,” McGrath said. “I love working at UConn Health. It's a unique place and a highly respected institution.”
McGrath adds, “CRNAs are important members of the team here and we are so grateful. At UConn Health, you can always count on the people on your care team and your work team; they have your back.”
Like Dr. Schafer, Dr. McGrath emphasizes that the patient is always his top priority every day and that it is important to build a trusting relationship with each patient.
“Patients choose their surgeon, but they don't get to choose their CRNA,” McGrath says. “They put their lives in our hands, so they need to be able to have complete confidence in us and the best care we can give them every day.”
On the day of surgery, Dr. McGrath promises each patient that he will be honored to treat them.
“This is a scary day, but I promise you I will care for you as if you were a member of my family and look after you like a mother or a sister,” said McGrath, who is responsible for looking after both their lives if any obstetric surgeries or procedures are required.
McGrath said quality also sets UConn apart and he is proud to work at UConn Health.
“UConn Health stays current on the latest medical literature, innovative treatments and technology, and seeks new ways to provide the best possible care. We are a teaching hospital, and new physicians, residents and students are constantly joining us to further our excellence,” she concludes.
This content is part of an effort to celebrate the university's shared values and employees, in partnership with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and Dr. Jeffrey Hines, chief diversity officer at UConn Health. Submit your word of the month suggestions to [email protected].
