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Had an awesome time guest speaking on @lifeinscrub Had an awesome time guest speaking on @lifeinscrubspodcast ! This episode is jam-packed of all things CRNA school: πŸ“πŸ“š
β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €
πŸ’‰ My story & work experience prior to applying. 
πŸ’Š What ICU experience do I need?
🩺 What do CRNAs really do?
πŸ₯ Basic admission requirements. 
πŸ’‰ How to make your resume unlike ALL the others in a sea of qualified applicants.
πŸ’Š Straight up advice. 
🩺 Study schedule & can you work while in school?
πŸ₯My financial story. 
πŸ’‰ What did they ask me in my interview?
😷 My biggest tip for those who want to become a CRNA.
β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €
I’ve linked the episode in my stories & it’s episode 16 on @lifeinscrubspodcast ! 🩺 After you listen you can ask any questions here & give me your feedback! πŸ–€
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#futurecrna #crnaschool #srna #srnalife #srnaproblems #srnatocrna #anesthesiaschool #anesthesiaschoolproblems #nursingschoolproblems #icunurses #icunurse #nursetobe #anesthesiaresident #anesthesialife
STUDY TIPZ πŸ“šπŸ“Œ πŸ™‡πŸ»β€β™€οΈ A common qu STUDY TIPZ πŸ“šπŸ“Œ πŸ™‡πŸ»β€β™€οΈ

A common question I get often, so here’s some of my study methods!

Probably the #1 question I get is what app I have on my iPad to take notes. 

But first the iPad sitch: 
YOU DO NOT NEED THE FANCIEST IPAD. 
I did a bunch of research and decided the base level iPad is absolutely FINE. If you are buying an iPad for school you are buying an iPad for SCHOOL. All you need is a note taking app and a few others on there, no need for fancy anything. You’re broke enough. 

I bought my iPad for about $330 and the Apple Pencil 1 (again, don’t need anything fancy that costs extra πŸ’Έ). I have a lot of people ask me about this so if you’re curious which one I have just comment below and I can dm you the link.

I use the app β€œnotability” to take notes. 
I can add the power-points to my iPad before class, and then take my own notes on them in class via my apple pencil.

Next lies my trusty whiteboard. My desk faces my whiteboard. I sit at my desk for hours every single day. I use my whiteboard in two kinds of ways, active and passive. 

When there is a suuuper difficult concept I try to draw it out. I try & put together an entire chapter/lecture/concept in one place. This is the part that takes forever. Because this is the LEARNING part. You learn as you tie everything all together in relationship with one another and once you understand that? You’ve learned the material. The next part is just maintaining and memorizing that understanding. 🧠

There comes the passive part. I leave my big drawing up on my whiteboard for days. While I could be working on something else, my whiteboard is always in direct view and I look at it often. Eventually it becomes so familiar I can β€œsee” the entire drawing in my head as I’m taking my test. 

More to come if you guys are interested! What study tipz do you use? πŸ“
ππŽπ‘πŒπ€π‹ 𝐋𝐀𝐁 𝐕𝐀𝐋 ππŽπ‘πŒπ€π‹ 𝐋𝐀𝐁 𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐔𝐄𝐒 πŸ§ͺπŸ’‰πŸ©Έ save for reference! πŸ“₯⁣
Credit: @nclexrnpass 
⁣
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⁣
⁣
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#nclexprep #nclex #nclexstudying #nclexrn #nclextips #nclexquestions #nclexprep #nursingschoolprobs #nursingschoolproblems #nursingschooltips #futurenurse #futurenurses #registerednurses #cnalife #futurecrna #srnaproblems #srnatocrna #nurseanesthesia #nursesofig #nursesareheroes #nurseshelpingnurses #nursesdoitbetter #nurseanesthesiaschool #nurseonduty #nursestudent
Celebrating spring break & one more quarter of cla Celebrating spring break & one more quarter of classroom education, then it’s off to residency! 🌴🌴🌴

#crnaschool #srna #icunursing #futurern #ccrn #anesthesia #crna #nursingeducation #nurseblog #nurseblogger #nursingschool #nursingstudent #futurenurse #icunurse #criticalcare #scrublife #orlife #nursesofinstagram #nursingblog #ccrn #miamibeachparties #miamibeachlife #bikinibabes #bikiniweather #beachplease
Happy Valentine’s πŸ–€ I love you more than yest Happy Valentine’s πŸ–€ I love you more than yesterday, but less than tomorrow πŸ₯€
Happy #CRNAWeek ! To celebrate, here’s a gift fr Happy #CRNAWeek ! To celebrate, here’s a gift from me & @dnamasks 😷

Be one of the first to snag their new anesthesia bag collection! The winner will receive 1 tote bag, glam bag, & fanny! 

Here’s how to enter:

1. LIKE & SAVE this post!

2. FOLLOW me @sassyanesthesia & @dnamasks

3. TAG 2 people that would love these bags! 

4. For a BONUS entry, I’d love to hear your anesthesia story, where you work/what department, or are you an SRNA and where are you in your program? πŸ“š
You can also share this post to your story tagging @dnamasks - (we can only see public story entries πŸ‘πŸΌ

*Ends at midnight on January 31, must be 18+ and in the US. Must complete all the above to be eligible, this is not endorsed by instagram.

#crnaweek2021 #crna #srna #srnalife #srnaproblems #nurseanesthesia #nurseanesthetist #nurseanesthesiologist #anesthesiology #nurseanesthesiology #futurecrna #srnatocrna #nurseblog #icurn #crnaweek #nurseanesthesia #crna #crnaschool #srnatocrna #nurseanesthetists
Tryna’ find which way is up πŸ™ƒ With this ultra Tryna’ find which way is up πŸ™ƒ With this ultrasound, and Crna School in its entirety πŸ“š Happy #CRNAWeek !

#crnaweek2021 #crna #srna #srnalife #srnaproblems #nurseanesthesia #nurseanesthetist #nurseanesthesiologist #anesthesiology #nurseanesthesiology #futurecrna #srnatocrna #nurseblog #icurn #crnaweek #nurseanesthesia #crna #crnaschool #srnatocrna #nurseanesthetists
HAPPY #CRNAWEEK ! 😷🩺🫁 Even though I am 1 HAPPY #CRNAWEEK ! 😷🩺🫁

Even though I am 18 months away from becoming a CRNA (😳) I am excited for what this career holds for me! This semester has been crazy, I feel like I say that every time, but somehow it really does keep getting harder as we go πŸ˜‚

This quarter we have been doing lots of cool things in our sim lab:
-Central & arterial line placements
-Epidurals & Spinals
-Ultrasound
-High fidelity mannequin simulations

And somehow I start my clinical residency in 5 months 😳 I’ve already gotten my first assignment that I’ll tell you guys all about really soon! Any CRNAs or SRNAs celebrating this week? πŸŽ‰

#crna #crnalife #crnaschool #crnastudent #nurseanesthetists #nurseanesthesiologist #nurseanesthetist #nurseanesthesiaschool #futurecrna #srna #srnalife #srnaproblems #srnatocrna #srna @aanaphotos #anesthesialife #anesthesiology #aana
Does looking at your office count as studying
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#crnaschool #futurecrna #srnalife #srna #srnaproblems #nurseanesthesia #nurseanesthetist #nurseanesthesiologist #nursingclinicals #anesthesia #icunurses #cvicu #cvicunurse #sassyanesthesia
For those who have been struggling with staying se For those who have been struggling with staying serious about COVID, wearing a mask, limiting gatherings, then this is for you. I’ve seen this trending, and it’s to show awareness of how COVID has affected so many people. 
β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €
I’ve talked to lots of my coworkers, and we can all agree that it’s hard for people to believe in something unless they have been affected by it. The goal of this post is to visually represent everyone that has been affected by this virus.
β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €
Post the hearts that relate to you:
β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €
❀️ Lost a loved one or friend to COVID.
🧑 Know someone who has lost a loved one or friend to COVID. 
πŸ’› Have taken care of a patient with COVID.
πŸ’š Have personally suffered from COVID. 
πŸ’™ Have a loved one or friend who has suffered from COVID.
πŸ’œ Have been an essential worker on the frontlines of this pandemic.
🀍 Have had a loved one, friend, or personally lost a job due to COVID. 
β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €
Here’s mine: πŸ§‘πŸ’›πŸ’™πŸ’œπŸ€
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What’s yours? Comment below and share, or repost to see how your followers have been impacted too. πŸ’•
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#frontliners #frontliners #nurseonduty #crnaschool #srna #srnalife #anesthesiaschool #nurseanesthesia #nursingschoolprobs #wearfigs #awesomehumans #frontlineheroes #frontlines #frontlineworker #essentialworker #covidicu #nursesofig #nursesareheroes

Sassy Anesthesia

nurse in medication room
Life

Returning to the Bedside After an Injury

April 28, 2017May 2, 2017

Hey guys! So for those of you who are interested,Β  I’m FINALLY back to work in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit, and so far so good. I was definitely nervous to go back asΒ I had been out of work for almost 10 months, and didn’t know how my leg was going to be able to handle a 12 hour nightshift.

I wasΒ very surprised how long I lasted before I started to get really limpy. Regardless of limping, I was able to WALK which is incredible and didn’t have any pain. The limping is due to muscle weakness. My leg is still nowhere near what it used to look like, there’s still a lot of muscleΒ atrophy.Β I started off doing aΒ one nightΒ on, one night offΒ schedule so my sleeping patternΒ was not great.Β I’ve progressedΒ to do two shifts in a rowΒ this week and I was able to recover quickly enough! Man was I tired though. My endurance is still slower than before my accident.

In regards to ICU knowledge I also surprised myself. Things came back to me like I never left, which was so comforting since half of my anxiety was thinking I was going to forget so much important knowledge and accidently kill someone. Yay for not doing that.

I am loving being back to work, I finally feel like I have a purpose again! The days on leave were so long and unfulfilling. I’m exhausted, but it is so worth it. There’s lots of new nurses that have been hired onto the unit since I’ve been back, but other than that, it feels like I never left. I love my coworkers, they have been nothing but supportive and encouraging.

I still feel like I have a ways to go progress-wise as I’m nowhere near being able to run (or line dance), but I have seen so much progress this year and I’m hopeful that it will continue.Β As of my last doctor’s appointment, I still have a nonunion of my tibial plateau. A nonunion means that my bone still hasn’t completely fused together. I guess it’s safe enough to walk on – I have a follow up CT scan in 5 months to see if I’ve made progress.

Last week, I admitted one of my surgeon’s patients into the SICU. It was so emotionallyΒ incredible to see him at workΒ as aΒ coworker, and not in his office! I remember dreaming about this moment all the time when I was out on leave.Β We took this awesome selfie.

nurse and surgeon

I was fortunate enough to have been treated at home with a lymphatic massage last week. I wish I would have known about what this was in the early stages of my recovery.Β The purpose of lymphatic massage is to stimulate the lymph and interstitial fluid to flow where it’s supposed to go normally. The lymphatic systemΒ does not have a pump like the cardiac system. Thus, it relies on muscle movement and contraction, pressure changes, and physical stimulation like massage. This specific type of massage decreases swelling after surgery, improvesΒ your immune system, flushes out toxins, and helps with pain. It’s very gentle and relaxing, AND it was done in the comfort of my living room! I had never heard of this type of massage before, and if you know anyone recovering after surgery, I highly recommend trying this out. If you’re inΒ San Diego, I got mine through Solace Massage.

If you’ve had a bad injury and have returned to work, I’d love to hear what worked for you, or listen to your story. I never imagined something as traumatic as my accident would ever happen to me, but I have learned so much and become a more empathetic nurse because of it. And you better believe my patients get their pain medicine within a minute πŸ™‚

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TAGGED WITH: critical care, disability, health, icu, injury, intensive care, lymphatic massage, Nursing, rn, trauma
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10 comments on “Returning to the Bedside After an Injury”

  1. Trisha
    July 31, 2017 at 10:57 am

    Fellow noc shift nurse (cardiac sx ICU) here! I broke my ankle (trimalleolar fx) the last week of June, had surgery that week, and have now been off almost 6 weeks. It was a big fear of mine to have sx and to be unconcious. My coworkers recovered me afterwards, I was thankful for that. I’m hoping to start weight bearing in about a week and still not sure when I can go back to work. I feel like post open heart pts get on with life sooner than these ankle injuries! I still have to ice and elevate quite a bit yet and I feel so out of the work loop! It’s given me anxiety. I’ve got my fingers crossed PT goes well and I can get to steppin on 2 feet normally with post haste! Congratulations getting back into the unit and nice selfie 🀳! I hope you are still making good progress and friends. Thank you

    Reply
    • lipstickandlifesaving
      July 31, 2017 at 2:26 pm

      Good luck with your recovery! I totally agree, orthodox injuries take foreeever to heal compared to a lot sicker patients we see! The time will fly by I promise, and you’ll be back to work walking well in no time with a changed perspective πŸ™‚

      Reply
  2. Kelley
    July 25, 2017 at 11:41 pm

    Your post was so encouraging to me. I’ve been a nurse for a little over 6 years and have had 2 traumas personally. My first was ARDS after aspirating during a c-section. I was vented, rotoproned … the whole shebang! I was super lucky and went back to work 2 months after being discharged. This past November, I was in a horrific MVA and sustained an acetabular fracture, right ankle pilon fracture, broke 8 ribs, cracked my sternum and received a concussion. Almost 9 months, 5 ankle surgeries, an ORIF of my hip, tons of soul searching, later, I’m set to start in the nicu with my gimp limp and all! I’m super nervous but excited to start nursing again. I can relate to your blog on so many levels. Thank you for sharing your experience. You have no idea the impact you’ve had on me.

    Reply
    • lipstickandlifesaving
      July 26, 2017 at 3:21 am

      Kelley, thank you so much for your story. That is such an awful series of events. I’m sure it’s hard to want to leave the house after all of that! At least I am after my accident. I’m so paranoid something traumatic is bound to happen again. But I guess you can’t live like that, and I’m so happy you’re going back to work! It helps so much to be back, it gives you some sense of purpose. I’ve still got my gimp limp too so you’re not alone! I hope you continue to recover and thank you so much for reading πŸ™‚

      Reply
  3. Chelsea
    May 4, 2017 at 5:24 pm

    I think that every health care professional should have to experience being a patient. It definitely helps us to serve better! Glad you are recovering well! LOVE your blog! :)) “Somehow” I “stumbled” upon it. I don’t believe it was any coincidence. It is only by the grace of God certain people cross paths <3

    Reply
    • lipstickandlifesaving
      May 4, 2017 at 9:54 pm

      Thank you so much for reading! I agree, I have a totally new perspective now as a nurse!

      Reply
  4. Tracie
    May 1, 2017 at 1:48 am

    Hi
    I just stumbled upon your blog. I had a pelvic fracture
    From a ski accident in January. I work full time as a RN case manager and was able to work at home for six weeks. It was awful. I am so active. I also do per diem on a floor. Missed 2 months of work. I was sore my first shift. I’m doing a lot better.
    You will be ok. Takes time !!! I am never taking my health for granted again

    Reply
    • lipstickandlifesaving
      May 1, 2017 at 1:50 am

      So true! I’m very active as well I even hate watching tv and reading just because you’re sitting down! I finally got into it since I didn’t really have a choice being off for 10 months. I’m so glad you’re doing better too!

      Reply
  5. Corinne MacEgan
    April 29, 2017 at 12:23 am

    Welcome back, fellow Sharpie! I know how it feels to go from nurse to patient to nurse. I’m happy to hear you’ve developed another angle of healthcare from your experience. Thanks for posting your story! – Corinne from SGH

    Reply
    • lipstickandlifesaving
      April 29, 2017 at 1:34 am

      Thanks so much! Yes being a nurse and a patient is not a good mix! But I learned so much from it and definitely feel like it has improved my patient care. So cool you’re at sharp too!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Marissa.

I'm a first year SRNA. Here you can find some education & motivation, along with a touch of sass to keep you sane in a difficult but rewarding career path. Thank you for stopping by!
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Had an awesome time guest speaking on @lifeinscrub Had an awesome time guest speaking on @lifeinscrubspodcast ! This episode is jam-packed of all things CRNA school: πŸ“πŸ“š
β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €
πŸ’‰ My story & work experience prior to applying. 
πŸ’Š What ICU experience do I need?
🩺 What do CRNAs really do?
πŸ₯ Basic admission requirements. 
πŸ’‰ How to make your resume unlike ALL the others in a sea of qualified applicants.
πŸ’Š Straight up advice. 
🩺 Study schedule & can you work while in school?
πŸ₯My financial story. 
πŸ’‰ What did they ask me in my interview?
😷 My biggest tip for those who want to become a CRNA.
β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €
I’ve linked the episode in my stories & it’s episode 16 on @lifeinscrubspodcast ! 🩺 After you listen you can ask any questions here & give me your feedback! πŸ–€
β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €
β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €
β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €
β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €
#futurecrna #crnaschool #srna #srnalife #srnaproblems #srnatocrna #anesthesiaschool #anesthesiaschoolproblems #nursingschoolproblems #icunurses #icunurse #nursetobe #anesthesiaresident #anesthesialife
STUDY TIPZ πŸ“šπŸ“Œ πŸ™‡πŸ»β€β™€οΈ A common qu STUDY TIPZ πŸ“šπŸ“Œ πŸ™‡πŸ»β€β™€οΈ

A common question I get often, so here’s some of my study methods!

Probably the #1 question I get is what app I have on my iPad to take notes. 

But first the iPad sitch: 
YOU DO NOT NEED THE FANCIEST IPAD. 
I did a bunch of research and decided the base level iPad is absolutely FINE. If you are buying an iPad for school you are buying an iPad for SCHOOL. All you need is a note taking app and a few others on there, no need for fancy anything. You’re broke enough. 

I bought my iPad for about $330 and the Apple Pencil 1 (again, don’t need anything fancy that costs extra πŸ’Έ). I have a lot of people ask me about this so if you’re curious which one I have just comment below and I can dm you the link.

I use the app β€œnotability” to take notes. 
I can add the power-points to my iPad before class, and then take my own notes on them in class via my apple pencil.

Next lies my trusty whiteboard. My desk faces my whiteboard. I sit at my desk for hours every single day. I use my whiteboard in two kinds of ways, active and passive. 

When there is a suuuper difficult concept I try to draw it out. I try & put together an entire chapter/lecture/concept in one place. This is the part that takes forever. Because this is the LEARNING part. You learn as you tie everything all together in relationship with one another and once you understand that? You’ve learned the material. The next part is just maintaining and memorizing that understanding. 🧠

There comes the passive part. I leave my big drawing up on my whiteboard for days. While I could be working on something else, my whiteboard is always in direct view and I look at it often. Eventually it becomes so familiar I can β€œsee” the entire drawing in my head as I’m taking my test. 

More to come if you guys are interested! What study tipz do you use? πŸ“
ππŽπ‘πŒπ€π‹ 𝐋𝐀𝐁 𝐕𝐀𝐋 ππŽπ‘πŒπ€π‹ 𝐋𝐀𝐁 𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐔𝐄𝐒 πŸ§ͺπŸ’‰πŸ©Έ save for reference! πŸ“₯⁣
Credit: @nclexrnpass 
⁣
⁣
⁣
⁣
⁣
⁣
⁣
#nclexprep #nclex #nclexstudying #nclexrn #nclextips #nclexquestions #nclexprep #nursingschoolprobs #nursingschoolproblems #nursingschooltips #futurenurse #futurenurses #registerednurses #cnalife #futurecrna #srnaproblems #srnatocrna #nurseanesthesia #nursesofig #nursesareheroes #nurseshelpingnurses #nursesdoitbetter #nurseanesthesiaschool #nurseonduty #nursestudent
Celebrating spring break & one more quarter of cla Celebrating spring break & one more quarter of classroom education, then it’s off to residency! 🌴🌴🌴

#crnaschool #srna #icunursing #futurern #ccrn #anesthesia #crna #nursingeducation #nurseblog #nurseblogger #nursingschool #nursingstudent #futurenurse #icunurse #criticalcare #scrublife #orlife #nursesofinstagram #nursingblog #ccrn #miamibeachparties #miamibeachlife #bikinibabes #bikiniweather #beachplease
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