CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST
OF THE YEAR
DAVID DAWSON
CDR , NC , USN-R , MSNA , CRNA , Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist at Narragansett Bay Anesthesia and Kent Hospital
HOW DID YOU GET INTO NURSING ? It started with a series of unfortunate events . During my senior year high school homecoming football game , I injured my shoulder on the opening kick . While being checked out on the sideline , the next play made its way to where I was standing and took my legs out from under me , leaving me with a broken collarbone and a leg fracture . During my recovery at home , a Navy recruiter called and asked me a question that I will never forget : “ What do you plan on doing with the rest of your life ?” So , you guessed it , I joined the Navy ! I began my enlistment as a Hospital Corpsman with the Marines and later became a Nurse Corps Officer after using my GI bill to complete my nursing degree . As for choosing this specialty , I was inspired by a Navy mentor who was a CRNA and educator . She expressed that she thought this career path would be a great fit after the experiences I had both in the Navy and as a pediatric trauma nurse and TICU nurse .
TELL US ABOUT THE HAND YOU HAD IN PROTECTING KENT HOSPITAL ANESTHESIA STAFF DURING THE PANDEMIC . In the beginning of the COVID outbreak here in the U . S ., there were still a lot of unknowns . Health care providers were reaching out to each other to find out best practices both locally and overseas . PPE shortages were a main concern , and it was apparent that we needed to focus on the conservation of masks , particularly N95s . During this fearful time , I felt compelled to find alternative means to keep myself and co-workers safe . I was inspired by the Italian health care workers who constructed PPE out of snorkel masks and decided to build one that could work for us not only locally , but for shipmates who were being deployed for COVID response . The masks were used by peers working out of state , and fortunately for us , our supply of N95s , CAPR and PAPRs were replenished . Despite not needing to be used at a high demand , it offered a sense of protection for those who were at risk every day . The full scuba masks were easy to clean , offered complete facial coverage and helped ease the stress of not having available PPE during an uncertain time .
WHAT DO YOU WISH MORE PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT YOUR ROLE ? We can administer anesthesia in every anesthesia setting . CRNAs have a long history as wartime anesthesia providers , dating back more than 150 years . In the military , nurses first provided anesthesia during the American Civil War , and during World War I , nurse anesthetists became the primary providers to care for wounded soldiers on the front lines . Throughout every branch of the military , CRNAs have full practice autonomy , and we provide anesthesia care to U . S . military personnel on the front lines , aboard naval ships and within military hospitals nationally and abroad . >>
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l SEPTEMBER 2021 59