Edward Feliciano Mentoring Nurse Anesthesia Scholarship

You do not need a mentor, said someone online at allnurses.com when I started searching about CRNA schools. When I began my journey, I had yet to learn about CRNA school, nor did I know anyone who could guide me in the challenging application process. It was during the COVID-19 pandemic when I met a physician anesthesiologist in my ICU. Our hospital made a policy that only anesthesiologists are allowed inside the room with RN and RT when intubating a patient. After a few weeks of working with him, he told me he works with CRNAs daily and asked if I was interested. I looked up that night to what a CRNA is, and that was the beginning of my journey. The anesthesiologist let me shadow him in the OR. Although there were no CRNAs then in that hospital, he told me they do the same thing and taught me the basics of anesthesia. However, there were still times that I felt helpless and without direction until I met someone at the work cafeteria who had applied to graduate school before and helped me with the little but important details that would make my application stand out. With hard work, luck, and support from my newfound mentors, I am finally a third-year resident in my program. To this day, we still keep in touch and update them about my school. From that moment, I promise to be a mentor to others. As of this time, I helped seven people through their application and interview process, and I am proud to say that they all got accepted into CRNA school. Being a mentor for me means that the success of others is also my success. In the field of anesthesia, it is never a one-person team. The teamwork dynamics in the operating room are essential to keep the patient safe. This also applies in real life because mentoring shows others that selflessness, teamwork, and passion toward a goal can be achieved together. I also built long-lasting friendships with my mentee so that we could talk about different aspects of life besides CRNA school. For me, mentoring emphasizes the essence of belongingness, making us see that even impossible goals are achievable. In my program, I also have mentees, and I am humbled by the number of younger residents who reach out to me for help and guidance. It inspires me to do better daily because I know every knowledge and skill I learned can pass to my mentee. Finally, with this scholarship, I would continue Edward's legacy through a continuous desire to learn and help others and bring my energy and smile every day, knowing that I could help change someone's life by being a mentor. Thank you.