Valley Anesthesia Sweat Book

Studying anesthesia didactic is an arduous task. The achievement of foundational basic knowledge is the goal of every Nurse Anesthetist Student (SRNA). Between pathophysiology and pharmacology alone a mountain of information is piled very high that literally takes years to get comfortable with. For the SRNA becoming a competent practitioner requires lots of study time. Lots!

Valley Anesthesia Review to the rescue. The Valley Anesthesia people offer a review course that is designed to assist with the students' studies and direct the focus for preparing for the National Certifying Exam for Nurse Anesthetists. The national organization for nurse anesthetists, the AANA, conducts the certifying exam for graduates of approved nurse anesthesia programs once the student has graduated and is prepared. So what does all this mean?

Today I received in the mail the 2005 Sweat Book from Valley Anesthesia. This is a thick review in outline form of much of the pertinent information that is at the heart of the Certifying Exam. Currently the first year students at the USC Nurse Anesthesia Program are studying pathophysiology and advanced pharmacology. In looking through the Sweat Book, this is what the Valley Anesthesia folks call it; I noticed that a lot of the detail of what we are studying now is covered. Great! I can study for current didactic and review for boards at the same time. How cool is that. Actually, the Sweat Book will help to direct my readings in other texts that are available. There is a very nice list of Anesthesia Text books listed here on the web site if you are interested.

The text that has proven most useful lately is the Robert Stoelting and Stephen Dierdorf edition, "Anesthesia and Co-Existing Disease." All of the relevant pathophysiology and anesthetic implications for most conditions are elucidated clearly in this text. Co-Existing Disease is very cleanly written, precise and to the point as well as eminently readable. This is difficult for subjects that of necessity cover a lot of scientific material. There is a little handbook that is a companion volume for this text as well. It fits inside of a lab coat pocket nicely and carries well in the clinical arena. Again, very cool especially when doing preoperative assessments or looking up a disease process that should be reviewed before an anesthetic.

Valley Anesthesia Review course is booked! Several of my classmates have booked a trip back to Ohio for next fall. Yes, it is almost a year away but these classes fill up quickly. This will give us 6 months to review before our Certifying exam which will not be scheduled for about a year and one half. We have a ways to go yet you see.

I have been thinking of inviting several of my classmates to participate in this log of our journey through Nurse Anesthesia School. It could be something like a Travels with Charley saga, you never know.