Catching up with DNP Nurse Anesthesia Student Kitra Henker
Feb. 11, 2022
For University of Arizona Nurse Anesthesia student Kitra Henker, becoming a Wildcat Nurse was almost preordained: one of her earliest photographs depicts her as a baby wearing a UArizona Wildcats onesie. Add to that the fact that both her parents are University of Arizona Nursing alumni and you get a full picture of the kind of passion and allegiance that draws students to the College of Nursing. “I did not consider any other programs,” Henker says of her academic choice, although at first she was on the fence about pursuing a career in nurse anesthesia. “My dad is a nurse anesthetist and I have this weird complex about wanting to be my own person and do my own thing. But I couldn’t deny the fact that I just really like anesthesia. I was just fascinated by it.”
“People ask me a lot, ‘What is your favorite thing about anesthesia?’ and I have a very hard time pinning down one specific thing. I like the autonomy that comes with it. It’s fun to be the head person in the room that’s in charge of the patient’s safety and comfort and to treat pain," ~ Kitra Henker, DNP nurse anesthesia student
Why did you pursue a career in nursing?
Both of my parents are nurses, so I grew up around it. I got my first degree from the University of Arizona in biology, which led to working for the National Park Service. I got involved in search and rescue and realized I really like doing medical activities. So I looked into nursing a little bit more and then it just seemed like it fit.
What drew you to the Nurse Anesthesia specialty?
My first job out of nursing school was at an Intensive Care Unit at University Medical Center in Tucson. We had a lot of interaction with anesthesia and a lot of interaction with surgeons. I would watch them do different things like intubate and put in central lines, all the hands-on skills, and I just thought that looked really fun. I was fascinated by it. People ask me a lot, ‘What is your favorite thing about anesthesia?’ and I have a very hard time pinning down one specific thing. I like the autonomy that comes with it. It’s fun to be the head person in the room that’s in charge of the patient’s safety and comfort and to treat pain.
Can you tell us a little more about your background?
I’m originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Both my parents got their master’s degrees in nursing at the University of Arizona. I applied to the University of Arizona when I was 18. My first degree was in ecology and evolutionary biology, and then I got an internship at Saguaro National Park in Tucson. That’s where I was exposed to wilderness medicine, which I have a large passion for. It’s my favorite. As much as I loved biology, I wanted to go down a different path and found nursing.
What are your favorite features of the UArizona Nursing Anesthesia program?
I loved the fact that it was online, which allows you some flexibility to learn at your own pace. You can work your life around being in school. Another great thing about the program are the people in it. You spend time competing to get into the program, you compete in nursing school for grades, you compete once you get out into the real world for jobs. But once you get into the anesthesia program the competition is over. They make that very clear: We’re done competing, we are all in this together, we’re going to finish this as a team, support each other, get through it together. I loved that. My classmates are practically like family: you call them, you go out to eat with them, they understand what you’re going through.
Has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your studies?
It’s hard to say because I don’t know much pre-COVID. The program was online until December of 2020, so we were already online for the most part. A few of those simulation weeks either got shortened or cancelled, which was disappointing. The biggest impact that COVID had overall would be in the clinical setting and the effects it had across the health care system with surgeries getting cancelled. I did get experience intubating COVID patients at one clinical site.
What are your plans for the future?
I joined the army in Sept. of 2020 as a reservist. After school I will be going to the Officer School and training for the Army Nurse Corps. After that, I’m hoping to get a job somewhere in the Phoenix or Tucson area.
Do you have a piece of advice for students entering this field?
Anyone who is thinking about anesthesia should really investigate it. They should learn what is involved with the schooling process as well as the job itself, because the schooling process is ten times harder than anything I’ve ever been through. It is grueling and long and very hard. It’s not impossible but I would just say if you want to go into Anesthesia, just make sure. There are people who want to go into anesthesia because of the earning potential, but if that’s your driving force you will never make it through school. You really need to know what you’re getting into, get involved however you can, and learn everything you can about the schooling process and the job. If you still really have a passion for it at that point, then go for it.