Voices of Experience 2008 - 2009

An Interview with Sandra Erickson, CRNA
By Michele Ardigo, CRNA, MS
September 2008

A generation which ignores history has no past: and no future.
- Lazarus Long, from the works of Robert Heinlein

I open with this quote because it came to mind upon reflection of my interview with Sandra Erickson, CRNA.  Its truth is so blatant and appalling at the same time.  Its relevance to our current state of practice is so important.  I encourage you to read the following interview and then reread the opening quote.  If it would serve to motivate just one more CRNA in California to fight our battle, Sandy and I would be overjoyed.

Sandy Erickson graduated from her 3- year nursing program at Greenville General Hospital in 1969.  This was considered a premier nursing school in South Carolina at the time.  During her senior year cardiac rotation at the VA hospital, she observed CRNAs doing open heart anesthesia as solo practitioners.  Thus her interest in the nurse anesthesia profession was born.  She thought to herself, “How cool.  I think I’d like to do that myself.”  In 1969 university campuses across the nation were embroiled in civil rights and war protests.  The campus at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, was no different.  Passing through a line of National Guardsmen Ms. Erickson - in her last months of nursing school - made her way to her interview for anesthesia school.  The program director thought very highly of her nursing program.  He had instructed several of her alumni nurses in his program. He immediately accepted her upon the completion of her nursing program.  On August the 29^th, she had exactly one weekend to celebrate, as she started anesthesia school the following Tuesday morning.  Her program director excused her from class the next month to take her RN boards with this reminder- “You have two careers riding on the outcome of this test.  Make sure you pass.”  Of course, she did.

To support herself during anesthesia school, Ms. Erickson worked the evening shift on the med/surg floor at the county hospital.  This part-time job would encompass the extent of her nursing experience.  Sandy’s anesthesia program was 18 months long.  School tuition was $125 for the first year and $150 for the second year.  Work and call was shared equally between the SRNAs and the anesthesia residents.  All were given a monthly stipend of $150 a month, with $50 increases each 6 months completed.

Upon graduation from her anesthesia program, Ms. Erickson returned to Greenville General Hospital as a staff anesthetist.   Her first year of work at “the Knife and Gun Club of Greenville” was exciting, rewarding, and extremely educational.  In the summer of 1972, Sandy Erickson became active duty Air Force.  Her plan was to leave Greenville far behind and go to Florida.  The Air Force had no plans for her in Florida and offered her the choice of Alabama or California.  “Alabama would be just like staying in Greenville, so California was an easy choice for me,” said Erickson.  “Then they asked if I wanted to go to Victorville or Sacramento.  I had never heard of Victorville so I chose Sacramento.”  Her first year was spent at Mather AFB, but she soon found what the USAF had promised wasn’t exactly what was delivered.  For instance, she never was told she would be granted the distinction of the first ever female to live in the Bachelors Officers Quarters.  Housing at the BOQ was complimentary but the electricity was turned off on the weekends which made for undesirable living conditions.  She spent her second year of active duty in the Philippines.  During those years, 2^nd Lt. Erickson was compensated for her work well done at a rate of $179 a month.  Upon her arrival back in the States, Sandy decided active duty life did not suit her, so she transferred to the Reserves.  Here she happily served the next ten years as a flight nurse and the remainder as a CRNA.  Sandy Erickson retired from the Air Force Reserve as a Colonel after 29 years. 

Upon leaving active duty military, Ms. Erickson took a staff position at UC Davis.  She left three months later to work for Kaiser Sacramento in March 1975.  In 1981, she became the Chief Anesthetist of that department.  When Kaiser built a new hospital in South Sacramento, she was chosen to build up this brand new department as Chief Anesthetist.  In 1998, Kaiser once again called upon Sandy to build a new department.  She transferred to Kaiser San Jose, CA.   She forged new ground, as this Kaiser facility had always had an all MDA staff.  CRNAs would be a new complement to their anesthesia department.  Of course, change came harder for some than others but Sandy looked at it as an opportunity to create new jobs for CRNAs in the state.  This is still where she practices today as Chief Anesthetist.

Sandy Erickson has always had a strong sense of duty to her profession.  She was involved in student government when she was in nursing school.  Her anesthesia program director impressed upon her the need to be forever politically active at the state level.  Ms. Erickson attended her first CANA meeting in 1972 and hasn’t stopped since.  At the time of her first meeting, a recent Attorney General opinion restricted CRNAs from doing regional anesthesia.   At the time, there was nothing written about CRNAs in statute.  The Nursing Practice Act made no mention of CRNAS.  So in 1972, the California Attorney General issued a moratorium on CRNAs practicing regional anesthesia.  It took the efforts of a few tireless and dedicated CANA members eleven long years to get the Nurse Anesthetist Act passed and the AG’s opinion reversed.  During these 11 years, Sandy served as Program Chairwoman for the Sacramento meetings, as well as serving on the Government Relations Committee.  She was elected a 2 year Trustee in 1985.  Ms. Erickson was President Elect in 1987 and then President the following year.  During this time she also served as the BRN liaison.  She was instrumental in getting the BRN to understand the challenges of CRNA practice.   In 1996, Sandy applied for a Direct Practice member vacancy on the BRN.  She didn’t get a response until 1998, when Governor Pete Wilson appointed her to the California BRN as a board member.  After one year, she was elected Vice -President, followed by four years as President.  She was reappointed to the BRN when Gray Davis was elected Governor.  She is the first CRNA to ever serve on the BRN.  During her time on the BRN, she was instrumental in upholding California standards for on-line nursing programs.

When I asked Sandy Erickson what she thought was the promise and the problems of our future were, she was quick to reply.  She sees our three main problems as 1) A small cadre of people carrying the load of too many who are indifferent;  2) Strong MD opposition in California and across the United States to independent CRNA practice;  3) Educational programs not preparing CRNAs to practice independently at their full scope.  Sandy is quick to point out that “salaries are what they are because of an open market.  That is, thanks to the CRNAs who DO practice independently around the country, because therefore we all benefit economically.”  She thinks there is promise in our future only if we can change the above outlined problems. Ms. Erickson points out that we are fighting the same battle (but a somewhat different topic) today as Sophie Winton and Dagmar Nelson did in 1936.  Ms. Erickson stresses we have to continue to fight for recognition in the laws because that is how legal judgments about our scope of practice are made.  Sandy Erickson loves her profession, but like too many of us, she is not ignorant of our past.  She hopes there are enough of us who will behold our lessons of the past and have the will to fight to keep our profession viable. 

To know nothing of what happened before you were born
is to remain forever a child.
- Cicero