Erica Bryant

SRNA
Drexel University Nurse Anesthesia Program – Class of 2015

The love of science has been instilled in me for as long as I can remember. My grandmother and numerous aunts were nurses and my father was biology major in college. This passion for science was reflected in my first career choice as a Cytotechnologist. As a cytotechnologist I studied the vastness of the human body on a cellular level and continued to marvel as I learned to thoroughly understand the human cell and how various disease processes affected it.

While my career allowed me to help patients indirectly, not having direct contact with them left me feeling unchallenged and frustrated. In 2004 I decided to do something about my frustration and began to extensively research the many fields of study that pertained to Health Sciences. As I weighed my options, I found the nursing profession to be a natural fit for my intellectual and nurturing capabilities. READ MORE

As I researched various careers in nursing, it had also become my decision at this time to pursue a degree in advanced practice nursing. I became interested in Anesthesia, a discipline which appealed to my natural affinity for human physiology. Equipped with a new found passion for the Nurse Anesthesia profession, a friend had told me about Dr. Wallena Gould and her mission to mentor minorities interested in pursing a career in nurse anesthesia. I attended my first Diversity Information Session in 2008. It was at this meeting, I met and heard from the AANA Past President of 1973, Goldie Brangman, CRNA, MBA;what an absolute honor.

Through Dr. Gould’s encouragement and mentorship I am now enrolled in Drexel University’s Nurse Anesthesia Program. I can truly say that I would not have been able to make it as far as I have if it had not been for the Diversity in Nurse Anesthesia Mentorship program. Thanks ever so much Dr. Gould for the tremendous sacrifices you have made to make the dream of becoming a Nurse Anesthetist a reality for me and so many other minorities. GOD Bless you!!!

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