March 15, 2021

My Why: Denise Christie, APRN CRNA

I had a phenomenal advanced biology teacher in high school who I really respected. Then in my senior year, I toured the College of St. Benedict and their nursing department. It just struck me as something that I wanted to do. While I was at St. Ben’s, I got my EMT license and that’s how I got my passion for critical care. One summer, I was even able to work in the ER at St. Cloud Hospital.

I try to remember that it’s a patient’s crisis moment.

Now I’m in the operating room day-in and day-out. That’s normal for me, but for the patients it is crisis mode. I try to remember that it’s a patient’s crisis moment. When they come in, I just try to ground them, let them know my name and that I’ll be there with them through the whole surgery. And I tell them, “I’m going take great care of you.”

Anesthesiology
St. Cloud Hospital