The Super CRNA looks like a great children’s book. Any plans to turn it into a series?
My plan is to definitely turn this into a series. This first book was a small introduction into the profession of nurse anesthesia and gave just a glimpse of Mike and Ty’s relationship. I plan to delve a lot deeper into the career and make it a fun and magical learning experience for young readers. I’m already working on the next book in the series and hope to release it by next year.
How were the illustrations done in The Super CRNA?
I used an illustrator by the name of Manuel Nieto out of Venezuela. He was really great to work with and captured the characters exactly how I envisioned them. I definitely plan to work with him again in the future as the series expands.
What inspired you when writing The Super CRNA?
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist are often referred to as the hidden gems of Advanced Practice Nursing. A lot of people have either never heard of the career or hear about it much later in life. I wrote this book so that young readers can learn about it early on. We know that children are sponges and also that representation matters. I thought it was important to write a series that was both interesting and educational for young and mature readers in order to highlight the CRNA profession. The characters received their names from my older brothers Michael and Tyrone. The visual representation of Mike is from a Student Registered Nurse Anesthetist by the name of Everett Moss. He also wrote the introduction. I thought it was important for young men to see a real-life male nurse representing the nursing profession and let them see that real-life superheroes do exist.
Did anything stick out as particularly challenging when writing The Super CRNA?
It was actually challenging to launch the book. The book had been written and finished for months, but I sat it on a shelf and didn’t touch it. When covid-19 hit I knew that it was an essential time to get it out to readers especially once the Black Lives Matter movement was highlighted again with the death of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I’m originally from a small city in Western Massachusetts. After high school, my mother was diagnosed with stage four uterine cancer with a very poor prognosis and I knew I would need a career that would allow me to provide for myself, and also reward me with caring for others. She passed away at the beginning of my junior year of nursing school in September 2000. In 2002 I graduated from North Carolina A& T State University with my BSN and began my ICU nursing career in Raleigh, NC. I did a plethora of different jobs over the next 8 years before finally deciding to apply to CRNA school. I had only heard about the CRNA profession once, very briefly in my Nursing 101 course back at A&T. My brother Ty encouraged me to follow my dream career, and I began applying the same month that he was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident. I applied to 7 programs, was interviewed by 6, rejected by 4, waitlisted by 1 and finally got my “Yes” at Rutgers University, Newark. I graduated with my MSN in Nurse Anesthesia in December 2012 and the rest has been history.
Where can readers find out more about your work?
Readers can check out my author page on amazon using this link
amazon.com/author/thesixfigurecrna
They can also follow me on Instagram at crysgcrna and Facebook as Crystal G-e
