From Acute Care to Anesthesia: A Duke CRNA Journey
Joey Schwind came to Duke knowing he wanted to be a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), but along the way discovered the value of taking on leadership roles. From his early days as an acute care nurse to his time in Duke's Nurse Anesthesia program, Schwind's experiences have shaped his commitment to providing high-quality anesthesia care. In an interview, he shared his nursing journey.
What was your career prior to coming to the School of Nursing?
Before starting the Nurse Anesthesia program at Duke, I spent three and a half years as an acute care nurse. After graduating from the ABSN program at North Carolina Central University, I began my career in the Emergency Department at a critical access hospital in Roxboro, NC in January 2020, just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2021, I transitioned to the Medicine ICU at UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill, where I took on leadership roles as a Clinical Nurse III and charge nurse. These experiences solidified my passion for critical care and prepared me for the transition to the Nurse Anesthesia program.
What initially made you want to become a nurse? Was there a specific experience that steered you towards nursing?
From a young age, I knew I wanted a career in healthcare, but it wasn’t until high school that I realized nursing was the right path for me. My mother’s 30+ year career in nursing—first in labor and delivery, and later in perioperative care—had a profound influence on my decision.
During the summers, I volunteered at the hospital she worked for, gaining exposure to different roles within the operating room. I had the opportunity to shadow surgeons, OR nurses, and CRNAs, each of whom played a vital part in patient care. While I found every role fascinating, what stood out most was the continuous, hands-on patient interaction that nurses provided. That level of connection and established trust resonated with me in a way that other healthcare professions did not, ultimately leading me to choose nursing as my career.
Why Duke?
I have lived here for over a decade and have attended UNC-Chapel Hill, NCCU, and now Duke. I like to say that I have completed the academic circuit of the Durham-Chapel Hill region. I love everything about this area—the lively food and arts scene, the history, and of course, the Tobacco Road rivalry (Go Heels!). When it came time to choose a nurse anesthesia program, I wasn’t ready to leave, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to continue my education here at Duke.
On my interview day, I was especially impressed by the faculty’s genuine commitment to student success. Their dedication, combined with the school’s strong emphasis on improving health equity and access, made it clear that this was the right fit for me. Duke offered everything I was looking for in a CRNA program—exceptional education, meaningful clinical opportunities, and a mission that aligns with my passion for expanding access to care.
One of the highlights of my Duke experience has been the access to top-tier nursing professionals, a wide range of clinical site opportunities, and resources like the Center for Nursing Discovery. Additionally, experiences such as serving as a student representative for the NC Association of Nurse Anesthetists have further enriched my education. These opportunities have reaffirmed that choosing Duke was the right decision for my nurse anesthesia training.
What steered you towards Nurse Anesthesia?
My interest in anesthesiology began in high school when I took a health sciences course, which included a three-month shadowing experience with a medical professional. I was fortunate to have a CRNA at a local hospital in Lenoir, NC, agree to mentor me. At the time, I couldn’t fully articulate what drew me to anesthesia, but after years of working in acute care, I now have a much deeper understanding.
Growing up in a rural area of Western NC, I witnessed firsthand the challenges of healthcare access in underserved communities. These experiences instilled in me a deep commitment to ensuring that patients in rural areas receive high-quality anesthesia care. CRNAs play a critical role in expanding healthcare access in these regions, often serving as the sole anesthesia providers in rural hospitals and surgical centers.
“CRNAs play a critical role in building trust, as patients place their lives in our hands during one of their most vulnerable moments.”
I am drawn to the one-on-one patient care that CRNAs provide, guiding patients through the entire perioperative experience—from pre-op to PACU (Post-Anesthesia Care Unit). A common misconception is that CRNAs don’t engage much with their patients because they “just put them to sleep,” but that couldn’t be further from the truth. CRNAs play a critical role in building trust, as patients place their lives in our hands during one of their most vulnerable moments.
Beyond patient interaction, I enjoy the problem-solving and critical-thinking aspects of anesthesia. Whether it’s tailoring an anesthetic plan to a patient’s comorbidities, managing intraoperative challenges, or addressing specific perioperative needs, the role requires constant adaptability and clinical expertise. Additionally, the leadership required of a CRNA in the operating room is something I value, as our demeanor and decision making influence the entire surgical team.
Anesthesiology combines all the aspects of patient care that I find most fulfilling—critical thinking, leadership, and direct patient impact—which is why I chose this path.
You were selected to serve as a student representative on the NC Association of Nurse Anesthetists (NCANA). How has that experience been? How will it guide you in your future CRNA career?
Each year, three student representatives from North Carolina’s six CRNA programs are selected on a rotating basis to serve on the NCANA Board of Directors. Being chosen for this role has been an invaluable experience, shaping my perspective on the profession.
Serving on the board has given me firsthand insight into the advocacy and policy efforts that protect CRNA practice at the state level. It has been eye-opening to see the work that goes into professional governance and the impact of legislative involvement. Additionally, engaging with fellow CRNAs and SRNAs (Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists) from across the state has allowed me to appreciate the diversity of nurse anesthesia practice in North Carolina, stay informed about current challenges facing advanced nursing and nurse anesthesia practice, and learn how to effectively advocate for our profession to lawmakers, other healthcare and nursing professionals, and the public.
One of the most surprising and rewarding aspects of this experience has been how genuinely welcoming and receptive the board members have been to input from myself and the other student representatives. NCANA truly values its SRNAs, recognizing us as the future of the profession and encouraging our active participation in discussions that influence its direction.
What does the future look like for you?
I hope to practice in a setting that allows me to utilize the full scope of my CRNA training while gaining experience in a variety of clinical cases.
In the long term, I am committed to advancing the nurse anesthesia profession through advocacy, public education, and leadership. I plan to stay actively involved with NCANA, potentially taking on a leadership role to help shape the future of nurse anesthesia practice in North Carolina. Additionally, I have a strong interest in higher education and look forward to mentoring and teaching future generations of CRNAs, whether through formal academic involvement or clinical precepting.
Learn more about Duke's Nurse Anesthesia program.