The place for CRNAs: Andrew and Tam's story

Ever since they met as students in Duke’s Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) program, Tam Tran and Andrew Chamkasem have walked the same path. During the two-and-a half years of their training, they began a friendship that eventually grew into marriage. Today, they share three children and growing careers as MSN-CRNAs with Duke Health.

It all started with a chance meeting as students; prior to entering the program, the two didn’t know each other at all. Tam had been living in Charlotte, working first as a nurse aide in the ER and then in the ICU. Andrew was working in neuro and cardiothoracic ICUs in Greensboro before he went back to school at Duke, following a long-held dream of becoming a CRNA.

Their relationship grew over time, first as teammates on group projects, and then as friends who bonded as they shared the joys and struggles of student life. Having chosen the same specialty, they can relate to each other’s work lives on a level that few couples do.

For being a CRNA is no easy job. It requires earning the trust of patients and family members who may be quite fearful of surgery, and doing extensive amounts of preparation to ensure everything goes smoothly. 

Andrew and Tam have been delivering this meticulous care for patients since joining Duke Health in July 2016. Eight years later, the couple has found this to be an excellent place to start and grow a career.

“There’s a focus on research here, and we have the kind of technology and equipment you might not have elsewhere,” says Andrew. “We see critically complex surgeries and trauma situations, and many patients come just to see our amazing surgeon. There are some really great minds here.”

He cites the many practice areas that Duke was first to introduce, such as neuromuscular blockade recovery and abduct objective monitoring, or improvement in ventilation strategies for intraoperative patients. 

In fact, being part of a team of experts who are advancing their field is a major reason the two came to Duke—and stayed. Now, they are seeing that same kind of growth within themselves.

“As a student, I admired a lot of the experienced CRNAs and looked up to them,” says Tam. “I still do, but now, we’re starting to be the ones that younger nurse anesthetists come to for advice. It feels really rewarding to look back on our progress … and to know that every day there is something new to learn.”

But there’s one more thing that makes Duke Health special to Tam and Andrew: the family-friendly culture. As parents to three children (ages 3, 2, and 2 months), such flexibility is vital. 

As new parents, they sometimes worked the same schedule, but soon realized they needed to make a change.

“We went to our managers for help, and they provided a couple of different schedule options to try out,” says Andrew.

The two now work on opposite days, meaning someone is always home. As of this writing, they’re taking paternity and maternity leave to spend quality time with their newborn.

“If you want to start a family, this is a great place to do it,” says Tam. “But more than that—if you want a place to grow, a place to build on your knowledge and skills and provide patients with the very best care that you can … this is the place.”