Navy Corpsman Overcomes Hurdles to Chase CRNA Dream

Wayne Dorman’s path to George Fox University’s Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) program has been anything but linear. In fact, it’s been downright bumpy and heartbreaking at times, but a desire and determination to serve others – to alleviate the pain and anxiety of his patients – has placed him on the brink of fulfilling his dream.

Dorman, a first-year student in the newly launched CRNA program, is still pinching himself: He honestly can’t believe he is here, pursuing a career years in the making. His story is colored with multiple setbacks and disappointments, shaped by military service, academic struggles, resilience in the face of chronic illness, and a calling he couldn’t shake.

A Career-Defining Discovery

His introduction to the medical field began in the U.S. Navy, where he served four years as a hospital corpsman. He later found work as a flight corpsman with the Marine Air Wing. But it wasn’t until a later assignment at Naval Hospital Bremerton in Washington that he discovered the career that would change the trajectory of his life.

While working in the obstetrics department, Dorman witnessed an anesthesia provider place an epidural for the first time. “I was enamored by everything they did, from the technical precision of the placement to the epidural kit and cart that contained all the supplies,” he recalls. Shortly thereafter, he watched a rapid sequence intubation. That sealed it. “I decided I wanted to explore this world more,” he says.

A year later, Dorman became an anesthesia technician – a role he carried into civilian life when he left the military. As he gained experience, a bigger dream took root.

He worked as an anesthesia tech for 15 years before becoming an ICU nurse, with the end goal of becoming a CRNA. That dream, however, required going back to school – a hurdle he wasn’t excited about, to say the least.

“Having not only done poorly in high school and not beginning college until I was 25, I had to start over in math. Do you know there is a Math 060? It’s basically elementary math,” he says with a laugh. “But I was determined and chipped away slowly.”

Overcoming Obstacles

Determination became the defining theme of his journey. While juggling full-time work and raising a young family, Dorman also battled Crohn’s disease, a chronic condition diagnosed when he was 24. “For anyone with a chronic condition, it tries its best to run your life,” he says. But he refused to let it define him. Instead, he pushed forward even as doors repeatedly closed.

Dorman applied to nursing school at Oregon Health & Science University – twice – and was denied both times. “There was a time I didn’t think nursing was meant to be for me,” he admits.

At 35, feeling pressure to move forward, he re-enrolled at Oregon State University with plans to pursue a degree in kinesiology. But then came the email – an unexpected message advertising an accelerated bachelors of nursing degree program at a Portland institution. He clicked, received a follow-up phone call from an admissions counselor, and his dream of becoming a nurse was rekindled.

“For me, I felt as if it was God’s calling all along,” he says.

“All those setbacks, all those delays and struggles academically, were just in preparation for the path God placed me on.”

‘Precisely Where I Was Meant to Be’

That same sense of purpose followed him as he applied to George Fox’s CRNA program. As a member of the inaugural CRNA cohort, he sees his arrival at Fox as nothing short of providential.

“I feel that a higher purpose was meant for me, manifesting with my journey to George Fox,” he says.

“This is precisely where I was meant to be, at this exact moment. Every past struggle, every delay, served only to prepare me for this opportunity. I am filled with overwhelming pride and joy to be here at this time and blessed beyond measure.”

Dorman’s passion for the CRNA profession is rooted in years spent in anesthesia, in both support and nursing roles. “It’s all I know,” he says. It’s also the unique blend of skills that appeals to him – “a fine balance of science, art and technical abilities” is how he describes it.

He also values the trust patients place in anesthesia providers, often within minutes of meeting them. Having been a surgical patient himself, he knows how powerful compassion and reassurance can be.

“If I can make the scary surgical experience better for patients, then all the hard work and years of school will be worth it.”

Dorman also appreciates the autonomy CRNAs have in Oregon, one of the states that allows independent practice. “I take it as a great honor to not only be a student in this state, but also a future provider,” he says.

Looking ahead, he envisions working in rural Oregon and completing a chronic pain fellowship. Long term, he imagines opening his own practice. On a personal note, he hopes to earn a black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu within the next five years – another testament to his commitment to discipline and perseverance.

Choosing George Fox was about more than proximity or convenience. For Dorman, it was the people and the mission that drew him in.

“From day one, I have felt a strong connection with the professors and staff,” he says. He also appreciates the distance-learning structure, which allows him to balance graduate education with his family life with wife and four daughters, ages 10-18, in Albany, Oregon. Most of all, he’s grateful for the program’s leadership. “We are so blessed to have [Bill] Prosser and [Aaron] Whitley at the helm,” he says. “They are constantly advocating for us so we can have the best clinical experiences possible.”

Looking back, Dorman is humbled by the distance he’s traveled – from his small-town Oregon roots in Myrtle Creek to Navy corpsman, from Math 060 to doctoral-level anesthesia training. “I still can’t believe it’s happening,” he says. “I just feel so fortunate to be a part of this.”