Is the AA profession gaining ground?

Paindoc,

According to the AA website, CRNA and AA salaries are virtually the same. I've also read statements on this board that jwk's CRNA colleagues earn the same amount as his AA colleagues. Interesting. Makes me wonder what the real salary comparisons are?

"CRNAs have 75-80 % of the education time as a pain doc"

That's hilarious. CRNA = 2 years post-bac. Pain doc = 4 years med school + 4 years residency + 1 year fellowship = 9 years

2/9 = 22%

Don't forget that in order to be a CRNA, you must be an RN first, so you have to include nursing school education (2 or 4 years), and either way you must have a baccalaureate degree. Remember that you're including med school which allows them to become docs, not anesthesiologists. They still need to do 4 years of training for that. We do 2-3 years training in grad school.

Also, they don't have to do a fellowship...We do 6-7 years and they do 8-9.

Medical school is in addition to a 4 years bachelor's degree. Plus, my pre-med classes in my first undergrad were more difficult than the bachelor's level nursing classes I am taking now.

There really is no comparison.

Aren't you also getting paid during your residency at 100% resident pay?

-The following is a message from a student who is not yet an RN. Please take what is said with a grain of salt.-

It depends. Some Drs may opt for fellowships in cardiothoracic Anesthesiology, Neurosurgical Anesthesiology, Obstetric Anesthesiology, Critical Care Medicine, Trauma Anesthesiology, Transplant Anesthesiology, Research Program Fellowship, Pain Management Program Fellowship

They can be anywhere from 1 to 2 years long. They also have combined fellowship/mba and mph degrees.

4 years for a bachelors, 4 years of medical school, 4 years of residency, 1-2 years of OPTIONAL fellowship training = 12-14 years

CRNA- 2 years for an ADN + a Bachelors in a science related field or 4 years for a Bachelors (where I live every school I can apply to requires a Bachelors), 1 year min. ICU experience (again most of the accepted students at the schools I can apply to have around 3-10 years experience... I'll most likely apply after 2.), 2.5 years of CRNA school = 7.5-9.5 years

Drs make about the same pay as staff nurses when they are in residency, I think around 50k.

I thought about medical school for a while, but I am not able to go b/c it would require me to commute 1 hour to the school and 1 hour back every day. Doing that for four years... I have a daughter there is no way. And the residency is in that same spot so I would have to commute during that time too. Not to mention the nights on call sleeping at the hospital, 80-90 work hours a week, the fact that I wouldn't be able to work as a CRNA for 12 years min! I would miss half of my daughter’s childhood.

Now I can get my ADN at night and on weekends which fits my schedule, unlike the University I was attending. I can get my BSN online while I get my work experience, and decide which area in nursing is for me. If I decide to become a CRNA, then I make that terrible commute for the 2.5 years it takes for me to complete the CRNA program.

I have respect for every profession. Each has its challenges and rewards. There is not one profession that accepts people with minimum education, pays out the roof, and doesn't require sacrifice. If there is please sign me up! Everyone chose their respective program/education for personal reasons. Why can't we all just understand that? Maybe that is why we take what we think to be challenges to our profession so personally, b/c we made those choices for personal reasons! I hope that all 3 of these professions will be able to work side by side, and instead of creating hostility solve the shortage that we have, without putting anyone out of work or lowering their salary. Maybe I'm St. Theresa, I dunno.

Good Day.

If it were for the money, I would rather place my time into med school and become a flat out Anesthesiologists. Because after all of the time that I will have put into nurse anesthesia will have almost been the same amount of time. I am currently an RN seeking to become a CRNA, but I have looked at the alternatives of going to AA school and med school. I did do extensive research and I have seen long threads on Anesthesiology forums about them having the same arguments with CRNA's, that the CRNA's are having with AA's.

All I am trying to get at is this. What the heck is the problem, it is what we choose to do in the end. I could care less about what who makes what and who is better.

There is a whole lot of bashing going on.

Hackney Asked to Investigate Health-related Legislation :: WRAL.com


Posted: Apr. 5, 2007

RALEIGH, N.C. — A former Democratic consultant has asked House Speaker Joe Hackney to investigate any involvement three current or former House members had with legislation concerning nurse anesthetists...
...The ex-consultant, Joe Sinsheimer, said in a letter that Hackney should examine whether the legislators bottled up a bill that clarified that nurse anesthetists must work under the supervision of anesthesiologists and permitted anesthesiologist assistants to work in North Carolina.

When the specter of dirty politics by the AANA raises its ugly head, it is curious how everything falls silent.

Don't write off NC just yet.