All CRNAs need to READ this

Be careful.

A good end to this discussion might be:

I am a nurse, therefore I am not a physician.

A physician is a physician, therefore he/she is not a nurse.

well said...

I don't think WanaB implied that you couldn't deliver anesthesia safely. The point was anesthesiologists providing ICU expertise which is somthing that they do best. Sit CRNA down side by side with MDA in OR, and for the large majority of the cases, a surgeon or OR nurses couldn't tell the difference. But ICU care is another animal. W're NOT interchangeable. Each discipline has a place but agree that we could do with many less MDA's in the OR. Its all about the call schedule. No doc wants to take call every 3rd or 4th day unless you're in a small hospital.

No, I have never taken the MCAT or applied to med school because I have never had the desire to be a physician. I have always planned to become a CRNA when I reached all my critical care goals. I took the courses I did because I write medical publications. That is correct, medical not nursing publications. Currently I am co-authoring a medical ER book for Mosby that will be used by ED physicians. I am writing with an ED doc from California. I took all those extra science & math courses post-degree so that I could have a better knowledge base for my writing.

Egos, egos, egos...

I think those who feel the need to pit MDA's and CRNA's against each other are lacking something. The same with RN's who think they're smarter or better than doctors, and vice versa. Honestly, did you put all this time, work and money to get into a field just so you could put someone in their place, or prove a point?

I was facing a choice between going into nursing and becoming a doctor. I chose nursing. Why? Well, there are a lot of reasons. I wanted to begin working quickly, and the idea that I could be paid well and continue getting more certifications and education while I'm making decent money was intriguing to me.

Did I choose the path of least resistance? I was told I was competitive for med school, and could definitely get in. But I intend to become a CRNA instead. I don't think becoming a CRNA is a walk in the park. Yes, the courses and exams an MDA has to take are probably more challenging. But so what?

I chose to go into health care because I love learning and I love helping people, and I also wanted to make a good living. My goal is to provide the best care that I possibly can, to lift my teammates and co-workers, and do something I love. I don't have to prove anything to anyone. I just want a job that fulfills me both intellectually and in regards to my service to others.

Here's something to think about... if you're constantly feeling inadequate because you're not a doctor, why didn't you become one? And here's another thing... I've heard of doctors getting far worse grades than some nurses. The point is, it's not the role one plays, but how one plays it.

You can drive yourself crazy trying to outdo everyone. And there will always be someone who will "top" you. The point is, it doesn't matter. I firmly believe that if you're in these jobs to feed your ego, you are missing the point. One needs to be able to find joy in one's own experiences and successes, and not in the acceptance of others.

Very well said.

CRNA's and Ologists are for people who can't hack being an ICU nurse.
Just kidding!! I'm starting my own CRNA program in the Fall.
I see a lot of professional pride coming from this board. Becoming a CRNA is no easy task, from what I hear. And I have little doubt that making it through med school a walk in the park either, based on what I watched my sister go through. Speaking as a nurse with a sibling who is a physician, I find myself seeing both sides of the story. But the truth of the situation is that "skill" or "smarts" or whatever you want to say rest with the individual. Sometimes I'm "smarter" than Cardiovascular surgeons when it comes to guessing what my patient needs, and sometimes I'm not. I hear from all my scrub tech friends (I used to be one of them, too) that there isn't a difference at all between the CRNA's and the MDAs. Some are good, some are lousy, regardless of job title.
Having said that, as far as doctors being rude, well, no matter how high and mighty my sister acts, it always falls to me to remind her that of all of us kids, she was the only one who had worms.

I'm a nursing STUDENT and I recently had to tell an MD what essential hypertension meant!!

actually, you do not speak for all nurses.

I have taken a year of physics, inorganic, organic and a semester of biochem. I have As in all of my chemistry courses. The only thing between me and med school is ONE exam.

I chose the CRNA route - it has nothing to do with not being able to get into medical school. I do not wish to diagnose and treat disease - I only want to do anesthesia. That is the route i have chosen.