CRNA in Air Force vs Army vs Navy

lindarn · Sep 20, 2007

Hey everyone,
Is there a real difference between being a CRNA in the air force vs army vs navy?
I am assuming that a CRNA in the Army can work in a Forward Surgical Team while also operating in a standard army hospital.
How does the job differ for AF and Navy CRNA's?
Thanks,
rich

Unless things have changed, the AF, and Navy, will not guarantee you a slot in anesthesia school when you commission, but the Army will guarantee you a slot, so you won't go in and have to "jump through hoops" before you get to anesthesia school, if you get in at all.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

Vich · Sep 20, 2007

Unless things have changed, the AF, and Navy, will not guarantee you a slot in anesthesia school when you commission, but the Army will guarantee you a slot, so you won't go in and have to "jump through hoops" before you get to anesthesia school, if you get in at all.
Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN
Spokane, Washington

You misunderstood my question. I am not interested about anesthesia school for the army or navy. I am interested about the role of a CRNA in the various branches and how they compare and contrast.

ready4crna? · Sep 20, 2007

Practice does not change regardless of where you practice, you are still responsible for the anesthetics you administer. But I can tell you this: My father works at walter reed and they are having a large amount of civilian CRNA's in because of forward deployed officers(CRNA). So, from his perspective, CRNA's are deployed more than the MD's.(can't verify it for you though.)

I know that shipboard anesth is routinely done by primarily CRNA's.

as far as AF, no clue.

Basically, autonomy is available just like stateside- the less desireable the locale, the more likely your going to find a CRNA passing the gas.

There was also a link on gaspassah.com that was to a Spec.Forces CRNA that let you see what his day was like.

proclivity · Sep 21, 2007

Practice does not change regardless of where you practice, you are still responsible for the anesthetics you administer. But I can tell you this: My father works at walter reed and they are having a large amount of civilian CRNA's in because of forward deployed officers(CRNA). So, from his perspective, CRNA's are deployed more than the MD's.(can't verify it for you though.)
I know that shipboard anesth is routinely done by primarily CRNA's.
as far as AF, no clue.
Basically, autonomy is available just like stateside- the less desireable the locale, the more likely your going to find a CRNA passing the gas.
There was also a link on gaspassah.com that was to a Spec.Forces CRNA that let you see what his day was like.

i was in the military for 5 years. I do not recommend joining for the sole purpose of gettng into CRNA school. There is too much of a heirarchy regarding time in the service, time at your duty station, and of course the waiting to go , not because you are the most qualified but because you are behind another gal or guy at the same duty station. They do pay for a lot of stuff like old student loans etc, but you can make enough to pay off the loans incurred during CRNA school inside of 2-3 years. Just my opinion.

allnurses Guide · Sep 21, 2007

Hey everyone,
Is there a real difference between being a CRNA in the air force vs army vs navy?
I am assuming that a CRNA in the Army can work in a Forward Surgical Team while also operating in a standard army hospital.
How does the job differ for AF and Navy CRNA's?
Thanks,
rich

As far as the AF we deploy to the same spots as the Army, mostly we stay on AF bases but not always. The AF forward deploys, has Forward surgical teams etc.

The main differences between the three directly related to being a CRNA as I was told...is that the level of independence is the greatest in the Navy, then the Army and finally the AF.

Capt E, USAF, SRNA

deepz · Sep 22, 2007

......link on gaspassah.com that was to a Spec.Forces CRNA that let you see what his day was like.

http://www.gaspasser.com/CRNAinIraq.html

.

proclivity · Sep 22, 2007

As far as the AF we deploy to the same spots as the Army, mostly we stay on AF bases but not always. The AF forward deploys, has Forward surgical teams etc.
The main differences between the three directly related to being a CRNA as I was told...is that the level of independence is the greatest in the Navy, then the Army and finally the AF.
Capt E, USAF, SRNA

Captain,

Do you have any idea why the levels of autonomy are so different? Also, do you know what type of autonomy it is.....say procedural, like floating a swan in the Navy and not in the Airforce, or maybe being able to do emergent trauma anesthesia in one branch and not the other?

Just curious.....I am not surprised to see that the levels of autonomy are present, rather i am surprised that they differ by a magnitude great enough for it to be considered when choosing a branch.

allnurses Guide · Sep 22, 2007

Captain,
Do you have any idea why the levels of autonomy are so different? Also, do you know what type of autonomy it is.....say procedural, like floating a swan in the Navy and not in the Airforce, or maybe being able to do emergent trauma anesthesia in one branch and not the other?
Just curious.....I am not surprised to see that the levels of autonomy are present, rather i am surprised that they differ by a magnitude great enough for it to be considered when choosing a branch.

The AF still has a large level of autonomy. When I talk about the autonomy in the AF, in general an AF CRNA is allowed to do anything that they are trained to do and the facility allows (most facilities that have anesthesiology residents seem to be the most restrictive...they want the residents to do the hearts etc.). AF CRNAs are required to consult w/ an anesthesiologist when doing an ASA 3+, but even this I have seen waived when it was only CRNAs at the hospital. The consult usually is all of about 30sec and is more of formality than anything else.

I don't know about individual procedures that AF CRNAs can or can't perform in the military. I have never seen the CRNA float a swan. I am in a front loaded program, so I haven't started clinicals, yet. They may do that when doing heart cases, but again I don't know. Most of AF CRNAs really like being in the AF....they deploy usually every cycle for 4months, but that is nothing compared to the Army that deploys for 12-15months+ at a time.

Don't know if that helps, but feel free to PM if you want.