Experienced CRNA...ask me anything

Specialties CRNA

Updated:   Published

Okay...If you've read my posts you know that I will be retiring soon.

Now is your chance to ask a practicing CRNA anything.

12 years of experience from solo rural independent to medical-direction urban ACT. Former Chief and Clinical Coordinator of SRNAs.

I will not reveal my identity, specific locations, employers, or programs.

Anything else...ask away.

Specializes in Anesthesia, Pain, Emergency Medicine.

You should not witness your own consent. If the consent has a place for you to sign saying you "consented" the patient, that is different. I also won't witness the patient's signature, a nurse or another needs to witness it.

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Thanks for your time and honesty answering questions.

I am currently a NP and looking to go back to school for CRNA. I have always been interested in anesthesia but was worried about losing patient interaction. I have reconsidered because I would like a job that is more shift work and I don't take it home with me as well as challenged daily. Do you know anyone that is a NP/CRNA and do you see any added benefit of having the two degrees?

Thanks.

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Specializes in Anesthesia, Pain, Emergency Medicine.

I was a CRNA for 18 years and went back for my FNP. A few years later I also got my ENP.

Having a general medical knowledge will absolutely help your anesthesia practice. You will have a much greater knowledge of disease processes and treatments.

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Do you work as both a NP and CRNA currently and how do you do that? Do you feel as if it is difficult to stay up to date on everything being in two different roles?

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I am not sure if my question went through so if it did I apologize, but do you currently work in both roles as a NP and CRNA? If you do what does your typical work week look like as well as do you feel it has been difficult to stay up to date in both fields?

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Specializes in Anesthesia, Pain, Emergency Medicine.

I do work in both roles. Each role also utilizes the other. For instance in the ER, I'm great with trauma and airway management due to my years as a CRNA. I'm much better at medically managing a patient in the peri-operative period due to my NP.

I provide solo anesthesia coverage in a small CAH. I'm the only anesthesia provider. I cover OR, Ob and ER for critical care, trauma etc. I usually take 8-10 weeks off a year. Some of this time, I cover the ER at two neighboring rural hospitals that utilize NPs as the sole provider.

Staying up to date is easy. The CME can usually be used for both.

My typical week depends. If I'm covering anesthesia, I'm on 24/7 call. We have visiting surgeons that come certain days of the month. We do pediatric dental cases every Monday. Scopes every other week. Occasional pain management consults such as ESIs and such. I cover OB for epidurals and c-sections. I cover the ER for trauma, codes, airway management. i also do quite a few peripheral nerve blocks for fracture reductions, dislocations etc. We have FP clinic providers at the hospital I cover anesthesia at. A couple of them are not as strong in ER medicine and I'm happy to help. Chest tubes, FAST exams etc.

if I cover ER. I will do either 24 or 48 hours of coverage. Usually see 15/day so it's not overly busy. Occasional trauma or other more serious condition that gets shipped out.

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nomadcrna sounds like the ASA's worst nightmare. They would lose their mind if more CRNAs started showing their ability to practice to their full scope independently. Although, I'm sure they'll be fine as long as so many CRNAs sign up for comfy ACT jobs where an MDA has to watch you push your induction drugs because you're too uneducated to do it alone.

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Nurse4486 said:
Thanks for your time and honesty answering questions.

I am currently a NP and looking to go back to school for CRNA. I have always been interested in anesthesia but was worried about losing patient interaction. I have reconsidered because I would like a job that is more shift work and I don't take it home with me as well as challenged daily. Do you know anyone that is a NP/CRNA and do you see any added benefit of having the two degrees?

Thanks.

Nomad answered better than I ever possibly could.

I know a few CRNAs that were NPs prior to school, but they are all employed by anesthesia management companies in ACT practices. Surely they call on their NP knowledge base, but none keeps their NP certification/practice current.

I do not know any CRNAs that obtained NP after CRNA, but Nomad's example shows how beneficial this could be in clinical practice.

I will add that if you are seeking "shift work" you are less likely to find yourself practicing in the very independent setting that Nomad enjoys - even more so if you wish to remain in a desirable urban/suburban area. Research well, especially if you are geographically-restricted, to make sure that the jobs available to you will fit your long-term personal and career goals.

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Bluebolt said:
nomadcrna sounds like the ASA's worst nightmare. They would lose their mind if more CRNAs started showing their ability to practice to their full scope independently. Although, I'm sure they'll be fine as long as so many CRNAs sign up for comfy ACT jobs where an MDA has to watch you push your induction drugs because you're too uneducated to do it alone.

Be careful about chest thumping. ASA types look at examples like this as an admission that nurse anesthesia training and experience alone is inadequate. You aren't an NP so you're a lesser anesthesia provider than someone that does. See how it works?

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Hi 06crna, I have a question about EEG and consciousness.

EEG is a good indication of consciousness. Are there cases of anaesthesia awareness where the EEG readings did not show any signs of consciousness?

I'm asking this because many people under anaesthesia/cardiac arrest report floating on the ceiling and can see what's going on. Some people say it's anaesthesia awareness.

So I was wondering if you knew a case where EEG did not show any signs of consciousness, yet patient still experienced anaesthesia awareness.

I read a few anaesthesia awareness and it doesn't seem like they hallucinate floating on the ceiling. Do you have links to credible research on anaesthesia awareness?

I'm really interested to know if these float-on-ceiling things are real, for obvious reasons.

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Specializes in Anesthesia, Pain, Emergency Medicine.

We don't use EEG during anesthesia. Some will use a BIS monitor but the literature says that it is pretty much useless.

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Hey, so i am a new nursing student just starting my ADN program and my dream is to become a crna. Can you give me some advice on what to do and how to keep my GPA high? Becuase right now my GPA for undergrad is a3.1. Any advice would definetly help me on how to build my GPA or even how to make myself more competitive

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