The secret's out so give up now!?

Please, if you believe this I have some oceanfront property and a bridge in Arizona to sell, along with a Nigerian bank account with millions in it just give me your account number so I can transfer the funds so we can both profit.
Seriously, the only areas that are "flooded" are the ones with a school in them, and I guarantee they will not turn you away without at least talking to you. There are jobs everywhere and will be for quite some time. The best paying and most autonomous will be rural as it has always been, but have no fear work is here there and everywhere.

I am not a CRNA, so I don't have role-specific information to provide ....

... but anyone going into any specialized role needs to realize that job market in any profession has its ups and downs. In particular, the cities in which the big schools are located tend to have a much tighter job market than areas that don't have schools nearby.

I've seen it happen with NP roles. I've had lots of NP friends struggle to find good jobs in areas near the schools from which they graduated. With all the graduates of the schools in the area looking for similar jobs, there is a lot of competition. However ... 200 miles away, there might be a great job available in area in which there is not school churning out a class of new NP's every year.

It's not unique to the nursing profession. It's common in a lot of fields. The more specialized you get ... and the more advanced your education... the more narrow your job search -- and that sometimes means having to move or make other compromises that you may not have planned on.

I hope some CRNA's can give you some specific information on the job market in geographic areas that interest you.

I have heard that the schools can not keep up and the career outlook is promissing.

Please do not believe this CRNA! I am a senior student in a nurse anesthesia program in Virginia and believe me there are tons of job opportunities. I graduate in Dec. 2008 and I get asked everyday in clinical where I'm going to work or if I've signed anywhere yet. Just look on www.gaswork.com or any other CRNA job site and you will see the amount of work available. I get e-mails and flyers from CRNA recruiters at least 3-4 times/week. Some jobs are open for many months or not filled at all due to the lack of CRNAs. Again, if you desire to become a CRNA go for it! There will be a job waiting for you when you graduate. I know that 1/3 of my class has already signed on for a job if that helps.

Go to www.aana.com and read the aana news bulletin march 2008 issue. The number of graduating crnas each year is not enough to fill the vacant spots!

Think about this question from a purely demographic point of view...the majority of our population in the US (the boomers) are aging...this means more hospital admissions, more procedures, more elective surgeries than there are now...by 2-3 fold increase this = more procedures in all types of surgery settings (hospital, surgicenter, eye, dental, plastics, etc...) This is without even considering the ever expanding current war veterans (Thank you to all who serve and God bless) who will require multiple procedures for years to come. More demand = more supply (that's us).
If I were you I would report this CRNA for suspicion of working under the influence because he must be smoking some goodies from the narc drawer.

Three words for ya:

Baby Boomers Retiring

Nuff said

Marc

[quote=Mannursemike;2787230]Everytime I get the opportunity to pick a CRNA's brain, i do so. Recently I was basically told "the secrets out and you will need to be lucky to get a job even IF you get through school". They gave the impression that in 5 years there will be far more CRNAs than there will be positions. I wasn't sure if the CRNA was simply sick of being spoken to or honestly believed this to be an issue. As if that didn't concern me enough, there are a few posts in another thread that claim there is ALREADY an overflow of CRNAs in school-cities such as Philly and New Orleans. This talk is concerning for someone who has been dedicated and working for years towards the final goal of becoming a CRNA. However, I also understand that the truth isn't always what we want to hear but must be dealt with eventually.

Can anyone else comment on this? Is it really "too late" to get into this fantastic field? Will rural postions be the only ones left?

That CRNA is on crack brother. I have been a CRNA for 10 years. Believe me, their will be plenty of jobs by the time you finish. Some of the reasons have already been mentioned but here are a few facts. The average age of a CRNA is 45 years old. Attrition will be a major factor in the next 10 to 20 years. PA is the only state in the country considered to have too many CRNAs. However, PA also has more CRNA schools than any other state. Contrary to a previous statement, even areas that have schools continue to have CRNAs vacancies. Jobs are not hard to find. However, the job you want may not be there--but it will eventually.

The one major factor about being a CRNA is knowing what type of practice you want to work in. What you think you want while in school often turns out different by the time you graduate or within your first year of practice. As time goes by, you learn the nuances of being a CRNA and your ideals begin to change. Don't be in a hurry to sign on. I have lost count of the number of students that commit to a practice and then wish they could change down the road. Practices can be as different as the stars in the sky. Keep an open mind. Go to the major conferences--the menu gets bigger. The advertised jobs are only a fraction of what is out there. Frankly, the 'less than desirable' jobs get advertised because they have difficulty filling the spots. Always evaluate these jobs closely. Good jobs rarely get advertised. Just some general rules to keep in mind. I hope this helps. Drive on with your goals. You'll have a job.

I am in NC. I will not start school until August, and will not graduate until Aug 2010. I have had at least 5 job offers with stipends as high as $50,000(4-5 year commitment) before even beginning school.
-Smiley