Why CRNAs are here to stay

Specialties CRNA

Published

I've heard some people say CRNAs are not going to be able to get good jobs in the NYC area, or that they will be passed over in favor of anesthesiologists.

Well, my opinion is, CRNAs are here to stay and the demand for them is only going to increase.

When you look at the skyrocketing costs of healthcare, and then you look at what a CRNA costs vs. an Anesthesiologist, it's pretty simple math. You can hire two nurse anesthetists for the cost of one Anesthesiologist . . . at least if we are comparing salaries.

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If you're a hospital administrator trying to keep your institution afloat, it's not just an easy decision, it's the only decision.

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Dont you think its unfair that CRNAs do the same job as MDAs yet get paid half as much?

I dont understand why thats supposed to be acceptable.

Equal work should be equal pay. CRNAs should be fighting to get the same reimbursement.

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Salaries have nothing to do with reimbursement, not directly anyway. We can bill as much as an insurance company is willing to pay. Salaries come into play when you work for an MD controlled practice. CRNA's can easily pull in as much as MD's if they control their own group.

As for hospital decisions on what to pay employee MD's and CRNA's, that is probably based on the hospital's practice standards and the MD's ability to bill for multiple cases, and get reimbursement for supervision.

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Dont you think its unfair that CRNAs do the same job as MDAs yet get paid half as much?

I dont understand why thats supposed to be acceptable.

Equal work should be equal pay. CRNAs should be fighting to get the same reimbursement.

Those of you who continue to think that they do exactly the same thing just kill me.

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Salaries have nothing to do with reimbursement, not directly anyway. We can bill as much as an insurance company is willing to pay. Salaries come into play when you work for an MD controlled practice. CRNA's can easily pull in as much as MD's if they control their own group.

As for hospital decisions on what to pay employee MD's and CRNA's, that is probably based on the hospital's practice standards and the MD's ability to bill for multiple cases, and get reimbursement for supervision.

The fact is that its INCREDIBLY rare for a CRNA to make as much as the average MDA. AVerage MDA pulls in over 350k per year! A CRNA making that much would put them almost 3 standard deviations above the mean, which means less than 1% of CRNAs make that much.

Besides, CRNAs are not "supervised" by MDAs. CRNAs have hte option of choosing to collaborate iwth MDAs in a group practice, but are not requried to do so.

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In my experience with CRNAs, they select lifestyle over compensation, less risky cases than cutting edge, and work less hours than the MD equivalents. The majority are female and many take time off for child bearing and raising children, than ultimately negatively impacts their income earning capabilities just as in many other female dominated fields. The groups I have been involved in that employed CRNAs found a rather definitive cutoff time plus or minus 30 min, afterwhich they wanted to be relieved so they could engage in their chosen lifestyle. All of these things add up in the attitudes of the surgeons, hospital administration, and MDA employers to mean the CRNAs may be shift workers, and therefore are paid accordingly. These choices made by CRNAs are not necessarily a negative thing....many MDs would love to be able to come in at 7A and be out the door by 3P on the average, but frequently that is not possible. Of course some CRNAs work in university hospitals doing liver transplant anesthesia and engage in research and in smaller hospitals take call just like MDs. But overall, CRNAs put in fewer hours and have more lifestyle choices. That is great for their families and kids....there cannot be a monetary value placed on spending time with family.

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I sure would like to know where the docs work more hours than the anesthetists. Our docs frequently get relieved earlier than the CRNA's, especially on Fridays, and I doubt my hospital is the exception. It's funny how much smarter we become after 3pm.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

Rural America uses CRNAs exclusively to staff the vast majority of hospitals, 24/7/365. That's where the big money is for CRNAs. MDAs don't want that lifestyle: too much work and too little money for them.

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The fact is that its INCREDIBLY rare for a CRNA to make as much as the average MDA. AVerage MDA pulls in over 350k per year! A CRNA making that much would put them almost 3 standard deviations above the mean, which means less than 1% of CRNAs make that much.

Besides, CRNAs are not "supervised" by MDAs. CRNAs have the option of choosing to collaborate iwth MDAs in a group practice, but are not requried to do so.

I understand your point about supervision. But go ahead and look for anything endorsed by the ASA or nearly any hospital doctrine and you'll see the word supervision.

Yes it is rare for a CRNA to make as much, yet it is not incredibly difficult either. Just gotta put up with the krap.

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Specializes in ED (Level 1, Pediatric), ICU/CCU/STICU.
Dont you think its unfair that CRNAs do the same job as MDAs yet get paid half as much?

I dont understand why thats supposed to be acceptable.

Equal work should be equal pay. CRNAs should be fighting to get the same reimbursement.

Sigh.. why don't your just add some more gas to that lit match? Ok, I'm finishing off my BSN in 1 year, then on to CRNA. I have worked with both sides of the anesthesia coin and I have to respond to this. Simple.. I'f you want to make that level of money and liability.. the answer is simple... go to medical school. This is a inflamatory statement that will lead nowhere except to "flame on" status.

CRNAs fill a critical role in the wonderful healthcare / surgical relm, and will continue to do so, with hopefully (in a perfect world) greater autonomy (professionally). Your statement adds nothing positive to this thread.

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In my experience with CRNAs, they select lifestyle over compensation, less risky cases than cutting edge, and work less hours than the MD equivalents. The majority are female and many take time off for child bearing and raising children, than ultimately negatively impacts their income earning capabilities just as in many other female dominated fields.

Well, you certainly have a lot of good points in your message. I also agree that nurse anesthetists choose lifestyle over hours worked, and are shift workers.

To be fair, it's not really a female dominated profession. It does have a very large percentage of females in it though.

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