First off, thanks for having me. I've enjoyed reading the forum, but haven't found a situation quite like mine. I'm hoping someone here will be able to offer some persepective.

Background: Went straight from high school to a four year BSN program, graduated in 1998. Worked FT as an RN in various critical care units until 2002 when I left FT bedside nursing for the pharmaceutical industry (adverse event surveillance). Continued to work per diem until early 2004; maintained my CCRN until 2006, when I no longer had hours to recert. While in pharma, employer had generous tuition reimbursement, so I went back to school for an MSN/FNP which I finished in 2006. Due to repayment obligations, remained full time in pharma while working per diem weekends as an FNP in a retail clinic for one year.

Now: Desperate to get out of pharma, and it may happen voluntarily or not (layoffs expected at my company). Have serious regrets about not pursuing CRNA when my critical care experience was fresh and I had fewer family obligations; along that winding road described above, I got married and had two little girls who are now 5 and 10 mths old. We do own a home and have bills like everyone else, and for me to quit working fulltime and go back to school (again!) would be a serious financial and emotional undertaking.

So, if you will, answer me these questions three:

1) Can anyone comment on doing their CRNA as a post-masters', especially if your acute care/hospital experience was a little distant? (I have no qualms about starting back up per diem in an ICU to refresh my critical care skills.)

2) If you did take this route, did you find your NP school experience to be very helpful in CRNA school?

3) Has anyone gone through anesthesia school with young children, and if so, how did everybody fare out? I'm thinking it would be good from a "short term sacrifices for long-term gains" situation, but I also know how fleeting these little years are and wonder if I'd be missing so much as to regret it.

Thanks for your help!

Why not a NP position? I'm curious because it seems there are more NPs all the time applying to CRNA programs.

From very limited experience-2 individuals-it doesn't seem to help much. One person quit after 8 weeks in the OR, and the other did OK but thought the nurse anesthesia program was a whole different ball game.

To be honest, practicing as an NP in primary care doesn't appeal to me that much - critical care is my true and original love in nursing, and anesthesia is obviously much closer to that than FNP. Basically, I did my FNP program because I wanted to get an MSN of some kind and it was possible to do that at very low out of pocket cost to me due to my employer's program (I am currently 3 years out of grad school and have no school debt). I could not have done an MSN/CRNA due to being unable to work during anesth. school - I continued my full time job while doing my FNP part time.

Also, I'll admit it's the money. In my market, CRNA's make more than twice what NPs do. So, if it's a choice between working full time as an NP in a role that doesn't thrill me, or part time as a CRNA (which I'm pretty sure I'd love) but making the same money, I'd rather have the additional time at home.

Just curious - have you looked into acute care NP certificate programs? You wouldn't get CRNA pay, but you could be back in critical care. If you don't have the time/resources to go through 28-36 months full time right now, at least you could do something that you'd enjoy.

I've thought about doing the ACNP, but in the area where I live (Philly suburbs) there is an overabundance of medical students and residents. From what I've learned speaking to a couple of critical care NPs I've met, the result of that seems to be that the ACNPs frequently get used basically as scut monkeys - very little autonomy, given the worst schedules and expected to take care of all the little details that the docs don't care to deal with. Doesn't really sound like my dream job, frankly.

I've pretty much identified that CRNA is my ultimate goal - I'm just trying to determine how soon I'll be able to get there, and if the fact that I've got a young family means that I should put off the dream for awhile.