[moreparkin]

Hello, I was wondering if some current crna's can shed some light for me. I am interested in getting into this field down the road. I read alot about how stressful the average nursing job can be. I was wondering how does being a crna compare to the average nurse? Is being a crna as stressful as being a nurse?
I also have read how difficult the school is for a crna. Are there any crna's who worked at least part time while going to school?
I would like to thank everybody for all of their posts on this website. The information on this site is excellent.
Thank-you
robert in georgia

[suzanne4]

The training program is extremely stressful. For every hour of class you will be putting in about three hours of study time. Most programs do not permit you to work during your training. It is much more stressful....................in answer to your question...................

As we have all said before, try shadowing a CRNA for a couple of days, not just a few hours, and see if this is really for you.

[Athlein1]

Is being a crna as stressful as being a nurse?

More so, without question. There are days that it all goes smooth as silk, and then there are days where you are challenged in every way. Anesthetic misadventures can carry dire consequences. The weight of responsibility in this career is something you should consider carefully. Some believe that the pressure and stress (not just with sick patients, but also on days when your patients are relatively healthy, but you are flying through your cases because you have 5 on the schedule in an 8 hour day) may be a major contributing factor to the rates of drug use and attrition in this specialty.
I laugh everytime someone tells me, "why are you doing anesthesia? That's so boring?". I haven't been bored yet, let me tell you...