[stepcmpb]

I've been thinking about this for a little while, but we all agree that nursing is dominated by a females without a doubt. Well, why is that most of the CRNA's out there are men if they are more females in the nursing profession? I find that to be a little strange. What do you guys think?

[dkbmcclellan]

Well, this is just my opinion:

1) $$$$$
2) no poop/melena
3) it's hard...way hard. you have no life and I mean NO life for anywhere from 2.25 - 2.5 years. Depending on your program you can be away from home for months-years at a time and if there are children in the picture, most moms either can't or aren't willing to do this. And if you are home you have to "just say no" to anything that takes you away from your studies.
4) anesthesia is the pinnacle of nursing; you generally (and I say generally, this isn't the case everywhere) are treated with more respect than in other nursing roles. Again, don't anyone blast me, this is just my observation and opinion. It stresses relationships of all types, e.g. kids, spouses and again, many women aren't willing to sacrifice....it's just a chance you have to take and keep in mind why you are doing this and the end result.

[Michigan RN]

From my experience I've seen more female CRNAs.

[CRNA2007]

It's actually about 50/50 for CRNAs. Perhaps men don't want to do bedside nursing or would prefer more autonomy and a much better wage.

Originally Posted by stepcmpb

I've been thinking about this for a little while, but we all agree that nursing is dominated by a females without a doubt. Well, why is that most of the CRNA's out there are men if they are more females in the nursing profession? I find that to be a little strange. What do you guys think?

[loveanesthesia]

The 2007 practice survey which over 17,000 CRNAs completed, found that 44% of CRNAs are male, so there are more female CRNAs than male but it is close. About 5% of RNs are male, but about 10% in schools are male so men are increasing in nursing. The military played a big role in the entry of men into nurse anesthesia. Originally the professional organization didn't allow men to be members, but that was lifted quietly with the inception of the certification exam. Men were allowed to sit the exam when in began in the 1940's, and so were allowed professional membership. The military didn't allow females in combat areas, so men were trained in anesthesia in the Vietnam era, and then continued in civilian practice. So it became common to see male nurse anesthetists, making it more likely that a young man would consider the career. My opinion is that the significant number of men was a reason nurse anesthesia was able to obtain direct reimbursement, and the salary increases that followed. I think men are now attrached due to the independence, OR environment, income opportunities, and many male role models.

[WitchyRN]

Where I work it's about 50/50...

[angel337]

Originally Posted by dkbmcclellan

Well, this is just my opinion:

1) $$$$$
2) no poop/melena
3) it's hard...way hard. you have no life and I mean NO life for anywhere from 2.25 - 2.5 years. Depending on your program you can be away from home for months-years at a time and if there are children in the picture, most moms either can't or aren't willing to do this. And if you are home you have to "just say no" to anything that takes you away from your studies.
4) anesthesia is the pinnacle of nursing; you generally (and I say generally, this isn't the case everywhere) are treated with more respect than in other nursing roles. Again, don't anyone blast me, this is just my observation and opinion. It stresses relationships of all types, e.g. kids, spouses and again, many women aren't willing to sacrifice....it's just a chance you have to take and keep in mind why you are doing this and the end result.

couldn't have said it better myself.

[stepcmpb]

dkbmcclellan, I see what you mean. I never really thought of it that way before. You are right. I'm young right now. I have no children or any kind of responsibility like that so it would be easier for me to sacrifice 2.25-2.5 yrs of my life. I thought about jumping right into the ICU right after graduation and applying to CRNA school two years later. I wanted to do it before starting a family. If I had children, I probably wouldn't do it because it would be too hard to be away from them.