[rn326]

Hi All,

I'm just another one of many contemplating applying to CRNA school. Something that would be extremely helpful to me would be for current SRNA's to give me a snapshot of what your days are like as a SRNA. Worst / best / average, etc. Thanks.

[shandsburnrn-SRNA]

Hi,

My "day in the life of" will somewhat limited to others than may post since I'm only in my first semester......but here it goes.

I usually get up around 0600 to be in class by 0700-0800 depending on what day it is. Class usually ends around 1530-1630 (this is Tues-Fri). After class I usually grab a bite to eat and then I'm back in the books around 1800 and I study until midnight sometimes later. When the weekend comes, you got it no rest, I usually study 10-16 hours a day depending how much I need to catch up on and any pending tests. Speaking of tests we usually have two each week.

In addition to that we start clinical rotations next week and that will fill the Monday that we're not in class. Clincal hours vary slightly but the average is arrival around 0600 and leave to earlier than 1500. Oh and yes there is paperwork involved with clinical also.

In my program as the semesters move on the didactic hours decrease in the clinical hours increase. Eventually we're at 49 hours a week with on or two 2 credit didactic classes.

So overall, for me, the life as a SRNA is very busy. The program requires total commitment to your education, but is definately doable. I have several friends who are CRNA's and a few that graduate in May...ALL of them say it is well worth the sacrifice

Good Luck, hope this helps.....

[srna44]

Well, let me just say that this is a marathon, not a sprint. An avg day? They vary so greatly depending on what kind of cases you're doing and what rotation you're in. But, just as an FYI, here's what happened today.
0430-up
0530- at the hospital, set up room, draw up drugs, check machine
0630- anesthesia conference
0730- out of conference, find pt in preop, interview pt, start iv
0750- get pulled from my cases to move to a different OR... eval pt in
preop...oh, ****!! It's a fiberoptic intubation that starts at 0800.
0800- to OR with said pt. Attempt awake nasal fiberoptic intubation multiple times without success. CRNA unsuccessful. MDA finally successful...it took 45 minutes. Case starts...la la la.
1130- case finished, to PACU. Quick BR break.
1150- to ICU to transport next pt
1205- To OR. Next case started. IV's, art lines started
1330- lunch
1400- back to OR in time to wake pt up and transport back to ICU.
1420- to preop. Next pt interviewed, IV started
1435- to OR. Case started. Pt intubated, turned prone...untangle wires and lines...report off.
1500- to preop- I have two inpatient cases tomorrow, so I'm off to the units to preop them and then postop a couple of pts from yesterday.
1630-home
then after I relax a little while, I have to read for the next day. Eat, bed. Up again.

I've only got 9 more months to go, so there isn't nearly as much prep reading and studying as I had to do before. Believe me, the first six months of clinicals are especially gruelling!

I'm sure that I would do it again, but it's definitely a huge investment and not without sacrifice...certainly financial and definitely personal. Make sure this is something you want to do.

[smille13]

My program is "front-loaded." During the didactic, we had an exam practically every week. Saturdays/Sundays were 8-12 hour study sessions with my buddies. Just started full-time clinical 4 days/wk. Careplans the night before, max of 3. Takes 2-6 hrs. My week begins on Sunday going to the hospital to get my assignment.

For an in-room time of 0700 am, the CRNA gets there about 0630. It is up to us what time we get there. You just better be prepared, machine check, cart and room setup (drugs, bed set up, monitors, checking the laryngoscope blades, etc.). I get there 0515, unless it is a new rotation (then 0400). CRNA comes and checks in on me. We preop the pt, give some Versed, go back to the room. Monitors on. CRNA calls MDA. In the beginning, for awhile, I would freeze when the MDA came in the room, but now I'm okay. Push some drugs. The MDA starts asking me a bunch of questions to stress me out. (drug doses, airway anatomy, whatever). Intubate the pt. Get all the other stuff on. Start the case. I still need a lot of prompting at this point. The CRNAs know where you are in the program and adjust your autonomy level accordingly. They are starting to force me to make the decisions (how much muscle relaxant do you want to give? how much gas do you want to run?) We emerge the patient, extubate, go to PACU, give report. Go see the next patient.

We get one 15 min morning break, 30 min lunch, one 15 min afternoon break. Breaks and lunch seem to be sacred to CRNAs, and they keep them pretty sacred for us too. The day ends for me between 1400-1500 when I get the next day's assignment and come home to do careplans. Then I call my CRNA (we are required to), and go to bed. Usually I forget to eat dinner, but it's not that important. My friend asked me what I was giving up for Lent, but I told her I don't have anything to give up!

Some CRNAs ask a million questions. One asks you to draw chemical structures of drugs. And you get Quizzies (the average score is a 20 I think). Then you get homework. But he is a really good CRNA and lets you use different drugs on every patient to get experience. Some don't ask you anything at all (and I actually feel cheated).The weekends are for studying for oral boards or for brushing up on stuff you will be pimped out on in clinical. And sleeping in.

Someone asked me what is the hardest part. It isn't the didactic or the clinical. It's the emotional toll this takes on you. You go from being a clinical expert to not even being able to put freaking EKG pads on right. You can't clip the drapes right, put the BP cuff on right, start an IV correctly, label your syringes the correct way, your pen doesn't write fine enough, and on and on. And at the end of the day, someone grades you on a scale of 1 to 5 for various parts of your day. And 6 mo ago you were the one doing compressions on this person's 6 mo old baby after she had her Tetralogy of Fallot repair.

CRNAs are a tough bunch. I think it is a rite of passage. You will essentially be an intensivist when you are done. When you make an anesthetic decision, no detail about the patient is too small. I guess that's why they are so meticulous with us. But the bottom line is that I haven't met a single CRNA who doesn't say they love their job. So if you think it is for you, find peace with the fact that while you are in school you will not be the smartest person around anymore, you will be wrong most of the time, and every single day you will be told a different way of doing the same thing. If you are one of those people who buck authority, hate to be wrong, and tend to be very verbal and confrontational, you are going to have a very hard time, at least in the beginning. Trust me I know. But they all say it is worth it.

[CRNAhopeful2012]

Great info everyone, Thanks!!!

[CVICURN80]

Thanks guys for the realistic picture of school. I will be starting a program in May of 2008. I think i'm going to go throw up now...LOL
better get my script for ativan, eh?

[rnbeauty]

Hi
My day s a SRNA starts like this.

Sunday night I go to the hospital and make a copy of the OR schedule. Go home research the cases and prepare a care plan. A care plan is basically what it sounds like....Choosing the anesthestic plan for your patients with rationales and treatments for any potential complications. As one previous poster stated about oral boards and getting to the hospital at 4am.....it's no way we do all of that.

0515am- alarm goes off, hit snooze once, than in the shower
0550- out the door and walking across the street to get to hospital. ( I am lucky to be at a facilty that offers free housing, gym and meals, therefore I can get to clinical literally in a ten step walk)
0555- changing into scrubs
0600-to pyxis to obtain narc boxes for my cases for the day
0605-room set up ( draw my meds, check machine, prepare monitors, stock my IVF, ect)
0640- as you can see i am slow with my preparation, it still takes me about 30-35min ( just started my first set of clinicals last month)
0645- discussing with my crna and anesthesilogist my plans for the day. some and most days are awesome but some a very grueling...depending on your doc. Some will grill you on everything but most are very laid back and cool. Many are easy to learn from and actaully love teaching.
0715- start interviewing patients, revewing chart and start my day. My day is usually over about 3pm
1530- relax and wait for OPRAH TO COME ON AT 4PMI have to relax a little or I WILL GO NUTS
1700PM- TAKE NAP
1800-prepare for the next day of cases until about 9pm...depending on the cases.
2200- study until 2300pm
12 midnite - go to sleep

on weekends i study ALL day with about 3-4 breaks in between. I may get on line, go running, talk on phone...but i get away from the books for a while. Usally about 10-12 hours of studying on weekends. Days that I have no clinicals but class the following day, I study about 2-3 hrs. I never go a day without studying something......I lied. Sometimes I do, usually after a big exam I will take that day off from studying and relax.

Hope that helps.

[candiceena]

You guys have all been incredibly helpful to those of us who are CRNA hopefuls. Thanks so much!

[BamaCRNA2B]

Final exam preparation:

7:00 am-- Wake up and get in the shower
8:00 am-- To the library with breakfast on the go
Noon-- 30-45 minute lunch break
12:30-12:45 pm-- Back in the library
7:00 pm-- Dinner break
8:00 pm-- Library
2:00 am-- Leave library
3:00 am-- Go to sleep

7:00 am-- Start over again!

You will wonder if you will make it through. But after finals are over and you did well, you will see the pay off.

Good Luck!