Help me choose between CRNA and a CRNP - Page 2

For me, after the first four or five operations in the OR, I would die of boredom......YAWN

A few years ago a fellow nurse told me he was enrolled in a CNRA program. HE's a REALLY smart guy who cruised through college and nursing school. The first CNRA lecture he got he was told to "give up his life for the next 2 years". He was told the program would demand so much of his time that working a job was out of the question. Family life, hobbies etc would be reduced to a minimum. School and studying is all he would have time for. My friend thought thought his instructor was being overly dramatic. It turns out he was being honest. My fellow nurse lasted 3 months before quitting. He says the CNRA program was hardest thing he has ever attempted.

CRNA school is defintely a lot harder than NP school. I don't know if it is a "give up your life" type of thing. Univ of Akron has a great reputation and I have two friends in the CRNA program there who still work part-time as RNs at Cleveland Clinic. It's doable.

When I was deciding between CRNA and NP I had a newborn. I decided on going the NP route because CRNA is longer and far more time intensive. You will miss out on a lot of family events if you go that route. The time spent with your child will be drastically decreased during a time where a lot of bonding takes place. Now CRNAs make more money and have an interesting field, and that may make it worthwhile. It is an individual decision, and I am glad I did go the NP route. Love my job as an NP, and I was able to maintain enough time at home to be able spend time with my family and son who is now almost 6. Just my .02

Ivan

I'm with you! As a cardiopulmonary perfusion student I did 85 pump cases at Texas Heart Institute. Quit one day...most boring job I've ever had...plus didn't see daylight once for 3 days.