nurse ANESTHETISTS

woknblues · May 22, 2008

The simple reason I see so many CRNAs get upset when aspiring CRNAs mention money it is because that seems to be the only thing that aspiring CRNAs seem to know about the profession. The money SHOULD NOT not be your only motivating factor to become a CRNA/APN or RN it just isn't worth it. CRNAs that make it through school just for the money (and I am sure there are some) are going to be the ones that have a higher burn out rate or are the one you find out in the parking lot dead in their car from OD.
For aspiring CRNAs: To really impress the CRNA you shadow try these things: 1. Don't mention salary! (do your own research on the web it is the most up to date information on CRNA salaries. This also shows that you are self motivated and can find your own solutions) 2. Become conversant with everything about becoming a nurse anesthetist on the AANA website 3. Try to familirize yourself with some of the most common anesthesia drugs, but don't overdue it (just realize that you can't know everything but you can show that you took the time to make the most out of your shadowing experience). 4. And finally become familiar with all the different educational requirements/prereqs to get into CRNA school, the differences between a MS in anesthesia vs. MSN in anesthesia, the differences between DNP vs DNAP and 5. Become passing familiar with some of politics in nurse anesthesia.
No CRNA will expect you to be a philanthropist, but they will expect you to know something besides the salary of a CRNA.

Awesome tips above, thanks.

I don't think we are in disagreement. My philanthropist analogy was tongue in cheek to the extreme alternate point of view that I see people demand in this profession (nursing in general), that we should somehow not care about money, and "do it for humanity's sake". I agree with your statement. I hope you caught the gist of mine, in that there is no way that you can take money out of any profession. CRNA's make good money, so why not allow that to be "a" factor?

I think the OP asked a legitimate, simple question on the pre-crna forum, and with more experience and posts, he/she could have likely navigated to the appropriate search functions and found the answer he/she was seeking. Instead of a point in the right direction, I saw a bit of ganging up by forum experts and perhaps some disgruntled crna's or hopefuls, angry as to what the profession seems to attract. namely, interest in money. Everyone who is going through NS and starting out as nurses has to crack the books hard, clean up poop, and get schooling via hard knocks and sweat. To consider entering a challenging and demanding specialty field of nursing based on extrinsic factors such as money does not seem unreasonable to me, considering the route that every CRNA takes to get there, if I am not mistaken. Excellent grades and performace in school, perserverance, intense experience in the field, mature clinical skills and thinking, etc. People in other fields and professions gather advanced degrees to be at the top of their field, to be challenged and satisfied with their work, and to make more money. I can't see why nursing should be any different.