I'mXYZ and I'm gonna be a CRNA! Oh really? Me too! My orientation experience.

[StangGang92]

So a few weeks ago I had my freshman orientation and oh my gosh is all I can say.

I'm attending a mostly nursing college, it's safe to say that 60 - 70% of the people were nursing majors. We were all set in a room for some ice breakers. We were all asked our majors and then our career goals. I think 50% were going to be CRNAs, we had a few PAs (no NPs however), we had one who was a nursing major then going to med school, and of the remaining students they all expected to be landed in NICU/PICU right away.

Now, I plan on being either a CRNA or NP, I'm leaning a little more towards NP after hearing some negative CRNA things and based on shadowing however thats not the point. I went into orientation expecting to be the minority wanting to pursue beyond the BSN, but I found myself in the majority.

I almost feel dissappointed, it's hard to describe. I'm all for people pursuing higher education and I feel like I'm going to build quite the support system. I kinda just feel like now all these NPs/PAs/CRNAs are gonna get cranked out like none other and the job market will just be saturated with them.

Anyways, is anyone elses nursing student population like this? Do most of these people stick it out?

[Assailants]

Just aim really low...then you won't ever be disappointed.

[tine14]

Let me put it this way- I overheard a girl say she wanted to be a CRNA, but she admitted she couldn't pronounce anesthetist.

[JenniferSews]

I had some pretty lofty dreams when I started nursing school too. I was going to continue on, get my midwifery license, etc. But then I actually worked in L&D for a semester and realized that that was nothing at all like I imagined it to be, and my dream died a sad death those few weeks. But nursing was my true calling, not matter what the specialty, and so I continued on until graduation. I love my job now. Although end of life, LTC and rehab may be as far from maternity and birth as you can possibly get! Hopefully schools give the students enough of the experience to realize what they are truly working towards.