Am I really strange?

[Krystin]

I'll start by saying I'm not a nurse (yet) and have little to no experience in healthcare (although i have lots of technical/troubleshooting/electrical experience). I'm very interested in the CRNA field and so far am planning undergrad around it as a goal.

I'm doing prereqs to get into nursing. When I was researching the different specialties and avenues at a nurses disposal Anesthesia was attractive to me immediately. The more i read about the job conditions and required education, the more I'm interested. (i'll disclaim and say although the money looks good, my husband and i currently enjoy pretty lucrative defense related jobs, it's really not primarily about money - i found that out later)

Well the more I think about it I begin to wonder if my interest in such a narcotic related field isn't completely related to the fact that a lot of my family members are (literally) junkies. Aunts, parents, siblings, a lot of people from high school, you name it. I would need to borrow someone elses fingers to count the number of people turned addicts I've ever known.

Hopefully it goes without saying that personally I don't even take a tylenol if it isn't absolutely necessary. The last time a doctor gave me a script for something the first phrase out of my mouth was in regards to habit forming substances and my aversion to them, family history, etc.

Is this completely bonkers? Could such a positive crusade really be logically linked to all that negativity? Is it just a psycho need to control something everyone else i knew couldn't? Should I keep all of these things to myself several years from now when I start interviewing for schools...?

(and in a completely unrelated vein, would chemistry be an advisable minor for my BSN to compliment this future endeavor?)

[loveanesthesia]

Is this completely bonkers? Could such a positive crusade really be logically linked to all that negativity? Is it just a psycho need to control something everyone else i knew couldn't? Should I keep all of these things to myself several years from now when I start interviewing for schools...?

(and in a completely unrelated vein, would chemistry be an advisable minor for my BSN to compliment this future endeavor?)

I'm not sure of your question. You do need to be sure that you will not divert drugs because it sounds like you have a genetic disposition toward addiction. If you never take them you will not become addictied, it's really not difficult.

[Krystin]

hmm i thought i didn't post this. i was just kind of thinking out loud (i have way too much free time at my current job)

my question was more or less what is it that draws others to that area.

no, i won't go down that road. I've seen some pretty horrid things with my family members. i don't think i am any better than they are, or any more capable of controlling an addiction - that's why i never used any drugs.

and let me be specific, that's not the ONLY draw. i love the health field, the sciences, and anesthesia is just one of the most amazing facets to me. people are awake for certain brain surgery. I want to be a part of that.

"hey what did you do today?"

"i kept someone numb, alive, and awake so they could have brain surgery..... while awake."

yep. pretty awesome.

[My_brain_hurts]

I was drawn to it because I love the operating room and the management of the pt. I mean not to sound arrogant, but you are there to keep them alive. And comfortable, but ultimately live. Even elective 'easy' cases can go wrong.

Near the end of my nursing program I realized that I for sure wanted to do CRNA, so I started working in the ICU and it has made me all the more excited about starting CRNA school. I am just facinated by pt's and their vitals and how they respond to sedation and meds, and learning how to intervene (spell?) to keep vitals in acceptable ranges (I've quit thinking of pt's vitals as 'normal', hardly anybody is 'normal'. HA!). Learning the technology is going to b awesome. I love the OR atmosphere and teamwork involved and the fact you are part of actually DOING somthing, repairing something, replacing something, etc. . . it may not always work, but it's actively DOING something. I remember in clinicals in the OR it didn't matter if the pt was getting open heart surgery or hammer toe correction, it was always fascinating to watch what was going on at the head of the table. Yeah, the money will be nice (after the loans get paid off. . .), but nursing is an okay living too and honestly I think I'd do CRNA even if I knew my income was going to be the same. It's just different. You don't have to put up with some of the BS you do as an RN, and I know there will be another whole pile of BS to deal with as a CRNA that I can't even imagine yet, but I'm looking foward to the job, even if the money stayed the same I'd want to do it (though I would be more hesitant about the loan amount it will require)

Do some shadowing. Look into nursing school to see if you want to do it and can put up with being an RN for a few years. There is nothing wrong with your motivation, just make sure you know what you are getting in to. I've heard people say the most miserable CRNAs are the one who got in to it strickly for the money. They also don't last very long. And it's probably hard to make it through the grad school interview and get accepted if you don't really want to do it and don't really know what you're getting in to.

But Yeah, shadow, learn as much as you can about it. It can be an awesome job. If you have questions about nursing school, CRNA school, applying, etc. let me know. You can post here or PM me if you want. Good luck!