Anyone attended previous Nurse anesthesia school and withdrawn

Nursing Students SRNA

Published

Hello,

I recently made a difficult decision to withdraw from my anesthesia school because it just was not the right fit for me, I felt like I would be doing myself and my future patients a deservice if I continued. The environment just was not conducive to learning, without going into details.

My gpa is great and I left in good standing. I was wondering if any one has made this decision and reapplied to a different school and if so, what was the outcome.

Thanks,

There's no excuse--none--for pushing, hitting, shoving, slapping, in emergent OR non-emergent situations. But as for being chastised for doing things the way the previous CRNA/MDA told you to do them? Not only do I not consider that hazing, it's just part of the game. None of them would be where they are without strong opinions about how to do things, and we are just students way at the bottom of the pecking order. I don't take those things personally, and I try to remember who does things which way for next time, or to share them with my fellow students. Clinical is hard enough on my self-esteem (because there is so much I don't know and so much skill yet to develop) to let anyone else drag it down further based simply on their preferences or interpersonal skills.

0 Votes

"But as for being chastised for doing things the way the previous CRNA/MDA told you to do them? Not only do I not consider that hazing, it's just part of the game."

Yes, part of a very sadistic game and how i hope that you all see that so that it will not be further perpetuated. To chastise someone because they taped someone's eyes horizontally and not vertically is just cruel for the sake of being cruel.

And having a strong opinion about or getting all exercised about how I tape someone's eyes is rediculous at best, and when you consider that I may have anesthetic in my other hand, it is downright dangerous.

0 Votes

But as for being chastised for doing things the way the previous CRNA/MDA told you to do them? Not only do I not consider that hazing, it's just part of the game.

If only it were simply 'being chastised'. When you are mocked and humiliated in a loud voice, that is not being chastised. It is part of the game, and the name of the game is hazing. It is uncalled-for. Remember this is grad school and we are adult learners. Sure, SRNAs realize pretty quick to learn the pet peeves of the CRNAs/MDAs. However, the way these people react to this non-important kind of stuff shows just how immature many practitioners are as educators.

0 Votes

iloveratties,

I'm sorry if you had a bad experience. If you really want to help people out, you should say where you went. I have to believe that schools that allow that are few and far between. Just read on this site what good things current SRNS's have said about their schools. I have shadowed @ Cleveland Clinic in the OR, and I know current and former students from there and many other schools in multiple states and have heard nothing of the sort. I have to believe that the more highly-ranked schools are more professional.

0 Votes

I have to believe that schools that allow that are few and far between. Just read on this site what good things current SRNS's have said about their schools. I have shadowed @ Cleveland Clinic in the OR, and I know current and former students from there and many other schools in multiple states and have heard nothing of the sort. I have to believe that the more highly-ranked schools are more professional.

The more highly ranked schools are NOT necessarily more professional, and students tend not to talk about the negatives except in front of other students. Anesthesia is a small community, and word gets around. Who wants to diss their own program in a public forum? And we learn quickly that flying under the radar as much as possible is the best way to get through it. My previous comments were not intended to condone this behavior and I haven't experienced it yet personally. But I heard these stories from other students before starting school and know that they're not isolated incidents. I came into the program braced for it and am pleasantly surprized when it doesn't occur. Just my way of getting through, I'm not about to let them derail my career plans.

0 Votes

Sorry, jls, you are wrong. And I am not going to post what program I was in. It is not a matter of the program; it is a matter of if you are the type of person who can tolerate what is common in CRNA programs. The poster immed. after you is correct. There are not 'good' and 'bad' programs. This is the way it is in SRNA clinical education. Not every CRNA or MDA, and not every day in clinical, but it is the norm and you have to know it and figure out if you are emotionally tough enough to follow the all important rule: stay below the radar.

It is true that the PD of the program I was in is nuts. But no one has to hear from me what program it is: the PD is known to be nuts. If you do any type of due diligence prior to interviews, you will get an earful about this PD if you happen to be interviewing with her.

SRNAs are not going to tell the world the truth about this to just anyone. PDs read these boards, too.

0 Votes
The more highly ranked schools are NOT necessarily more professional, and students tend not to talk about the negatives except in front of other students. Anesthesia is a small community, and word gets around. Who wants to diss their own program in a public forum? And we learn quickly that flying under the radar as much as possible is the best way to get through it. My previous comments were not intended to condone this behavior and I haven't experienced it yet personally. But I heard these stories from other students before starting school and know that they're not isolated incidents. I came into the program braced for it and am pleasantly surprized when it doesn't occur. Just my way of getting through, I'm not about to let them derail my career plans.

The people I know that have gone to anesthesia school or are currently in a program would not lie to me withhold information from me about their experiences. They have all spoke highly of their experiences. They do get reprimanded pretty hard or told to leave the OR if they are not prepared, but that's the way it should be. I don't expect to go to anesthesia school to be treated nice. I expect to learn, but that being said I don't want to be hit or humiliated, and neither of these things have ever happened to my friends. There have been people on this "public forum" that have told where they go to school and how bad they were treated in the OR by the CRNA's and MDA's. One specifically had to do with Yongstown's program. And if one has dropped out of anesthesia school with no plans to ever apply again, why not share the name of the school to help others who might consider applying there? Just a thought.

0 Votes
Sorry, jls, you are wrong. And I am not going to post what program I was in. It is not a matter of the program; it is a matter of if you are the type of person who can tolerate what is common in CRNA programs. The poster immed. after you is correct. There are not 'good' and 'bad' programs. This is the way it is in SRNA clinical education. Not every CRNA or MDA, and not every day in clinical, but it is the norm and you have to know it and figure out if you are emotionally tough enough to follow the all important rule: stay below the radar.

It is true that the PD of the program I was in is nuts. But no one has to hear from me what program it is: the PD is known to be nuts. If you do any type of due diligence prior to interviews, you will get an earful about this PD if you happen to be interviewing with her.

SRNAs are not going to tell the world the truth about this to just anyone. PDs read these boards, too.

Like I said before, I know a lot of people who have either graduated or are currently in CRNA school here in Cleveland and around the nation, and we don't talk on this forum. We converse via personal email. They have shared times when they were with CRNA's or MDA's who undesireable and even mean, but never physically abusive. And they were reprimanded very hard if not prepared for the days cases and some told to leave the OR and some reprimanded in front of others, but that 's only to be expected. I don"t plan on going to school and being treated like a princess. It will be very hard and as in any field, There are Jack***'s. It just the way life is. I do have very tough skin. Little bothers me. I'm it will be the hardest thing in the world to do. We'll see, and when I do go, I'll share with others about all my experiences (good and bad). I still think you should share where you went to school. How will anyone know on this forum who you are? Sorry about your experiences.
0 Votes

Just keep telling yourself that......

0 Votes
Just keep telling yourself that......

It's not something I'm "just telling myself". Again, I'm sorry that your experience was so bad, but I know it's not that way for everyone. Good luck to you!

0 Votes

A bit on an aside, though related...

Personally, I felt too much of RN school clinicals and new grad orienting was overly harsh, though I'm sure the intensity of it pales compared to CRNA school. The chastisement over nitpicky details that didn't threaten patient safety or care seemed completely unnecessary and counterproductive. Certainly, not all instructors/preceptors/colleagues were this way, but I found so much more of it in nursing than any other educational or work environment I've experienced.

How am I supposed to gauge the relative importance of various issues when one would get a scathing criticism for doing something like putting tape on vertically instead of horizontally? If it is that important, explain it to me so I can understand why you seem so upset over something that looks relatively unimportant to me.

And what am I supposed to learn from an exasperated huff and eye-roll? Am I to interpret it as anything other than a judgement that I'm not getting anywhere close to meeting expectations? If I'm already trying my best and this is the feedback I'm getting, am I not to conclude that maybe I just don't have what it takes? Is it supposed to motivate me so that "I'll show you I can do this!"? I just don't work that way.

And knowing how much there is to learn as a student/newbie, how can anyone seriously expect me as a student/newbie to already know how to do this or that or be able to make good clinical judgements? Why chastise me for errors or misjudgements that are an inevitable part of learning? Either I will learn and do better or I won't improve and may need to be counseled or let go. But what's up with the shaming and harsh criticisms?

I have to think that at least some people DO learn well under such conditions, otherwise, why is it so pervasive? I just know that I DON'T learn well under those conditions. When it's an exclusive field with many people competing for a few spots, I can at least accept that there must be some way to thin the herd, so to speak, though I'd argue there may be better ways. But this type of unnecessarily harsh treatment often happens to student nurses and new grad nurses and pushes some out of the field.

Well, back to SRNA issues...

0 Votes

I'd say prob. 10% of SRNAs have only good clinical experiences, incl. reasonable pimping, helpful feedback, friendly and supportive CRNAs/MDAs. I'd say prob 10% have really horrific experiences. Finally, I'd say that half of SRNAs experience what I have described, but maybe not at every clinical site.

I and other SRNAs have noticed how quickly CRNAs forget about it after graduating. Like with childbirth--the worst of it is forgotten fairly soon after delivery.

Like with everything else in life, you hang on as long as you possibly can. If you are lucky, you'll get a little break every now and then from the abuse. Then it's easier to hang on. Some people either can't or don't think they should have to tolerate the abuse.

I can say for sure, though: if one did not accrue such large school and private loan debts, and if the pay was less than it is, there would be a lot less people turning themselves inside out to tolerate it. There are many applicants for every student slot; people are glad to get in. People want to be able to earn all that money, and will put up with just about anything to succeed, especially with all that debt. Complaining about it as a student will only get one worse treatment or forced out. So the truth is that SRNAs are powerless and desperately compliant. And the OR doors are closed. Unfortunately there is no limit or boundary put on those CRNAs/MDAs who are, at best, nasty jerks. Some are nasty jerks by nature, some are nasty jerks because they were treated like dirt during their student days, whatever--you are totally at their mercy. There are a whole lot of them--for sure 50%.

You can wish and hope that this is reality just at certain programs, or in certain parts of the country. Undoubtably there are some programs that are worse than others, and some parts of country that are worse. But, it happens everywhere.

There absolutely must be stringent standards, appropriate pimping, and acceptable expectations. I am not advocating easier didactics, or anything like that. Just wanting to be treated with the minimum human decency. Treated like an adult. Treated like a grad student who is PAYING for the education.

Hope for the best; be prepared for what I describe. You think what I describe must be the exception. I'm telling you it's not. And I can pretty confidently state that no one tells incoming SRNAs that this is the reality. It's like the elephant in the living room, or the shameful secret hidden in the basement. But believe me, students vent about it to each other, all the time, all across the country.

0 Votes
+ Add a Comment