Entry-level & beyond possibilites?

Nursing Students SRNA

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Specializes in AGNP.

Hi, I am currently about to start an ADN program and am taking an intro to health occupations class. We had to pick an area of nursing and write a career report on this area. The area that I chose to write on is the nurse anesthetist. One topic we have to include in the paper is "discuss the career ladder (entry-level & beyond) possibilites". So I am looking for information on this topic, how do your opportunities change with your increased experience?

Thanks for any input on this!

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Specializes in Cardio-Thoracic SICU.

I'm not a CRNA but I am going to do my best to help you out.

Check out the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists website, there is a lot of info there. Also, the sticky at the beginning of this chat board has a wealth of information.

An entry level CRNA has a masters of science in anesthesia or a masters of science in nursing with a concentration in anesthesia.

Your location says Michigan, so check out Wayne State's anesthesia program website. I know that they offer a post-graduate certificate in pediatric anesthesia and also a phd in physiology or pharmacolgy for CRNAs, so I imagine that those are some ways that CRNAs can advance their careers.

I hope this helped some.

Good luck!

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Hi, I am currently about to start an ADN program and am taking an intro to health occupations class. We had to pick an area of nursing and write a career report on this area. The area that I chose to write on is the nurse anesthetist. One topic we have to include in the paper is "discuss the career ladder (entry-level & beyond) possibilites". So I am looking for information on this topic, how do your opportunities change with your increased experience?

Thanks for any input on this!

Anesthesia is different from other specialties that require an internship or long orientation/preceptor program. When you graduate and get your certification, you are operating room ready, need to do your own cases without supervison, direction or back-up. There are many situations where you can work that has medical direction and back-up, and they even may be a good choice for a new graduate, but it should not be necessary.

Most CRNAs are clincians, making the career ladder somewhat different than in other areas of nursing. Of course, there are CRNA educators, administrators and researchers, but most of the practice opportunities are in clinical anesthesia. Also, most of the high income is made by the clinicians. That appears to be one of the reasons there is a shortage of educators in anesthesia. Universities pay less than clinical positions and economics can me a powerful motivator.

Check out the AANA website, and particularly read their publications, where you will find a lot of information about what is happening in our world.

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Specializes in ICU, UT knoxville, CRNA Program, 01/07.

great responses!!!!

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