Is this job (nurse anesthetist) really as good as Im reading or no?

RNtobe15 · Jan 10, 2013

Thank you for the reply, I'm just asking this because I don't know if there is time to have a social life during CRNA school. I'm worried I will miss out on my kids childhood.

bibibi · Jan 10, 2013

Thank you for the reply, I'm just asking this because I don't know if there is time to have a social life during CRNA school. I'm worried I will miss out on my kids childhood.

It depends on the program. But you should expect to dedicate most of your time to schoolwork. Some programs allow more free time than the others.

priorities2 · Jan 11, 2013

I didn't plan on going back to school, it just happened that way. I got my BSN and decided to go further after starting as an RN.
It's a good route to go, BSN to CRNA. I graduated in my early 20's, got to travel around, get married, enjoy time with my family, and now that I'm a bit more mature and experienced in practice, I am going back to school, will put in the required 2 years, and jump right into a full-time career afterwards.
As an MD, you dedicate every year of your life between 18 and 26 to school (unless you started at 17, then it's obviously 25). Then if you want to specialize (which I would have), you go through internship, residency, fellowship, and then you find a job at 30 or so, maybe 32. And the hours are grueling. You can't work in med school, so loans. As an intern/resident/fellow, they make less than I do as an RN. So you ain't paying off loans yet, and you don't have the time/money to travel the world. You only start thinking of paying off loans at maybe 30 or so, unless your parents paid for everything for you. So now you're in your early 30's, hundred of thousands in loans, and you had little free time your 20's.
For some people, they might enjoy that kind of lifestyle. I, however, would not. Some of my best friends are doctors and are at the age where they're finally looking for an attending gig, but I can tell you every one of them is burnt out on the hours and the work involved to get there. Some of them have straight up told me if they knew then what they knew now, they'd never have gone into medicine. A lot of them didn't get to see their children grow up. One of my mentors is an attending, has been for decades, and he even advised me against following in his shoes.
As was said earlier, there are much easier ways to make the kind of money a CRNA or an experienced MD can make. I have good friends who never went further than a Bachelors degree, and they were rolling in money years ago. Smart business decisions and connections can earn you way more.
Advanced healthcare degrees are a calling, and I'm grateful for that. I wouldn't want to work alongside people who went the same route I did simply because they thought it was good money.

Just to play devil's advocate, "smart business decisions and connections" are a much less secure path to big bucks than an advanced healthcare degree.

detroitdano · Jan 11, 2013

Just to play devil's advocate, "smart business decisions and connections" are a much less secure path to big bucks than an advanced healthcare degree.

True, but if you're able to retire by 28 like my buddy did with only a Bachelors degree, you obviously did something right!

eatmysoxRN, ASN, RN · Jan 11, 2013

True, but if you're able to retire by 28 like my buddy did with only a Bachelors degree, you obviously did something right!

What did he do? Sign me up!

~ No One Can Make You Feel Inferior Without Your Consent -Eleanor Roosevelt ~

detroitdano · Jan 12, 2013

What did he do? Sign me up!
~ No One Can Make You Feel Inferior Without Your Consent -Eleanor Roosevelt ~

Stock market

missnurse01, MSN, RN · Jan 12, 2013

Thank you for the reply, I'm just asking this because I don't know if there is time to have a social life during CRNA school. I'm worried I will miss out on my kids childhood.

I start in August but my understanding is that you will have maybe an hour a day with your family. so yes you will miss out on a lot. studying will consume 70 to 90 hours a week of your life for 2 to 3 years

I have 3 children and I know it is going to be a sacrifice. we have talked a lot over the years of me finishing school and I have waited 15 years to go back. and it is time

good luck

mammothsnw · Jan 14, 2013

If your doing it for the money...don't do it...its a very stressfull job, most work 40+ hours, and there's a lot of political BS between CRNAS and MDAS

RNtobe15 · Jan 14, 2013

Well money is a factor in the decision of course because I want my family to have a stable financial future but I love health care. I'm not sure that working as a nurse will be high enough pay especially in Florida. I wouldn't even be considering CRNA school or nursing if I didn't love what the job entails but of course money is a factor since I am paying for school and school is taking years of my life.

txrn12 · Jul 18, 2013

What is it that your husband did in the stick market? I would love to get started on something more worth my time!

Guest343211 · Jul 24, 2013

Well money is a factor in the decision of course because I want my family to have a stable financial future but I love health care. I'm not sure that working as a nurse will be high enough pay especially in Florida. I wouldn't even be considering CRNA school or nursing if I didn't love what the job entails but of course money is a factor since I am paying for school and school is taking years of my life.

Truth be told, for most of the nurses either going into CRNA programs or that have become them, money really was a major factor. I mean you have people that right out of nursing school or that haven't even completed nursing schools that are chomping at the bit to do CRNA--primarily because of the role, and I also think that it's some sort of status elevation or something.

Personally, I agree that a person should be highly interested in the area, and it should be something that they love--as noted by the person with the lovecrn moniker. I don't think, in the long run, money is enough for people. Maybe some folks, but really, it's just awesome to be able to do what you really love, if you have to wake up and do it every single day. I mean isn't that one of the real measures of quality for your life's work?

nomadcrna, DNP, CRNA, NP · Jul 24, 2013

I suppose you evidence for the wild statements of money being the major factor? Or are you just pulling this from the air?

Part of being a clinician/provider is understanding evidence based medicine. You can't just say something without evidence. So if you have any studies that show the CRNA are mainly in it for the money and prestige, post them. Otherwise, please stop giving unfounded opinions especially as you are not a CRNA and not a NP either.

No offense intended.