Part-time opportunities for CRNA's?

Screen name · Sep 5, 2014

Salaries and jobs have been declining for a few years now. Benefits are decreasing. Two new grads just took full time jobs in hospitals at 100,000. Might as well keep your ICU job and work 3 days a week with no call for 60,000; wife works NICU with a few years of experience and makes within the top 10% in that category (works some overtime) and has no debt. This is why you don't paper chase. Love what you do. If you love it, you will be good at it and may fair better than others. I don't think anyone can predict the future. If you want to clock in and clock out and collect a check, anesthesia probably isn't for you.

Google part time CRNA jobs in your area. The pay is usually posted. Check if they are new grad jobs.

BCRNA · Sep 6, 2014

A starting salary of 120,000 is really good. the top is probably close to 160,0000. Starting salary is still 2 to 3 times a RN. I think all healthcare salaries will go down because of obamacare. i have lost a lot of benefits as a direct result if changes. also, you can go in-state and apply for scholarships. You need to pick the job you enjoy. it is real easy to get burnt out as an RN, much more so than CRNA.

Screen name · Sep 7, 2014

If the top is 160, why is there a new grad job in Kansas posted for 170? Don't be one of those that sells yourself short. Taking these low paying jobs don't help anything.

You do realize you do the same job as an anesthesiologist, but get paid 250,000 less... Right? I think we should be making triple what we do, while performing more delicate cases and not padding someone else's pocket. Don't you?

allnurses Guide · Sep 7, 2014

CRNA pay is closely tied to the region and population of the place you work i.e. the lower population and the more rural the place the more likely the pay is going to be higher.

The average CRNA total monetary compensation reported by the AANA for 2013 was 170K. The average base salary was 150K with the rest being bonuses, call pay, overtime, part-time work etc. making the difference between 150K to 170K.

The 25th percentile for CRNA base pay was 134K, so IMO if you are not offered at least that much you should be negotiating a higher base salary or looking somewhere else.

These annual compensation and salary summaries from the AANA are there to help members negotiate their salaries, and for CRNAs to know what is fair and equitable salary in the current job market.

http://www.aana.com/myaana/AANABusiness/professionalresources/aana-marketplace/Documents/2014compensation-benefits-report.pdf

sweetdreame, BSN, RN · Sep 28, 2014

I'm not sure you realize the extreme amount of work you would be in for. CRNA school is pressing pause on your LIFE for 3 years. That includes family activities, TV shows, hobbies, special events and pretty much everything. It seems pretty ridiculous to do all of the hard work with the goal of part time employment. If it is about the money, there are WAY easier ways to make 6 figures and you won't be in debt up to your eyeballs.

BCRNA · Sep 29, 2014

I can attest that you can work part time in anesthesia and make 6 figures. Its a great job with great perks. I would make 180,000 full time. It should be about what you enjoy. If pay gets cut, it will be across the board . You will still make 2-3 times an Rn.

IndiCRNA · Sep 29, 2014

CRNA pay is closely tied to the region and population of the place you work i.e. the lower population and the more rural the place the more likely the pay is going to be higher.
The average CRNA total monetary compensation reported by the AANA for 2013 was 170K. The average base salary was 150K with the rest being bonuses, call pay, overtime, part-time work etc. making the difference between 150K to 170K.
The 25th percentile for CRNA base pay was 134K, so IMO if you are not offered at least that much you should be negotiating a higher base salary or looking somewhere else.
These annual compensation and salary summaries from the AANA are there to help members negotiate their salaries, and for CRNAs to know what is fair and equitable salary in the current job market.
http://www.aana.com/myaana/AANABusiness/professionalresources/aana-marketplace/Documents/2014compensation-benefits-report.pdf

I just wanted to point out that for those who have the skills and confidence, and who are willing to work in a rural, underserved area the compensation can be WAY higher.

We enjoy a fantastic quality of life and live in an area that is the vacation destination for hundreds of thousands. Nice house on a beautiful lake that has great fishing, skiing and other water sports. In addition we have all the toys, including large tracts of forest and fields for hunting. I barrowed a little over $100K to support myself through NA school. Now three years to the month after graduation I have TWO payments left. Best of all I have two weeks out of 6 off. That's right, after every month of work I get two weeks off. That's not a month of working 24/7. It's two weeks of Monday-Friday scheduled cases, usually finishing work every day by 3PM and no call, followed by two weeks of no scheduled cases but being on call 24/7 (average 21 hours of work a week when on call). $300K +/year is more than possible.

I made $119K plus benefits in my last full year as an ICU RN with only doing limited OT, usually just one OT shift a month. No way I would do anesthesia for that kind of money. But then I am a country boy and love rural living.

Go-GetterRN · Sep 29, 2014

I just wanted to point out that for those who have the skills and confidence, and who are willing to work in a rural, underserved area the compensation can be WAY higher.
We enjoy a fantastic quality of life and live in an area that is the vacation destination for hundreds of thousands. Nice house on a beautiful lake that has great fishing, skiing and other water sports. In addition we have all the toys, including large tracts of forest and fields for hunting. I barrowed a little over $100K to support myself through NA school. Now three years to the month after graduation I have TWO payments left. Best of all I have two weeks out of 6 off. That's right, after every month of work I get two weeks off. That's not a month of working 24/7. It's two weeks of Monday-Friday scheduled cases, usually finishing work every day by 3PM and no call, followed by two weeks of no scheduled cases but being on call 24/7 (average 21 hours of work a week when on call). $300K +/year is more than possible.
I made $119K plus benefits in my last full year as an ICU RN with only doing limited OT, usually just one OT shift a month. No way I would do anesthesia for that kind of money. But then I am a country boy and love rural living.

Hey, IndiCRNA, I have read a lot of your posts and am really inspired by where you are in your career. Id like to be exactly where you are in about 4 years (only in a rural part of my own home state here down south.) Honestly, I dont even care if I make as much as you, I'd just love to be a member/co-owner of an anesthesia group that covers rural facilities.

May I ask, how did you come across the anesthesia group that you work with/own part of?

Do you have any advice for someone who would like to do the same thing?

When I go to anesthesia school, how would I find groups like that?

Also, if I was unable to work with a group, do you have any advice on how to find a position in a rural hospital that doesnt require you to be on call every day and night of your life?

Again, props to you, I would like to be doing the same thing as you in a few years. I really want something with a good work/life balance where I could do farm work on my days off.

And in respect for this thread, I ask that people please stay focused on the OP's main topic and dont be distracted by my questions. My opinion is that it depends on where you want to work. If you want to be a crna and are willing to relocate anywhere to do it, you will always have a job. Some states are oversaturated due to a large number of schools, others have no schools and therefore quite a few open jobs.

IndiCRNA · Sep 30, 2014

Hey, IndiCRNA, I have read a lot of your posts and am really inspired by where you are in your career. Id like to be exactly where you are in about 4 years (only in a rural part of my own home state here down south.) Honestly, I dont even care if I make as much as you, I'd just love to be a member/co-owner of an anesthesia group that covers rural facilities.
May I ask, how did you come across the anesthesia group that you work with/own part of?
Do you have any advice for someone who would like to do the same thing?
When I go to anesthesia school, how would I find groups like that?
Also, if I was unable to work with a group, do you have any advice on how to find a position in a rural hospital that doesnt require you to be on call every day and night of your life?
Again, props to you, I would like to be doing the same thing as you in a few years. I really want something with a good work/life balance where I could do farm work on my days off.
And in respect for this thread, I ask that people please stay focused on the OP's main topic and dont be distracted by my questions. My opinion is that it depends on where you want to work. If you want to be a crna and are willing to relocate anywhere to do it, you will always have a job. Some states are oversaturated due to a large number of schools, others have no schools and therefore quite a few open jobs.

Farm work on your days off? LOL! I find if funny because that is what I do too.

I don't know much about the south east except that it is a terrible place to be a nurse. I don't have any idea if they even have CRNA owned practices there.

Right out of school I went to work for a large health system here in Wisconsin in their main flagship hospital. I started hearing about locums opportunities locally and started working them. Mostly these were in the smaller hospitals in the same health system and in other systems in the state. This lead to me meeting another CRNA who we also doing locums and who was 1/3 owner of the practice I now work with. She asked if I would be willing to cover them for 3 months of her maternity leave. I agreed even though it meant I had to give up my full time job. They liked me and hired me after the 3 months was over. I was told one of the partners was retiring soon and that I could fill his position as an employee and after a year buy into the practice. That is exactly what I did.

They had already tried a couple other CRNAs who didn't work out because they were not comfortable being 100% on their own, but they were all trained in the south, not the Midwest like me. I did a lot of rotations in rural hospitals in school.

So I guess that the answer to your question is that it was all word of mouth.

Go-GetterRN · Sep 30, 2014

Oh ok thanks! Guess I will just have to keep my eyes open as I go through school and once I start working in anesthesia. I may consider going to a school somewhere up in the midwest, as most of the schools in the states around me only have clinicals in large metro hospitals operating under ACT practice. There arent any programs in my state, so I will have to move pretty far no matter where I go anyways. I dont know of any crna-only groups in my state, but our law says crnas can practice only under supervision...of a surgeon or dentist (sorry MDAs hehe). Most places Ive seen are operating under ACT, but I know there are small hospitals that do crna only. Only problem is its usually 1-2 providers who work 70+ hours/week including scheduled cases and call.

IndiCRNA · Sep 30, 2014

Oh ok thanks! Guess I will just have to keep my eyes open as I go through school and once I start working in anesthesia. I may consider going to a school somewhere up in the midwest, as most of the schools in the states around me only have clinicals in large metro hospitals operating under ACT practice. There arent any programs in my state, so I will have to move pretty far no matter where I go anyways. I dont know of any crna-only groups in my state, but our law says crnas can practice only under supervision...of a surgeon or dentist (sorry MDAs hehe). Most places Ive seen are operating under ACT, but I know there are small hospitals that do crna only. Only problem is its usually 1-2 providers who work 70+ hours/week including scheduled cases and call.

I only considered programs where all techniques were taught, including all blocks. All 5 of the programs in my area (4 in MN & 1 in WI) offer this.

I usually work about 60 hours a week when I am doing my scheduled cases and 21 hours a week when on call. The difference is that we get paid 100% of the compensation for the anesthesia reimbursement. We don't give half of it away to an MDA who (maybe) sticks his head in once a case and is always there to sign the charting as I observed in the ACT facilities I worked in.

Another key is that our hospital is rural but part of a much bigger health system. The system rotates their specialty surgeons through. We only have two resident general surgeons. For example every other Tuesday is urology cases and we do them all day with the urologist traveling to our hospital to do cases. Without being part of a larger health system we would not have the volume we do.