A second language an asset for finding a CRNA job?

Not to be a smart ass because I'm considering becoming a CRNA, but don't you have the patients unconcious?

Paul

Yeah it maybe true that the main task of a CRNA is to safely anesthetize patients undergoing procedures, but there's many opportunities to interact with patients such as patient education, preoperative assessments, gathering information on H&P, postoperative assessments. Considering how the healthcare population is becoming increasingly diversified, knowing different languages would definitely help in seeking employment as a CRNA especially in metropolitan areas. It certainly wouldn't hurt your chances but I'm unsure of any financial incentives offered.

Are you going to work in the United States? I wouldn't consider [spanish] an asset to getting a job...

If the language is Spanish, that can be quite useful. If you speak a language spoken by a population of local immigrant groups such as Vietnamese, Bosnian,Serbian, Pashto, Urdu, Chinese ( both Mandarin and Cantonese), that would be quite useful. We have an entire department at our hospital staffed by people who speak these and other languages. Contrary to what non CRNAs think, not all of our patients are rendered insensate. And we have quite involved conversations with them Pre and post op. When I anesthesia for an awake craniotomy, it is my job to talk to the patient while his brain is exposed and operated on.