Am I the only one??

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I am curious if there are more students out there frequently fighting the urge to quit anesthesia school. Just hanging on b/c I have loans up the wazoo!!! I enjoy anesthesia for the most part, but being a student is less than glamorous!! Didactic was fine, but clinical is a different story........Any words of wisdom from other students or CRNA's would be greatly appreciated!!!

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Specializes in Anesthesia, ICU, Oncology.
I am curious if there are more students out there frequently fighting the urge to quit anesthesia school. Just hanging on b/c I have loans up the wazoo!!! I enjoy anesthesia for the most part, but being a student is less than glamorous!! Didactic was fine, but clinical is a different story........Any words of wisdom from other students or CRNA's would be greatly appreciated!!!

How far along are you into the program? Loans are one thing but do you really want to go back to the ICU? Not that there is anything wrong with being a ICU nurse but after Anesthesia School and hopes and dreams of becoming a CRNA it would be very depressing!!! My two cents...:twocents:

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Specializes in Author/Business Coach.

If your in the clinical phase then you're at least halfway through. Quitting because of grades is one thing, but quitting because of loans is silly. You would make good $$$ coming out of school and could get your loans paid off fairly quickly if you manage your money right. Stick with it you're almost there! Good luck!

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Specializes in SICU.
I am curious if there are more students out there frequently fighting the urge to quit anesthesia school. Just hanging on b/c I have loans up the wazoo!!! I enjoy anesthesia for the most part, but being a student is less than glamorous!! Didactic was fine, but clinical is a different story........Any words of wisdom from other students or CRNA's would be greatly appreciated!!!

Could you give us more details on why you are feeling like quitting so those of us who are aspiring to get into school can have a realistic expectation of clinicals? What do you mean you enjoy anesthesia for the most part, is it different from what you were expecting? Are you comfortable telling us where you are going to school? I understand if not. Thanks for sharing. :wink2:

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Could you give us more details on why you are feeling like quitting so those of us who are aspiring to get into school can have a realistic expectation of clinicals? What do you mean you enjoy anesthesia for the most part, is it different from what you were expecting? Are you comfortable telling us where you are going to school? I understand if not. Thanks for sharing. :wink2:

First of all to answer the previous poster: I am not wanting to quit b/c I have too many loans, I am staying in it b/c I have to due to the amount of loans I have already accrued!! And Grades aren't the issue either, I am in the top 10% of my class!! I enjoy giving anesthesia, but dealing with everything/everyone else is the problem!! ....I just can't help but wonder if I am this angry and depressed now, if being an actual CRNA is going to make it any different......I have just had a really difficult clinical course thus far, and if I had it all to do over again, I would have made different choices!!

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just hanging on b/c i have loans up the wazoo!!! i enjoy anesthesia for the most part, but being a student is less than glamorous!! didactic was fine, but clinical is a different story.quote]

may i just say--wow!! i can't believe you actually posted how a lot of us feel, but won't actually admit verbally and feel guilty even thinking. yes, the programs are expensive, financially, emotionally, mentally and physically. after that kind of an investment anyone would feel uneasy feeling this way. furthermore, you feel so unappreciated in clinical. please pardon my analogy, but we call our group the best little whorehouse in texas. our clinical leader is our pimp--we work 40 plus hours a week in clinical and take call. i get 3-4 hours of sleep a night. i'm hanging in there because i'm so curious to see how this picture ends. i sure hope it isn't an anticlimactic story. enough whining? well, i just wanted to impress upon you that there are quite a few others sharing your boat. in fact, i was relieved to see that someone else out there felt just like me, it makes me feel a little stronger to know that i am not alone. thank you.

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Specializes in Anesthesia, ICU, Oncology.

Here is how I see it.

There are different types of people in all our daily interactions in life. This happens to be that part of our life where we can't pick who to associate with and who not to associate with. Being out of control is what sucks here! Whenever one goes to school, dealing with multiple individuals, not all nice, is part of the deal. There were and are several people that I absolutely couldn't get along with no matter how hard I tried. At the end of the day, in order to not lose my focus and most importantly my sanity, I picked things that I knew I screwed up or could have done better no matter who I was with. Some days just go bad. Most of the time it is the person that you are with that makes or breaks your day. However, we need to move on as we have to keep our eye on the ball. Just think, being a SRNA sucks, being a CRNA is where it's at. If the problems these people are creating are so horrible you need to speak with your coordinator or your advisor at school. I did. I was moved to another clinical site for two months where people were more tolerant to students and they loved me! I loved them and I am thinking of working there upon graduation. Now, who lost in this deal is the place that is spending so much time trying to teach me anesthesia but due to their nastiness will never have me as a CRNA there.Truly, that is their loss. I will survive and move on and go where I am appreciated and feel like I can grow to be a strong CRNA. If you quit now they will be the victors, if you go on you will!!! Keep it together and talk to someone who can do something to resolve your problem.

Hope this helps...

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Specializes in Trauma/Surgical ICU, L&D.

I agree that you are not alone. I heard of a recent grad who said "Don't be surprized if you end up on meds before you finish." I'm just in didactic..aka "pharmacology he!!" but I imagine to be in the same boat once in clinical. My advice to you...and the future me...stick it out, be the alpha bit(h you know you are and if you still struggle...work a shift in a unit (yikes!!) Good luck:smokin:

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You're not the only one...and the end is in sight. Hang in there...the exhilaration of being done, being an advanced practice provider, and enjoying the lifestyle that comes as a reward for all your hard work cannot be put into words. You are 29, but the decisions you make now and the success you create now will affect FunGirl at age 39, 49, 59, and so on. You can do it. As a wise old lab instructor once said, "Every now and then you need to take a step back and congratulate yourself for making the decision to come into the anesthesia profession. You made a great chioce." At least, I think that's what he said. :wink2:

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I can not say that I have had the thoughts of quitting.......yet. I'm too stubborn for that! However these thoughts cross my mind several times a week: Why am I doing this to myself? Am I really going to be able to pass all these tests I have in the same week? Can I really take this for another X months/years?

I don't think you are alone because this is not easy or very much fun. It puts me at ease to see people from all over the country with similar thoughts and situations. Hang in there because you would probably regret it for the rest of your life if you didn't. :specs:

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You're not the only one...and the end is in sight. Hang in there...the exhilaration of being done, being an advanced practice provider, and enjoying the lifestyle that comes as a reward for all your hard work cannot be put into words. You are 29, but the decisions you make now and the success you create now will affect FunGirl at age 39, 49, 59, and so on. You can do it. As a wise old lab instructor once said, "Every now and then you need to take a step back and congratulate yourself for making the decision to come into the anesthesia profession. You made a great chioce." At least, I think that's what he said. :wink2:

Thanks everyone for the responses, it makes me feel better to know that I am not the only one that wants to retire my srna/rrna badge!!! I'll just keep going forward, and hope that something gets better, but at least in the meantime, some time will have elapsed and I will be closer to graduation.....Thanks again for the replies, and good luck to all of you suffering in the clinical phase!!!

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I am in clinical full time w/ online classwork and exams throughout. The hardest part for me is being away from home (distant clinical site). If I could be home most nights of the week and have that interaction, I would be fine. I can handle most things school-related and I am even handling the being away from home part...no meds yet. But it is the hardest thing I've ever done and I am looking forward to the time when I am working full time and coming home every night.

If you have made it to the clinical portion, you have already accomplished so much. It would be a shame to quit now, when you have the rest of your life to reap the benefits.

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