Are There Differences in Degree Titles?

ImThatGuy, BSN, RN · Jan 9, 2011

Employers want a licensed, qualified practitioner. Go for the $14,000 model. It's cheaper and just as shiny as all the others.

FOCKER0014 · Jan 9, 2011

CRNA=CRNA=CRNA

whether or not you got your degree from Harvard or Billy Bob's school of nurse anesthesia....as long as you are liscensed and qualified....

DC Collins, ASN · Jan 9, 2011

Agreed, and it's Mayo afterall :)

delilas · Jan 9, 2011

I had to laugh at the first one. I hope there aren't people going all the way to PhD for a CRNA.

Definitely go for Mayo - more education for fewer dollars = go for it!

RN34TX · Jan 9, 2011

If your only goal is to be a CRNA period then I agree with the above replies. But many people choose career paths without thinking about things like getting older and wanting a change and/or moving up. A CRNA program that awards a doctorate degree vs. a masters degree is not simply a matter of picking the cheapest program.

When asking for advice as a young pre-nursing student, the best question that people asked me was "where do you want to be in 10-15 years?"

I did not know nor care at that point in my life so that's how I ended up doing the long route in nursing (LPN to RN to BSN now masters at 40).

Really think about what you want and do not simply choose the cheapest degree or shortest program. There really is more to nursing and your professional life than what license you will have after school is over.

loveanesthesia · Jan 9, 2011

Employers look at clinical experience, so not all programs are equal. Look for diverse clinical experience. If you have all your experiences at 'Meca Hospital' then you might be well prepared to go to work there, but may struggle in another environment if 'Meca Hospital' is all you have been exposed to. Some of the programs with the most name recognition are known in the anesthesia community to have mediocre clinical experience. Employers are becoming more selective than in the past and are looking for more than someone with a license.

inforthelonghaul · Jan 9, 2011

Yeah, that's what I thought. I guess I'm surprised though that there wouldn't be a difference in pay or benefits. Thanks for the quick responses.

ImThatGuy, BSN, RN · Jan 9, 2011

I'm interested in Billy Bob's school of anesthesia. How might I enroll there?

allnurses Guide · Jan 9, 2011

You have to look at each school individually and not just the price of attendance/degree awarded. You should look for a school that teaches you to be proficient in independent practice, regionally skills, CVLs, pain management outside the OR in the hospital setting, completion rates of SRNAs, average boards pass rates, clinical locations, clinical experiences etc.. These are some of the things you should think about when deciding on a nurse anesthesia school. Unfortunately not all CRNAs are equal. There is sometimes a great disparity in clinical skills/abilities among CRNAs. I would recommend looking at schools that teach independence and limit ACT clinicals as much as possible.

You can also look at the military, USPHS, and VA programs if cost of attendance is a major concern.

crnabrian · Jan 14, 2011

There is no difference really. The end result is the same, you get to take the certification exam, and if you pass it, you get the "CRNA" credential.

Personally, I would avoid a program run by the nursing department. Too much "nursing theory" and other stuff. There are programs run by professional CRNAs, not professional RNs.

I get the feeling your question really is, will the cheapest program (Mayo) get me what I need. Yes.

BCRNA · Jan 15, 2011

There is absolutley no difference in pay. I work with guys who have certificates, bachelors, and masters. No one even knows what degrees others have. It doesn't matter. Only go for the DNP if you want to be a program director, those typically require doctorates. In anesthesia there aren't really any other uses for the DNP if you already have a masters.