the Average day for CRNA?

meandragonbrett · Apr 23, 2004

What would be a routine day for a CRNA? What do they do if they dont administer Anes.? Are they just a plain nurse when they are not helping in a surgery?

A CRNAs job is to provide anesthesia as well as administrative duties that are related to it. Do a search on this forum, It's been discussed before :)

Welcome to the board!!

iy0ga · Apr 23, 2004

thanks....but i dont see it any where on the FAQ

suzanne4, RN · Apr 23, 2004

If you look back on this forum, you will find many details about being a CRNA. There are many, many threads.................

:balloons:

WntrMute2 · Apr 24, 2004

My routine is to arrive at work about 30-45 min. before my first case starts. Machine check and equipment/drugs readied for at least the first case. I usually do some prep for the cases that are supposed to follow. The I go see the first one. About 1/2 the time, my MDA has already seen the patient, if so I do a quick confirmation regarding CV, resp, neuro and check the airway. Then back to the room quickly to get the last few details finished if they are obese or I need to alter my plan. The case is comleted and I stop by Pre-op after dropping the last patient off to do it again. Sometimes no doc has seen the patient which I actually like better because I don't fully trust the assessment the docs do. They can be lazy and just check no to the questions where there is information to be gleaned. The number of cases may vary from 2 big cases a day to 6 depending on the room. Cataracts and ESWL are even busier. Our hospital has 23 ORs and the ESWL trailer comes Q 3 weeks. We do not sit around much, maybe once a week or so, there is down time, but we all stay pretty busy, docs included. All in all, a good fast workday. There is no traditional nursing tthat is done if we are not passing gas. We do the usual education and support the patients and the families but that is pretty much it. Half the big syringe, all of the little syringe and turn of the purple gas is about it :chuckle

jbro · Apr 24, 2004

what's an eswl

iy0ga · Apr 24, 2004

thanks for the reply. wow sounds like fun, but you dont do regular RN work right? IF you had no patients what would you be doing?

CougRN · Apr 24, 2004

Are you a nurse? This seems like a joke but maybe you are serious. SRNA's don't perform as a bedside nurse. You always have cases to perform during your clinical days. Did you ever go to clinicals and not have a patient when you were becoming an RN? I wouldn't think so. When you are an SRNA you are no longer a floor nurse/pacu/icu or whatever during your classes and clinicals. Anyway, I hope that helps.

suzanne4, RN · Apr 24, 2004

ESWL is a type of lithotripsy that is used to break up kidney stones. The patient is usually given a general anesthetic, and placed in a contraption similar to a Hoyer lift and placed in a metal tub of water. The noise that comes from the machine is extremely loud. If the patient has a spinal anesthetic, then they are given quite a bit of sedation, as well as large ear

"muffs", similar to what they wear at the airports when they are outside near the engines.

(Extra-corpeal shock wave lithotripsy)

jbro · Apr 24, 2004

cool, thanks

LynneCRNA · Apr 24, 2004

iy0ga, each hospital will be different depending on the number of CRNAs on staff, but in my facility, if my cases are done, I will either be a free person to help out with breaks, emergency cases, etc., or relieve another CRNA who is next on the list to go home. In the afternoon, when alot of CRNAs are finishing their rooms, we start to send people home, making sure there are a couple of free people in case of emergency. CRNAs do not function as "plain nurses" when we are not in surgery. Hope this helps, Lynne

LynneCRNA · Apr 24, 2004

iy0ga, each hospital will be different depending on the number of CRNAs on staff, but in my facility, if my cases are done, I will either be a free person to help out with breaks, emergency cases, etc., or relieve another CRNA who is next on the list to go home. In the afternoon, when alot of CRNAs are finishing their rooms, we start to send people home, making sure there are a couple of free people in case of emergency. CRNAs do not function as "plain nurses" when we are not in surgery. Hope this helps, Lynne