Career change: Lawyer to CRNA.

Nursing Students SRNA

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I'm considering a career change from being a lawyer to CRNA. Can someone point me in the direction a non-traditional student would have to take?

Thanks.

Specializes in trauma ICU,TNCC, NRP, PALS, ACLS.

Thanks for the information, I did not that some attorneys make 40k/y, with 4 yrs of undergrad and 3-4 yrs law school, I would think that they would get paid more.

Some attorneys are very profitable while others are not. Some make less than 40K a year. There are a wealth of attorneys with few major employment opportunities.
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The CRNA profession is very flexible. There are plenty of jobs that a vareity of shifts, how you can work those shifts (i.e. 8,12, 16 hours) and you can choose to take on a job that does not require you to take call. You don't have to start off working the worst shift.

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as with some professions, additional education doesn't equate to lots of money. there are many attorneys working in the public service realm earing appox. 40-45k per year with lots of hours to go with it.

thanks for the information, i did not that some attorneys make 40k/y, with 4 yrs of undergrad and 3-4 yrs law school, i would think that they would get paid more.
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I saw this program at Georgetown, maybe there is something similar where you live.

Direct Entry to Advanced Practice

The Direct Entry to Advanced Practice program allows individuals with a bachelor's degree in another field, who wish to enter nursing and ultimately have an advanced practice role in mind, to pursue both an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science in Nursing.

  • Combines our 16-month Second Degree BSN program with one of our graduate-level specialties for a streamlined path to advanced practice nursing

After completing the Second Degree BSN program, Direct Entry students will pursue a graduate degree in one of the specialty areas listed below:

So this program is 16 months plus 2.5 years for Nurse Anesthesia education. That is about 4 years of full-time school. The good news with this is you don't have to have experience, and you don't have to already be an RN.

Good luck.

http://snhs.georgetown.edu/academics/direct_programinfo.html

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Specializes in SRNA.

Don't forget this part from the Georgetown website.

Special Requirements for Direct Entry to Nurse Anesthesia

The Nurse Anesthesia program will consider Direct Entry applications for a very limited number of slots from among the applicants who meet the following requirements in addition to those above:

* Applicant must have a Bachelor of Science degree in a science (e.g. chemistry, biology, microbiology) or an advanced clinical degree (e.g. Physical Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, Doctor of Dental Science).

* Applicant must have very strong undergraduate GPA (minimum of 3.2, though higher GPA is preferred).

* Applicant must have work experience in a clinical setting

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Specializes in PICU.
Some attorneys are very profitable while others are not. Some make less than 40K a year. There are a wealth of attorneys with few major employment opportunities.

I just had to add that I will make more (by a little) starting as a nurse than I've ever made as an attorney. I have almost 5 years experience now, and I don't work in a public interest job! Essentially there has been a flood of attorneys and salaries have not increased because of it. There are a few who work insane hours and make a ton of money, the rest work a lot of hours and make almost nothing. I started at $31,000 per year with NO benefits, but was still expected to work 60+ hours a week. Starting salaries in my area haven't increased in over 15 years. I have a much better job now, but the pay is still low based on education and experience. I'm not going into nursing for the money, since I can make about the same in my current profession, but I wanted to dispell the myth that all lawyers make a lot of money. I cringe anytime someone says they're going to law school.

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Look into anesthesiologist assistant programs. They have the same job description and scope as CRNA's. You don't need to go to nursing school for it.

Here's the definitive info site for AAs.

2. What is the origin of the anesthesiologist assistant profession?

In the 1960s, three anesthesiologists, Joachim S. Gravenstein, John E. Steinhaus, and Perry P. Volpitto, were concerned with the shortage of anesthesiologists in the country. After studying the educational pathway for anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists (NAs), they created a new educational paradigm for a mid-level anesthesia practitioner that included a pre-med background in college. This person would perform the same job as the NA but would be readily able to go on to medical school if appropriate. This new professional, the anesthesiologist assistant, or AA, thus had the potential to alleviate the shortage of anesthesiologists. The concept became reality in 1969 when the first AA training program began accepting students at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, followed shortly thereafter by a second program at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.

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Based on what I've been told on this thread, I'd be looking at 5 to 8 years before becoming a CRNA, and most of those years would be unpaid or lowly paid. I'm making a good living now, but I'm not sure how much more debt I want to take on. I've nearly paid off all my undergrand and law school loans. Starting over would sting.

I'd imagine that doing such a career change wouldn't be an easy task, but I believe that is what you are going to encounter if you want to leave what you are doing now.

The closest I can relate is my husband was heavily into politics.. now he is working as a paramedic.

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Specializes in Critical Care only.

LOL. Man,I though it was more like 900,000 +....I guess, only for good once?! Some Nurses make 90,000.

I do not know why you want to put yourself through this but if you do...God bless you and Good luck because you have a loooooooooooooooooooooooooong road ahead of you!

Best wishes!

:)

For all the pple that are lawyers and that want to become a nurses, I am interested in knowing why? I was always under the impression that lawyers make good money (90,000+)? Is this true?
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I am a lawyer turned RRT going for RN now.

It won't take you as long as you think it will. Plus time flies when you're having fun.

Hour-for-hour and taking into account aggravation and boredom, I get paid much more now as an RRT than I did as an atty making 130K a year in NYC.

It all depends on what you value.

Giving my suits to goodwill, and being able to go for a run on the beach before work instead of sitting on the train commuting 3 hrs roundtrip?

Priceless.

I did: 1 year of pre-reqs, 2 year BSRT, right now am doing online AAS Nursing this year while working as an RT in CTICU, will do CTICU as a RN next year while I get my 1 year, take the CCRN and apply to schools. CRNA school for 2.5 years after that. May consider doing a RN-BSN online, but probably wont waste the money.

To everyone who's wondering why a lawyer would get out, it's the same reason disgruntled RN's get out of nursing.

If it's not for you and you're not happy, you're not happy.

And you don't need to justify that to anyone.

When they say that money doesn't buy happiness, it's not just a cliche.

:)

Happy everyday that I left. No regrets whatesoever.

-RRT2RN2CRNA

For all the pple that are lawyers and that want to become a nurses, I am interested in knowing why? I was always under the impression that lawyers make good money (90,000+)? Is this true?
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Tex is right- you could be working as a nurse in 2 years, even if you need some pre-reqs. I did law work PT while i got my pre reqs so i only had to suffer a year really being poor.

Everyone has their own opinions, but personally since I couldnt stand being under the thumb of my partners at my old firm... I am averse to being an *anything* assistant... and certainly would be go for AA. It wouldnt be a good fit for me personally. I am more than happy to eat the year getting my RN online and doing a year in ICU.

There's a back door of getting into nursing by going through an BSRT program or a paramedic program, then doing online AAS through Excelsior while working... I got away with doing a lot of those "nursing pre reqs" as co-reqs and cut a year off the "waiting to get started phase" which was important to me. It was the fastest way to get out of law and get working in healthcare. I make $35/hr per diem in respiratory, its very flexible, and you have an opportunity to work in every area of the hospital And you have a ton of autonomy.

Pm me if you want more info...

Good luck!

This statement could be no further from the truth. AAs do NOT have the same job description NOR scope of practice. AAs are very limited in their practice. They MUST be supervised by MDAs. CRNAs require no such supervision in virtually all settings. (There are some, not many, states with restrictions.) An AA has almost zero autonomy.

I had a career before becoming an RN, for the sole purpose of becoming a CRNA. CRNA school so far is great. I wouldn't change a thing. For most of the advice above, I think is great. If you have a life science degree BS, you do not need an BSN for many programs, only an ADN-RN. This is the route i went, as it allowed me to keep my career as I became an RN.

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Specializes in trauma ICU,TNCC, NRP, PALS, ACLS.

Just out of curiosity what is a RRT?

I am a lawyer turned RRT going for RN now.

It won't take you as long as you think it will. Plus time flies when you're having fun.

Hour-for-hour and taking into account aggravation and boredom, I get paid much more now as an RRT than I did as an atty making 130K a year in NYC.

It all depends on what you value.

Giving my suits to goodwill, and being able to go for a run on the beach before work instead of sitting on the train commuting 3 hrs roundtrip?

Priceless.

I did: 1 year of pre-reqs, 2 year BSRT, right now am doing online AAS Nursing this year while working as an RT in CTICU, will do CTICU as a RN next year while I get my 1 year, take the CCRN and apply to schools. CRNA school for 2.5 years after that. May consider doing a RN-BSN online, but probably wont waste the money.

To everyone who's wondering why a lawyer would get out, it's the same reason disgruntled RN's get out of nursing.

If it's not for you and you're not happy, you're not happy.

And you don't need to justify that to anyone.

When they say that money doesn't buy happiness, it's not just a cliche.

:)

Happy everyday that I left. No regrets whatesoever.

-RRT2RN2CRNA

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