Job satisfaction among crna's

[MICU RN]

While most crna's I have met have expressed plenty of satisfaction with their careers, I am curious to hear from others (including srna's and rn's trying to become crna's) out there. I would assume that the morale seems to be much better than nursing in general. I guess, I am try to get some more positive reinforcement before I take the plunge and go for it myself. I can remember talking to RN's prior to going to nursing school and heard plenty of mixed reviews. Even though, I had gone into nursing with the goal of eventually becoming a crna. However, I thought I would have enjoyed reg. nursing more than I actually do. I love working in a teaching hospital and learning the medical and tech aspects of nursing, but can't stand the other BS, such as being expected to do aid work, maid work, clerk work and of course act as a waiter for the pt. and family. I just have a hard time truly feeling professional when having to do all these other task. I can only take solace in the fact that many of crna's I have met (especially the males) have expressed similar feelings about bedside nursing, but state that they really enjoy their new role as a crna and feel much more professional. I have even heard many say that if they had to back to bedside nursing they would get out of healthcare. Does anyone else feel like this? And I am not trying to be totally negative about bedside nursing, as a matter of fact, the unit I am in now is the best unit I have ever worked in. I am just not crazy about some of the stuff we are expected to do as bedside nurses.

[New CCU RN]

You have taken the words exactly out of my mouth. You are summing up exactly why even after five months of working as an RN, I am postive that the traditional bedside nursing is not for me. I like to know why we are doing this intervention and how to do this technique and the affect a drug has on the body. I don't like exactly what you described...the maid work, the acting like a waitress, the smiling even though you really want to express your true feelings.

The unit I work on is also awesome. There are some real intelligent nurses that really know their stuff....many of them are the true bedside nurses...they love what they do. I love healthcare and medicine, but i don;t love bedside nursing. I don;t think that you are being negative at all. In fact, I think that you are being honest and probably expressing feelings that others do feel just don;t admit it.

Also, you mentioned that you were a male nurse and found more male nurses feel this way, well just to alter your statistics, I am a female nurse! Anyhow...just had to post to your thoughts. You took the words right out of my mouth!!!!

[g8rlimey]

MICU:

I definitely follow what you are saying. I seek autonomy above anything else. As has been posted in one of the other recent threads, "there are about a million ways to provide anesthesia for one type of surgery", and this decision is what attracts me. Although collaboration is a necessary action, being the one who makes the call is important to me. I have only been at the bedside now for 2.5 years, but I am ready to move on. With that said, I have to say that nursing has definitely been a rewarding experience that I wouldn't change for any amount of money.