Clinical Doctorate in Anesthsia

[Lambert5883]

I've read and heard that eventually, 2011 - 2013, the entry level degree into Nurse Anesthsia will be a Doctorate (comparable to PharmD). Can anyone at this time offer any specifics on how this is to be implemented?

I was pretty excited about reading this. I hope that it is more than just a measure to appease egos and status and more of a venture into an advanced knowledge base (research and clinical).

Do you think that it is even needed?

[lml33]

I'm going to bluntly honest..........Show me the money and I'll be back in school! I honestly doubt that we will see any salary increase. And for all of those who strive for more letters after your name, more power to ya! LML33.

[ICRN2008, BSN, RN]

I don't have a problem calling PharmD's "dr", because in my experience, it is never in front of the patient. They always are looking at charts and labs at the desk in the units and thus it is not a question of misleading. .

This is not exactly true..my sister is a PharmD doing a clinical residency, and she is called "Dr" by some physicians on the floors. She went to school for seven years plus one year of residency, and she has most assuredly earned the title "doctor". The issue here is educating the patients about the fact that that not all medical professionals with the title "doctor" are MD's or DO's. They might be DPT's, DPM's, PharmD's, DNP's, PhD's, DDS's etc. I do not believe that MD's have the exclusive right to the title and to say as much is to negate the contributions of other allied health professionals.

[jewelcutt]

Let me tell you, if I was going to get my doctorate in anything, it would definitely not be nursing! I don't even want think about school after this disasterous time of my life is over, let alone take a bunch of stupid nursing phD level courses. And don't be fooled, our school is implementing a DNP program. It is not more clinical time, nor is it more academia on specialties, but a bunch of hogwash nursing research and theory courses. If I HAD to choose, I would get a doctorate in phys or pharm.

[yoga crna]

I have mixed feelings about this topic. Have you ever noticed how many initials some nurses have after their name? It seems to me that the more initials, the less self confident they are. And, none of those initials equate to MD or come with the respect that MD conveys to the public. Sorry, some of you aren't going to like what I write, but I have been observing ths for many years.

On the other side, I think the degree of responsibility and education of CRNAs is close to being at the doctoral level. What I would like to know, is what are the additional courses needed to get this doctorate? If it is a clinical doctorate, is there research required, and/or additional clinical time and subspecialitzation?

In the real world, what will a clinical doctorate do for the practitioner and the patient? Will you get more income--probably not for clinical anesthesia. Will you be able to do the much needed research and publish? I am better at asking questions than answering them, but before we commit to more years of education, more money for that education we need to do a cost-benefit analysis.

Personally, I made a decision to go to law school and get a JD. It has been very useful in my clinical practice and has given me the opportunity to write, lecture and do consulting work. If I were younger, I would get an MBA, because the business of anesthesia is an exciting and interesting field for me.

In conclusion, I must agree with the above post regarding nusing theory courses. I have a considerable amount of destain for all of that foolishness and find the information of very little clinical use. Instead, emphasis on the hard sciences would be more useful and would give our profession more credibility.

[mwbeah]

Instead, emphasis on the hard sciences would be more useful and would give our profession more credibility.

Amen

[gaspassah]

not only do i agree with an emphasis on hard science. but we also need to push or advertise that our work in critical care at the bedside is what prepares us clinically for anesthesia. many mds talk about their residencies. i worked 6.5 years in the icu titrating gtts and managing fluids while directly observing the patient responses, i call this my "residency". i have always felt this parallels anesthesia quite closely. titration and administration of drugs while monitoring patient responses.

thusly i think there needs to be some way to intigrate the critical care experience into the anesthesia education timeframe. i doubt there is a way to do it, but it would certainly be beneficial.

d

[SigmaSRNA]

Amen

What university and in what area of study are you getting your PhD in? I'm interested in UTHSCH program in neuroscience when I finish school and work a little. Thanks in advance

[mwbeah]

What university and in what area of study are you getting your PhD in? I'm interested in UTHSCH program in neuroscience when I finish school and work a little. Thanks in advance

I am in the Uniformed Services University PhD program in Neuroscience www.usuhs.mil

Mike