CRNA career cons

versatile_kat · Mar 10, 2005

You know - that is one of the major reasons I first looked into becoming a CRNA ... job satisfaction! Of all the CRNA's I'd met, not ONE hated their job. And now that I'm in school, our clinical instructors repeat at least once a week, "I know it feels like a lot, but trust me, this is the best job in the world and it'll be worth it in the end" ... very different from the typical, seasoned, ICU nurses opinion's of their job. I'll be shocked if you get any responders with a long list of reasons NOT to go into this profession. I for one can't wait to start! :)

apaisRN, RN, CRNA · Mar 10, 2005

In one of my essays, I reported the conversations I'd had with a CRNA about the downsides of her job. The school really liked that I was looking at the job realistically. I think she said stress, feeling like she didn't know as much as the MDAs, and that when her kids were small and she worked part-time, she felt like she wasn't on top of her game. I'll pull out the essay later and see if there were any more.

Compare these to cleaning up poop, being stomped on by management and some MDs, constantly laboring to save people who should be allowed to die, getting screamed at and threatened by wildly dysfunctional families . . . all for less money. Hmm, should I stay in ICU or move along?

BigDave · Mar 10, 2005

I'm not sure if you are a nurse or not, but it takes a great deal of will to be an ICU nurse day in and day out. There are a lot of good times, but an equal amount of frustrations. I've been in the ICU 10 years now, and if it wasn't for going to CRNA school I think I would leave this field altogether.

I'm sure there are down sides with any profession, but for a nurse to give it all and succeed through school, I think there is an inate ability to overlook the small stuff. This is a quote from my best friend/former ICU workmate that my wife recieved the other day: "I am also very excited for you Dave and I know you will do great in Anesthesia school and hopefully love it as much as I do."

Probably the biggest downside are aspects outside of the actual performance of the job:

- Ever present practice parameters that are under legislative control

- The possibility of being hit with a lawsuit. The biggest thing now is anesthesia awareness, possibly blown out of control by the media (see many other threads on this forum)

- OK, I can't think of anything else...

sproutsfriend · Mar 10, 2005

Probably the biggest downside are aspects outside of the actual performance of the job:
- Ever present practice parameters that are under legislative control
- The possibility of being hit with a lawsuit. The biggest thing now is anesthesia awareness, possibly blown out of control by the media...

I completely agree.

Athlein1 · Mar 11, 2005

It is a very good idea to be able to intelligently discuss at least a couple of downsides to the profession. I was asked to describe the drawbacks of being a CRNA at every interview I attended. So, here's what I came up with (disclaimer: these are not necessarily my own personal opinion. These ideas came from working CRNAs when I was preparing for interviews)

1. Very limited providers of malpractice insurance to CRNAs who practice without supervision/direction. The trend in the industry is to deny coverage to any CRNA with any blemish - even if it is questionable - or make that coverage prohibitively expensive.

2. Erosion of independent practice rights in states with powerful physician lobbies

3. Doing the actual work of anesthesia, right at the bedside, day after day, while the anesthesiologists in your team are watching the tube/playing on the computer/generally goofing off. Such a situation will inevitably lead to some resentment. Just wait.

4. Long hours. There are certainly shift work positions to be had, but everyone else wants the T-Th 8-4 gig, too. Jobs that are available that match that description, especially in certain parts of the country, can be malignant. Generally speaking, the days of 3-12s, where you leave the hospital and don't think about it again until your next shift, are over.

5. Surgeon-anesthesia relationships can be challenging. Surgeons want to proceed, and anesthesia searches every body system with the aim of optimizing the patient for the experience, even if that means delays or cancellations.

6. The mundane aspects of the job can create boredom. It can be difficult to maintain vigilance and attention in long, routine cases. Along those same lines, watching the removal of yet another gallbag seems to lose its excitement after, say, the 80th time. There are lots and lots of knee scopes, hysters, and gallbags, and lots less ruptured AAAs and emergency cranis.

7. Red-headed stepchild syndrome: In some unfortunate working environments, CRNAs dwell in a strange realm of not-quite-a-nurse, definitely-not-a-physician. That can create role stress, frustration, and feelings of isolation.

MamaTheNurse, BSN, RN · Mar 11, 2005

wow - you really laid it out - are you a CRNA or SRNA?

some of these I saw for myself when I was a First Assist.....

btw, I've seen CRNA jobs advertised that say "bread and butter cases" - what are those? knee scopes, hysters and gallbags?

imenid37 · Mar 11, 2005

I envy your great degree of job satisfaction. CRNA would not be for me. I really love what I do (OB) but I feel crispy fired right now after 18 years of nursing. 15 on night shift.I am looking for my nitch. Being staff is very mundane. I love my patients, but need a long vacation from hospital politics and BS. I can see that it would be hard to be in between nurses and physicians. Do you feel surgeons are nastier to you than to MDA's. Do they try to walk all over you because you are not another physician? I hope I can be as professionally content as you guys one day. I like to read what you guys think from time to time. For the most part, the CRNA's seem very driven and very passionate about what they do. Other nursing specilaties could use a chunk of that attitude. I guess that would require that people treat us more like professionals and less like kindergartners or farm hands.

yoga crna · Mar 12, 2005

As you all know, I have very few complaints and love the profession. But, to list of few negatives:

* cold and noisy operating rooms

* never have an opportunity for a real break or lunch

* having to defend my right to practice, often to jealous nurses, who don't understand professional unity.

* practice limitations in some locations

* needing to explain for the 1000th time, that there is no law preventing a nurse (anesthetist) from owning a Mercedes.

I know I am being petty and cynical. It is a great profession and very few negatives, but if you look carefully, you will find some.

Yoga

ericalirn · Mar 12, 2005

Today I shadowed an anesthesiologist, and when asked if he loved his job he said no. The other two anesthesiologists also complained about long hours and it being boring to sit all day. Boring! Can you believe that? I thought it was a fantastic process to watch, and I would love to work as a CRNA. On Monday I'm shadowing a CRNA, and we'll see if his opinion is different. Also, the political tension between MDAs and CRNAs is alive for sure. I work at the hospital where I shadowed, so they were very accepting to me being there... but all three of them mentioned something about CRNA education being nothing near their preparation. One of them even told me, "No offense, but I only interviewed at those hospitals that don't hire CRNAs". The nurses in the OR were accepting of me during my experience, and I didn't feel any tension there at all. All I know is that the shadowing experience was amazing, and this is definitely the career for me!

MamaTheNurse, BSN, RN · Mar 12, 2005

* needing to explain for the 1000th time, that there is no law preventing a nurse (anesthetist) from owning a Mercedes.
Yoga

baaahaaaahaaaaa - that's hilarious!!! :rotfl: :rotfl: but so true - no one ever questions when a physician owns a car like that - in fact, they usually get raised eyebrows if they dare drive around a beater.............

MamaTheNurse, BSN, RN · Mar 12, 2005

oh yeah, I forgot to re-ask my previous question - what are "bread and butter" cases?