CRNA career cons

[fl1picc]

I've read a lot of great posts about the pros of a career as a CRNA on this site, but very little about the cons. Are there any negatives aside from length and rigour of the training? Knowing the cons as well as the pros would help the decision-making process a great deal.

Thanks!

[Athlein1]

Bread and butter cases are just what I described: the routine cases you do every day. Examples include knee scopes, hysters, gallbags, hernia repairs, etc. Sometimes, the lingo people use is "ditzel", as in, "Go set up for a general anesthetic for a 30 yo male, ditzel". It just means that it is routine and the surgery is expected to be straightforward and relatively brief.

Isn't it sad that a CRNA would ever be questioned for what he or she drives? I overheard a conversation last week between two Ob-gyns, one of whom has an anesthesiologist spouse. They were lamenting the fact that primary care physicians make less money than CRNAs at their hospital. "After all that education and training, just to be out-earned by a nurse" was one direct quote. It's a shame, but this is often the prevailing attitude.

In addition, though this is slightly off-topic, physicians as a profession tend to be notoriously bad money managers. Two recent books that support the old-fashioned way to make money (that is, by saving money, not expecting to magically meake millions on investments) specifically cite physicians as a group that exemplifies the "big hat, no cattle" kind of economic mentality. Fancy cars, second homes, luxury vacations, and yet they hardly have two nickels to rub together when it comes to their net worth. From what I have seen, nurse anesthetists tend to be far more conservative in their financial matters than their physician counterparts.

And, in the end, weighing the pros and cons, the benefits of this profession far outweigh the drawbacks.

[SCmomof3, RN]

What a great topic! Thanks for asking, OP :)