CRNA questions/help.

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Hi, new here. At 24 years old I'm considering completely changing majors in college and going into the nursing field. After doing some research I'm most interested in ultimately becoming a CRNA (even though it seems like a super uphill path). However, There are a few things I'm wondering about before fully immersing myself in this field, as it's a huge commitment and undertaking.

If you have information/answers to just ONE of the questions listed, then I'd be truly grateful for your input.

  • What's the typical work schedule like for CRNA's? As a nurse-anesthetist, is it common/possible to work three days out of a week for 12 hour shifts as nurses do? If not, is it possible to only work weekdays with weekends and holidays off? If so, what would the weekday work hours typically be like?

  • With the economy the way it is, what's the job market like for nurse-anesthetists? I've heard that current new-grad nurses are having a really tough time findign a job (not sure how true that is) but currently are new grad CRNAs also struggeling to find a stable job?

  • Is it true that as someone starting from ground zero in the nursing field, I am looking at minimum 10 years till the end point of schooling where I'd be a full-fledged CRNA?

  • For any nurse-anesthetists out there reading this, what do you find the most challenging and stressful aspect of your job? What do you enjoy the most and the least of your line of work?

Thanks again for all the help and 2-cents folks. :)

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Hey there -- I am also interested in being a CRNA so I can tell you that there is a great forum section on this site under "specialty" then "advance practice nursing" that will give you a wealth of information. Something I did learn is that you are required to work ICU for a minimum of one year after becoming an RN before you can interview for CRNA programs. They also require a BSN to enter. I am going for an ADN right now and plan on bridging to BSN and then possibly going to CRNA after working ICU for a year or so.

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Thanks for the heads up. I'll go over the recommended section.

In the meantime, mods, if you feel it'd be best to move the thread over there, that'd be great too. :)

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