CRNA Questions...

Outdoor1 · Mar 7, 2009

Hey everyone, I have wanted to be a CRNA since I was a sophomore in college. I am in my first year as an ICU nurse and having doubts. When I was in nursing school I was in OR a few times and just was very bored with it. I just had a few questions. Do you find being in the OR all day boring? Did any of you ever consider Nurse Practitioner? I just enjoy patient interaction and like Emergency Room. I have wanted to do CRNA for a long time, but just having 2nd thoughts. If you could go back and do it all over again, would you? Any advice or wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
P.s. - feel free to PM me with any advice as well.

Every OR observation experience I ever did i thought was boring as well. Yes, there are times when you will be bored, but not often. I did consider nurse practitioner. WIth the hours that most nurse practitioners work to make their money you just soon stay an ICU nurse and work a little more and make the same salary. As a NP you will be physician dependent....I did not want this. As a CRNA I still get to interact with my patients. I enjoy the pre-op interaction explaining things, putting them at ease. Letting them know i'll be watching over them every second....VERY rewarding. If I could go back and do it all over again I would do it earlier!!!! It is well worth it!

Good Luck

O

FutureNurseSaga · Apr 23, 2009

I do not know if you are aware of this or not but CRNAs do not only work in the OR. There are CRNAs who work in trauma, labor and deliver, private practice, ect. I live in MD so Shock Trauma is right down the street. I have looked at their website and they have a lot of CRNAs employed.

gasmaster · Apr 23, 2009

Ok, first of all, you need to shadow an actual CRNA in the OR. What they do is totally different from the circulating or scrub nurses. I was just like you, trust me. It took me 17 years of ICU nursing before I did this because I too thought the OR would just put me to sleep. When I found out what the CRNA's actually do I was hooked. I shadowed a CRNA for a long time into all areas of the hospital & it was very eye opening. Second, CRNA's work in all areas....I recently read of some opening & OWNING their own pain management clinics. I have friends who work in plastic surgery or oral surgery offices. The opportunities are endless. Don't give up on it to really explore it. I think you'll be suprised. Talk to the chief CRNA at your hospital & see if they will allow you to shadow, ok?