Difficult to find F/T employment as a CRNA?

[Anastasiak]

I am interested in pursuing a career as a CRNA. However, I wanted to hear from nurses in the field to see if you have had any trouble finding full-time employment. Since a CRNA is often required during surgeries, are most jobs opportunities for per diem/on-call?

Are the full-time opportunities that are available, standard 40 hour work weeks? In your experience, what percentage of job openings are full-time 8 to 5 pm etc?

As a female, and eventual mother, I want to make sure that I will be there for my kids and family. I don't want to pursue a profession that will have me coming in to work on-call whenever the hospital schedules a surgery. Do most CRNA's work in an ICU?

Thank you

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

There are some sticky threads at the top of this forum to help you sort out what a CRNA does. Few work in the ICUs and yes, call is expected.

[RedCell]

there is no trouble finding full time (40hr week), part time or per diem work as a crna. sure some areas are more saturated than others. typically these are cities with existing crna or aa training programs that are pumping out new practitioners each year. demand still exceeds supply. crnas typically work in shifts...7-3, 7-5, 7-7, some prefer 24 hour shifts. your schedule will depend on what the anesthesia group has to offer as well as what you can negotiate for.

most crnas do not work in the icu. this is an area where ccm trained anesthesiologists dominate. futhermore, it is not smart financially for the group to send a crna to work in an icu. the only time i go up there is to drop a patient off or throw in an ett if requested.

finally, taking call is not something that is expected in every group (especially if you are working in a surgery center). often times, the guys doing the 24 hour shifts are already in house, and therefore available for emergency procedures required during the off hours.

[Da_Milk_of_Amnesia, MSN]

I don't want to pursue a profession that will have me coming in to work on-call whenever the hospital schedules a surgery.

Thank you

- You should really re-evaluate what you wanna do then. Because I don't think it's gonna go over well when someone comes in for emergent Sx and you tell them "I'm sorry I'm busy with my family." Yea that ain't go over to well. RNs do call too, at least at my hospital they do, so maybe nursing isn't what you wanna be doing if you wanna have a family, etc, etc. But good luck to you either way.