Do crnas deserve that much salary?

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Don't take me wrong, in Houston, Texas CRNAs stock their rooms, prepare the meds, MDAs see the patients sometimes. CRNAs are told by MDAs that they don't have to see the patient, so you bring the patient to their room. CRNAs hand the drugs to MDAs, they push the drugs, MDAs let them intubate and then leave. CRNAs manage take vitals do the paperwork MDAs come for emergencies, if there is something wrong MDAs take over. Any nurse can do what CRNAs do with the exception of intubation that can be learned by a nurse. My questions do CRNAs have to go to school for 3 years and get a masters degree for this? Do they deserve 220k salary when they don't do anything autonomously? I see a flawed system any thoughts??!!!!

I work in a rural hospital in Louisiana. We only have CRNAs. They're in a group by themselves and do their own billing so their pay depends on how many cases they do and how much Medicaid/Medicare/insurance reimburses. I wouldn't ever begrudge that they make more than I do as an RN. They paid for their schooling, pay for insurance, and have a lot of responsibility/liability. Plus they're usually willing to help with intubation or starting difficult IVs even though they don't get paid for that.

Who does the intubating? Who starts the IV's normally?

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

CRNAs work independently in every state. There is no need for anesthesiologists (MDAs) in any state to supervise CRNAs. Certain facilities require MDAs to supervise or medically direct CRNAs, but that is facility driven not state or federal law. Those facilities that utilize medical direction do this mainly for reimbursement purposes (that is my opinion which is justified by numerous research studies showing the safety of independent CRNAs).

It gets more complicated in that some states require "supervision" of CRNAs or don't allow CRNAs to write post op orders. These states where CRNAs work without MDAs generally utilize a standard form in each facility, to my understanding, that allows the surgeon/dentist/podiatrist to order anesthesia and be the "supervising" physician. Supervision in these situations meet the legal and often the billing definitions, but has nothing to do with what most people understand as supervision. Supervision of a CRNA: A Concept Without a Reliable Definition

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The independence, autonomy, ability to think critically and make decisions are huge factors on why I personally chose to pursue nursing anesthesia. As an SRNA I certainly hope the environment the OP describes is the exception and not typical. The program I'm enrolled in aims to prepare all their graduates to practice independently. Although I do feel in this profession, experience and knowledge base grows over time and learning is lifelong.

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Education equals entitlement.

There's a reason you get paid more than a CNA.

There's a reason doctors get paid more than you.

Without the monetary incentive, why spend the time and money to get educated?

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No salary is "deserved", it all comes down to economics. I dont think professional athletes "deserve" millions of dollars every year, but it is all about economics.

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No salary is "deserved", it all comes down to economics. I dont think professional athletes "deserve" millions of dollars every year, but it is all about economics.

Part of the problem with conversations like this is the definitions of the terms that are thrown around. Anymore, in our culture, the word "deserve" seems to be synonymous with "has a right to", and many people have no idea what a "right" really is.

A lot more than economics go into any salary. Does LeBron James "deserve" his salary? I really don't know, but he sure as heck does merit it. Many people earn salaries because of him and guys like him, and, ontheway2crna, I'm sure you're a very nice person, but I'd rather watch him play basketball than you. He has a useless skill, compared to anesthesia, but earns more than the best anesthesia provider in history.

He makes it possible for other earners to do very well...kind of like CRNA's. But in a place I work, there are as many scrub techs as there are CRNA's. The surgeons, for all practical purposes are as dependent on one as the other, quite literally. Only one group that helps the surgeon earns 6 figures for maybe 30 hours a week. That's not economics at work. That's merit.

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No salary is "deserved", it all comes down to economics. I dont think professional athletes "deserve" millions of dollars every year, but it is all about economics.

Sports franchises make millions off of the backs of those athletes. If their performance is such that they positively impact ticket sales/merch sales/etc, why shouldn't they be compensated? They do deserve to have a fair slice of the pie that they help bake. (I feel the same way about nurses and healthcare facilities.)

Also, many are sacrificing their bodies and brains (as we've learned recently, TBIs are much more common than previously thought) - you couldn't make me give up my brain for less than eight figures. EVEN THEN it would be a hard sell. :roflmao:

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Yeah in high school i played super nintendo like a freaking pro. Never got a dollar. Do you see how unfair this world is?

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Yeah in high school i played super nintendo like a freaking pro. Never got a dollar. Do you see how unfair this world is?

I could whoop you in super smash and Mario kart. Sucka. Now back on topic

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The OP's post is actually painful to read...

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Actually, CRNAs deserve more. Don't belittle these nursing geniuses in the anesthesia profession. ;)

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Who does the intubating? Who starts the IV's normally?

The doctors can intubate but not all of them are comfortable with it. They don't do it as routinely as the CRNAs so may request a CRNA to do it or be on hand. Of course nurses start IV. I said difficult ones. If we've already stuck a baby multiple times and can't get access, we'll call anesthesia. Most nurses aren't comfortable starting a scalp IV. They're usually still in-house and either with us or checking with us when they know we had a bad baby and happy to help us. We're a small OB attached to a level 1 nursery.

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