Why the huge draw towards CRNA?

nurse4theplanet, RN · Oct 6, 2006

or

"bag 'em and toe tag em"

put a deceased body in the body bag after post mortem care and carry them to the morgue...ah, the little nursing phrases that make you all warm and fuzzy inside

chicagrl72 · Oct 10, 2006

or
"bag 'em and toe tag em"
put a deceased body in the body bag after post mortem care and carry them to the morgue...ah, the little nursing phrases that make you all warm and fuzzy inside

Thanks for the info everyone!

- there is a link for a discussion on NP and CNS for anyone elso who was confused :)

https://allnurses.com/forums/f119/different-roles-cnss-come-guys-share-what-you-do-182191.html

slowly learning over here

slou! · Oct 10, 2006

I am also a pre-nursing student who is so confused by all the acronyms on here! I mean I know a lot of them are just medical terms that I will learn in time with nursing school, but is there a list on here of certain acronyms like job titles, etc? That would be really helpful, I'm lost!

jov · Oct 11, 2006

so if someone's bp and hr are down and you are "bagging them"
what does that mean?

you are ventilating them with a bag hooked up to a tube in their trachea. Most likely because they are crashing.

Frankly, I have no desire for CRNA - despite the money, it sounds like an extremely boring job that goes from monotony to panic in minutes...

kukukajoo, LPN · Oct 11, 2006

JOV-

"Bagging" is not just through a trach. It is also done with the ambu bag via the mouth, nose or both. Sometimes it has as much effect as doing it in one's ear but that is beside the point!

JaxiaKiley · Oct 12, 2006

I'm thinking about going into CRNA eventually, too. It is one of the things that drew me to nursing -- the options to further my career later.

nurse4theplanet, RN · Oct 12, 2006

I am going to prepare myself in case I decide to pursue CRNA in the future, however, it is not a definite goal.

Educationally: My short term goal at this time is to graduate my ADN program. Then get accepted to a RN-BSN program. Professionally: My short term goal is to survive my orientation in the ICU, and hopefully I will be a successful critical care nurse after a few years of experience.

Only then, will I be able to seriously consider CRNA.

I know that I want nothing less than a Master's degree in this lifetime, and I know that I want to teach in this lifetime, and I know that I want to serve on a mission in an underserved country....those are the things that I know for sure that I will try to accomplish.

CRNA is just a nice option to contemplate from time to time.

chicagrl72 · Oct 12, 2006

I think it is interesting that so many people who are not RN's yet KNOW that their goal is to be a CRNA , in essence that is why they are going into nursing. That is admirable but I am just stressing trying to get into to an RN program whether it be ADN or BSN ! :bugeyes:

I am an "older" student who definitely would like to pursue an advanced degree but I can't look that far into the future as far as details. I just know I have to do well in my courses now regardless......

I have looked more into the job description of CRNA and it does not seem like something I would be interested in but I sure have learned a lot.

Keep the great info coming and good luck to all those pursuing this career choice.

jov · Oct 13, 2006

JOV-
"Bagging" is not just through a trach. It is also done with the ambu bag via the mouth, nose or both. Sometimes it has as much effect as doing it in one's ear but that is beside the point!

to clarify, I thought she was referencing it as a CRNA would. With "the bp and hr down," it sounded like the patient had already arrived and had treatment well underway...

As far as bagging via mouth, nose or both - been there, done that. In fact, having joined the healthcare world back in the 80's (**before HIV and hepatitis B**) in the EMS rodeo, actually ventilated mouth-to-mouth. Now there's an experience one does not wish to repeat...

Sheri257 · Oct 13, 2006

REASONS: They are the highest paid nurses in existence. Some of them making more than a 200k/yr with 40/hr week BASE SALARY with full BENEFITS, 6 wk vacation, med. ins., mal practice ins, all PAID.

They are the highest paid but, you have to also consider the huge debt you incur as well as income you lose going to CRNA school. Becoming a CRNA is not always the money maker people think it is ...

For me, I figured I'd actually LOSE MONEY trying to go to CRNA school. You may want to crunch in the numbers when you're making your decision.

I live in California where, in my particular area, CRNA's make about $140K base salary. That's great but, there are other opportunities off the CRNA track where I can actually do better ...

If I go down the CRNA track (working ICU, etc.) those positions pay a lot less (typically only $55K a year) plus, I'd have to borrow $130K just to go to CRNA school ... assuming I get in and in my area, the chances of that happening are only 15 percent.

Instead, there are other job opportunities where I can make $98K to start with full benefits .... with no debt, no lost income and no lost pension benefits for the next four years.

For me, this is how the numbers broke down for the four years I'd figured it would take to get my ICU experience, get my bachelor's (I'm an ADN student), apply, get into CRNA school and graduate:

CRNA Track for the next four years:

ICU income for two years: $110K

CRNA school debt: - 130K

Balance at the end of four years: - 20K

Other job opportunities for the next four years:

Income of $98K a year with full benefits: $392K

Debt: None

Negative balance upon CRNA school graduation: - $412K

So ... even though I'd be making about $40K more a year as a CRNA, it would take me 10 YEARS to make up the difference in lost income and debt ($412K) versus taking the other job right after graduation at $98K a year.

And that's assuming I'd get in ... with only a 15 percent chance of success, I'd probably have to re-apply more than once, and I could easily waste the next four years trying to get into CRNA school. With that scenario (which is not unusual for CRNA applicants) I could lose even more money if that happened. To wit:

CRNA track income for four years (ICU): $220K

Non-CRNA track income for four years: $392K

Net Income Loss: - $172K

It's just not worth it to me to risk losing $172,000 in income over the next four years with no guarantee of success.

Plus ... I'd lose $10K a year in retirement benefits on my pension with the CRNA track since, in my area, ICU jobs typically have no pension benefits (only crappy 401K plans).

I'm sure the costs and circumstances vary widely for each individual but ... these are some of the things you may want to research before going down the CRNA track.

:typing

RazorbackRN, BSN, RN · Oct 13, 2006

so if someone's bp and hr are down and you are "bagging them"
what does that mean?

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