Good Reasons to Become a CRNA

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Specializes in Trauma ICU.

As I have read various posts on the boards and the FAQ about becoming a CRNA a question has been brewing in my head.

What are good, solid, defensible reasons to become a CRNA? Especially in regards to answering the question that may come up in an interview for a school.

First, I realize "making buckets of money" is not a good reason (just a bonus in my head). However, what is?

I have a couple years until I can apply (I graduate this December with my BSN) but I would like to really work out my reasons for becoming a CRNA before the application is looming. It is not that I don't have reasons, I'm just not sure if they are good enough reasons.

I'm not looking for someone to give me a reason to become a CRNA but what you think are good reasons or what were/are your reasons.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
As I have read various posts on the boards and the FAQ about becoming a CRNA a question has been brewing in my head.

What are good, solid, defensible reasons to become a CRNA? Especially in regards to answering the question that may come up in an interview for a school.

First, I realize "making buckets of money" is not a good reason (just a bonus in my head). However, what is?

I have a couple years until I can apply (I graduate this December with my BSN) but I would like to really work out my reasons for becoming a CRNA before the application is looming. It is not that I don't have reasons, I'm just not sure if they are good enough reasons.

I'm not looking for someone to give me a reason to become a CRNA but what you think are good reasons or what were/are your reasons.

My Reasons were:

1. Autonomy

2. Critical Care/Technical nature of the job

3. The working conditions

4. The education (which in my opinion nurse anesthesia is the hardest nursing program there is and the most technical)

5. Promotion opportunities (since I am military)

6. Comfortable lifestyle (more politically correct way to say that you will be making more money..not that I really will be making any more money until after my pay back period)

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Specializes in Author/Business Coach.

These are my reasons in no particular order (well maybe, Put "out of bedside nursing" at the top

1.) Autonomy

2.) Since of accomplishment

3.) I still will be using my critcal care knowledge

4.) Flexible schedule

5.) Out of bedside nursing!

6.) $$$

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Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency.

it's a manually dexterous and unique profession..

if you love trouble shooting (both technically and mentally), this job is for you..

i agree with the autonomy as well..

challenges are always welcome, which is partly why i chose this avenue..

lastly, i have always wanted to pay off huge debts, so again, i knew this was my calling~

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Here's how I came to my own reasons and put them into some kind of order in my brain. I started talking out loud whenever I was alone, (in the car, in the shower) trying to explain to myself verbally why I wanted to do this.

It took me a while but at some point I started saying the same things to myself about it over and over. These reasons were my core motivation for pursuing this career. Once I had the core reasons, I wrote them down in a fashion that made sense to me and then started taking all the bullsh&t out of it.

I got to a place where I could express the reasons to myself in a genuine manner, without flowery words.

Having said all that, everyone's reasons are their own. To me, this career means continuous learning that happens throughout a career. It means the challenge of making decisions based on the data given at the time, which may change at any moment. It means I can help meet some goals that my husband and I have set for ourselves, we both have elderly parents to care for. But more than anything, it means the culmination of a life long goal to reach my potential in a career that I will be proud of.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency.
These are my reasons in no particular order (well maybe, Put "out of bedside nursing" at the top

1.) Autonomy

2.) Since of accomplishment

3.) I still will be using my critcal care knowledge

4.) Flexible schedule

5.) Out of bedside nursing!

6.) $$$

DITTO...I couldn't have said it any better. My #1 reason is "out of bedside nursing!"

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Specializes in SICU.

Ok, so I fully agree with all of the responses that everyone has given. I am wondering though if you actually gave "out of bedside nursing" as a reason in your interview. I am assuming that you would not give money as a reason during your interview. Correct me if I am wrong. I know the interviewers don't want to be BS'd, but they have to know that these two reasons are in some part, part of everyone's reasons.

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Specializes in Neuro ICU.

I would not say "out of bedside nursing" at my interview if I were you. I am sure armynse did not as well!! At one of my interviews the director of the program said he hated to hear that people were going into anesthesia because they hated bedside nursing. Between the C and the A is RN (CRNA).....You are correct that they don't want to be BS'd, but I would just omit some of the reasons that the board might find less desirable and focus on other reasons to go back to school.

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Specializes in Author/Business Coach.

Hey LovegasRN and RRTNeuroRN... I have enough sense not to say that at an interview. It is a reason for me wanting to become a CRNA though, this is what the post is about, why we want to become a CRNA. As you can also see from my post is that it is NOT the only reason I want to become a CRNA. I never said I hated beside nursing either, its just time for me to move on. I can't and won't be a bedside nurse for the rest of my life.

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Specializes in SICU.

I'm sorry if it seemed that I was being rude. I wasn't trying. My question was more for myself. I didn't think it was actually something that people would include as a reason in an interview but I wanted to be clear. I see in other posts not to BS the interviewers and I know that they were once bedside nurses as well so they know how it is. I guess I was wondering if the question comes up and they actually ask you if you are wanting to get out of bedside nursing do you say yes or no. Maybe it is a question they would never ask.

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I'm sorry if it seemed that I was being rude. I wasn't trying. My question was more for myself. I didn't think it was actually something that people would include as a reason in an interview but I wanted to be clear. I see in other posts not to BS the interviewers and I know that they were once bedside nurses as well so they know how it is. I guess I was wondering if the question comes up and they actually ask you if you are wanting to get out of bedside nursing do you say yes or no. Maybe it is a question they would never ask.

You could always say something like, "I'm looking for more of a challenge, and I enjoy the culture of the OR". You can definitely answer that question "do you want to get out of bedside nursing" in a more open-ended format. ...A rather euphemistic "yes", rather than a straight "heck yeah! are you kidding??"

:D

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Specializes in Trauma ICU.

All,

Thanks for the great replies. Y'all have touched on lots of the reasons that have gone through my head. I really liked to cocept of talking it through with myself and distiling it until it is clear and BS free.

I'm interested in the technical nature of the job, the autonomy and the flexibility that the job seems to afford.

Jim

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