Help with career decision! Sorry long post..

[bman]

I am sure there are a lot of posts similar to mine but I have a major decision to make and I am looking for some advice from people that might have had a similar experience. I am a BS,RRT with 20yrs of ICU experience and have been recently taking pre med sciences (final semester) to take mcat and apply to med school. The problem is that I am 41 yrs old and have been weighing the options and am not sure if this is a reasonable goal. For years I have wanted to do anesthesia and even considered CRNA but when I compared the amount of time involved it was approx. same time frame as med school. Then I considered PA school but noticed that for all that is required and what you are responsible for that they are not paid enough for what they do. Finally I checked into AA school and that seemed like the obvious route with the least amount of time but I am so tired of all the issues with the MDA,CRNA,AA that I could just puke. So I am back to square one. My reason for being here and my question is would there be a way to do CRNA track by using my BS degree and ICU experience or would I have to start from scratch with a 4 yr BSN then 1 or more realistically 2+ yrs ICU experience. My problem is that nursing has not been something I have been fired up about because the way they get treated everywhere I have worked. I already get that kind of treatment in what I do now. I know you guys don't want to hear this but it seems that I would be being punished for not choosing nursing several years ago when I was not aware of all options then and wished I had but I am left with the hand I was dealt and AA would be best option (didn't say best profession). My goal has always been anesthesia (especially with respiratory background) but am looking for realistic route. Anyway, with all the turmoil and bickering in anesthesia it looks like the CRNA or MDA route would be the safest way because of the political reasons. Sorry for the long post but I was looking for some reasonable views from professionals.

[CrufflerJJ, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

Something else to think about would be an accelerated BSN. I'll be attending one at the University of Cincinnati, and it takes 5 quarters of work (full time). That's a heck of a lot better than 4 years. You would need to see if the science courses you're taking for pre-med meet prereq requirements for any accelerated BSN programs you consider.

[MethaneMan]

You do not need a BSN to go to CRNA school. You could get an Associate's degree in nursing and with your existing Bachelor's degree you could, theoretically, get in with one year of ICU nursing experience. I believe I am correct in saying that most of the 109 crna schools out there state that a non-nursing bachelpr's degree is acceptable. You should, however, check the criteria for the school(s) you are interested in. Unless you are able to receive some special consideration from a specific school, your ICU experience as an RT will not satisfy the one year requirement...but it will make you look more attractive come interview time. You need the year of ICU nursing experience to hopefully put your hands and brains on some hemodynamic monitoring devices, vasoactive drips, and to gain some familiarity with the management of patients that are sicker-than-snot. Hope this helps.

[Summitk2]

You have to be an RN. And while a BSN may not be required (if your BS is in a related science field, and accepted by your schools of choice), cruffler is right--you can get a BSN in less time than it takes to get an ADN. And with a BSN you'll have more job opportunities, better pay, and more CRNA school options. If you don't need pre-reqs, you could be applying to CRNA schools in less than 3 years. However, it sounds like you should think carefully about which approach you want to take to anesthesia. They are different foundations, and if you don't like the prospect of having a nursing background, then perhaps you should pursue another avenue.