How many nurses say they want to be a CRNA?

crazylilkelly · Jul 15, 2008

i hear a lot of ppl just saying they want a crna's salary. i've only met about 5 ppl who want to or would consider doing. most ppl say they think it would be too boring & that they like their pts being awake.

RRTNeuroRN · Jul 16, 2008

Anesthesia.....boring? I doubt it. The people who think that all CRNA's do all day is sit on a stool and write down vitals don't have a good understanding of the profession. What could be more exciting than inducing a pain and awareness free state in a perfectly normal human being while someone slices them open and proceeds to move organs around inside their body???? Sounds great to me!!!

MB37 · Jul 16, 2008

There's one in my class who is only going to NS to become a CRNA - but I think he may need a lot of experience to make up for his grades. I did a lot of research while I was in school, and aside from the money, it's a career that intrigues me and seems like something I would absolutely love. Several other classmates - mostly the other excellent students - have mentioned that they're thinking about it, but it's not their primary goal. I would bet most will never go through with it. I think the salary is definitely a reason many people consider CRNA as a career, but it can't be enough of a motivation all on its own to get you through NS, ICU nursing, and 2-3 years of crazy intense schooling.

LonghornRN · Jul 16, 2008

It's kind of disappointing to me, because I want to be a nurse so badly, and to others it's just a means to the end. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that, it's just...I don't know, I wish people entered nursing because they have a passion and desire for it. :/

GoldenGirl,

I think that you are working under some false assumptions. First of all, as a SRNA (I start in the fall :lol2: ), I can tell you that I and all of the CRNAs I know are first and formost passionate and caring NURSES. And secondly, becoming a CRNA will not be the "end" of my nursing career. It is my belief that as an anesthetist I will be able to give the most intense, autonomous nursing care that I can possibly give.

I am not downing other specialties,but I think that my niche is anesthesia. Nursing is a dynamic profession which is why I was attracted to it in the first place.....If one specialty doesn't suit you, you can just change paths to one that does, so why is it that nurses are so intolerant to anesthesia as a specialty? As the first nursing specialtly, it has paved the way for the freedom and autonomy enjoyed by NPs, CNSs and CNMs alike. Long story short, I think that people wishing to advance their nursing careers (beit Anesthesia, NP, CNS, CNM, or Administration) should be supported and not be a source of derision.

Back to the OPs question, in my class (of about 120) I would say >50% expressed and interest in pursuing CRNA as a specialty, to date only 3 I know of are enrolled in programs.

Longhorn

Little Doe · Jul 16, 2008

I thought I would offer up why I am considering a CRNA program in my future. I come from a medical family (surgeons - but very caring surgeons:nuke:), and I guess I just inherited being very good at health sciences and caring about people. I likely would have been a physician if I wasn't a woman, but having a family was more important to me than going to school forever to become a surgeon. Now that my children are older I can take time out for my own interests, and being a CRNA meets all of my natural interests. Of course, I am also considering becoming an NP as well. I think that there are many women out there who ended up in the same boat I am in balancing all of our deisres for work and family.

2bmalenurse007 · Jul 16, 2008

I'm taking one step at a time , day by day. Who knows what the future holds:paw::paw:

Fermin Hernandez, ADN, ASN, RN · Jul 18, 2008

I'm the only one in my class that I know of...

It's kind of funny when one sees me reading material from a science course and they are like "we already did that...why are you still studying it?"

:chuckle

Summitk2 · Jul 18, 2008

I likely would have been a physician if I wasn't a woman, but having a family was more important to me than going to school forever to become a surgeon. ...I think that there are many women out there who ended up in the same boat I am in balancing all of our deisres for work and family.

I can't believe people still talk like this in 2008. Don't be surprised when you get into CRNA school and 50% of the students are MEN. Yes, there are men in nursing now... and we didn't get here by mistake! We could've been male surgeons and we chose CRNA even though we are guys (it's this whole "fully informed" thing). Something else you should be aware of, when you enter the O.R. for the first time... there are now female surgeons, not just men! And some of them actually have husbands and children and to the best of my knowledge, they love them and even spend some time with them.

I hope you really didn't want to become a surgeon (or a man). We need people who actually want to provide anesthesia. As a nurse. If this is not what you wanted, you might not like nursing or anesthesia. It's not something you should "settle" for.

Little Doe · Jul 19, 2008

Summitk2,

I am so sorry that you misunderstood the point of my post!!! I most certainly DID NOT mean to say that I don't think men choose nursing over being a doctor, or that men want to be CRNAs! I was speaking only for myself and what know from my own experience. What I was trying to stress is that women, whether all of us modern people want to admit it or not, are still the ones required to give birth if a family is a part of their plan. And lets face it, the med-school track is competitive enough as it is without taking time out for beginning a family if you are a woman.

Based on your rather extreme misinterpretation of my post, I think it's safe to say that maybe YOU are the one who dwells a little too much on the idea of men in nursing! And furthermore, I don't see much difference in the dedication of surgeons and CRNAs in the care they wish to provide for their patients. Sometimes it seems the CRNAs are the only ones who keep underscoring that they aren't medical doctors.

cherrysky · Jul 19, 2008

I definitely want to go on to become a CRNA but I haven't heard anyone else other than my sister (and one of her friends) say that they wanted to become one. I've heard one person say they were considering becoming an NP but that's about all.

cherrysky · Jul 19, 2008

On a different note, I don't understand the animosity that exists between RNs and CRNAs. It goes both ways from what I see in this forum and a couple others. Hopefully this doesn't turn into another instance of that. I find at times that valid questions and inquiries turn into territorial p*ssing contests. Maybe that should be in another post...

That is one of my pet peeves on this forum! As soon as you say you want to become a CRNA a bunch of RNs get on your case because "you're in it for the money". I genuinely think that they may be a little bit jilted because for only 2-3 more years of education, someone else will be making 3x more than they are. Also, I think they believe that they work harder than CRNAs--which I think on some level is actually true. I absolutely know that CRNAs have an incredible amount of responsibility, but I think it's a bit different because they are not cleaning up patients, changing bandages, etc. I think the impression for the most part is that CRNAs give some anesthesia and just sit there. Also, I think MDAs get a lot of flack too. I have a lot of close friends that are MDs and one mentioned that he felt that they lazy med students went into anesthesiology because it's easier. So, I think this weird perception of those providing anesthesia is found everywhere in the medical profession. Also, if anyone said that they wanted to become a doctor or lawyer, I don't think they would get nearly as much criticism as those that say they want to become a CRNA. I think some people out there believe it's a get-rich-quick scheme or something and they don't like it because the time you have to invest in it to get an excellent paycheck is relatively short when compared with other people that make similar incomes.

MB37 · Jul 22, 2008

I don't know that the educational investment is inordinately short compared to other well-paying degrees. A JD is three years after a bachelor's in anything. A CRNA is 2-3 years after a BSN (usually) PLUS 1-2 years of critical care experience. It's less than med school - but MDAs are compensated better than CRNAs, at least where I live. An MBA is 2 years at my old university. Other advanced nursing degrees don't always pay as well as anesthesia, nor do many advanced academic degrees. I haven't started a program yet, but from what I've heard, they're the opposite of an easy route to quick cash.