I am a sophomore in Highschool and wondering If CRNA is the job for me

brazuca · Jul 15, 2005

I'm a sophomore in highschool and for a while now I've been thinking about being a CRNA. Both of my cousins are in college right now ones a junior at Alabama, and the other a freshman at Alabama, and they are both going to be CRNA's. I've been researching the career for a while now, and it looks like a relatively easy job, that pays extremely well. But i dont know how much family time i would get. or if i would even be interested in the job, i know i want to do something in the medical field. 1. because it pays very well, and 2. because i like science and helping people and stuff like that. so I'm a sophomore in highschool, I have a 4.0 GPA, I would like to attend the University of Alabama (i live in alabama). What do I need to do to prepare myself to become a CRNA. What courses do i need to take in highschool to get an early start on the CRNA career. any tips and pointers would be very nice and helpful, I know it's a bit early to be thinkin about a career this deep, but it seems like a job i would really like. Thanks
Rein

I'm sorry, but I just cant help it.

Maybe what you really like about this job is only the salary.

I am starting in a nursing program this August, and although becoming a CRNA looks really good, especially because you get to make alot of money, you cant really tell what area in nursing you would really enjoy before you get started, I think. How about "nursing", do you think, you would like regular nursing as a career? There are many career paths you can follow, CRNA is a good one, but maybe you will like something else.

Judging by this forum. Shortly we will have a tremendous amount of CRNAs and no regular nurses. (I know this wont happen, Im just being sarcastic)

**RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN** · Jul 15, 2005

I've been researching the career for a while now, and it looks like a relatively easy job, that pays extremely well. But i dont know how much family time i would get. or if i would even be interested in the job, i know i want to do something in the medical field. 1. because it pays very well, and 2. because i like science and helping people and stuff like that.
Rein

I am not sure about it being a relatively easy job. :rolleyes: You know sometimes things seem to be better on paper than in reality. Anyhow it is a wonderful thing that you have chosen the nursing field :)

You said you are a sophmore in H.S. once you get to college you need to take a certain amount of pre reqs, so maybe you can work on your humanities (maybe a foreign language), english and math and sciences to give you a jump start :)

Best of luck to you

ReinIse · Jul 15, 2005

Money is not the only reason that I am interested in the job, I just think it's a plus.

louloubell1 · Jul 15, 2005

I've been researching the career for a while now, and it looks like a relatively easy job, that pays extremely well. But i dont know how much family time i would get. or if i would even be interested in the job, i know i want to do something in the medical field. 1. because it pays very well, and 2. because i like science and helping people and stuff like that. so I'm a sophomore in highschool, I have a 4.0 GPA, I would like to attend the University of Alabama (i live in alabama). What do I need to do to prepare myself to become a CRNA. What courses do i need to take in highschool to get an early start on the CRNA career. any tips and pointers would be very nice and helpful, I know it's a bit early to be thinkin about a career this deep, but it seems like a job i would really like. Thanks
Rein

What is it about the job that you would really like? Please don't think I am flaming you, but how is it that you think this would be a job you would really like, when you know so little about it that you could say "it looks like a relatively easy job"? I think maybe you should research a little more. Easy job? Not from this SRNAs vantage point.

RN_Jen · Jul 15, 2005

I've been researching the career for a while now, and it looks like a relatively easy job, that pays extremely well.
Rein

I'm just curious.....in what way does it look "relatively easy?"

ReinIse · Jul 15, 2005

well like I said I have been researching this career alot, and every website says the same thing...

What is the Role of An Individual CRNA?

Performing a physical assessment

Participating in preoperative teaching

Preparing for anesthetic management

Administering anesthesia to keep the patient pain free

Maintaining anesthesia intraoperatively

Overseeing recovery from anesthesia

Following the patient's postoperative course from recovery room to patient care unit.

To me, that doesnt seem that difficult, but i know there is WAY more to it then that. Thats why i posted this thread, maybe you guys could tell me something about a CRNA wut do u do everyday at your job? You are right, i dont know very much about the job, thats why I am here! what do YOU really like about the job? I said that I like the medical field and helping people and stuff like that, and its one of the highest paying nursing jobs...so hey why not earn alot of money in the field i want to work in?

suzanne4, RN · Jul 16, 2005

Keeping the patient alive during the surgery is not a stress free job, especially during an open heart surgery case, etc.; or even any case.

My suggestion to you would be to see if you could shadow a CRNA for a day or two and get some idea of what the job really includes. It may be very different than what you see written in some book or article.

The field may pay alot, but it is also the hardest to get into and one of the more stressful. For the two years of school, you will not be part of your family as in the real world, you will be spending every single second with your nose in a book. If you have children by then, they will not see much of you.

My other suggestion would be to review this site over the past six months or so and you will get a better insight to what the field really is about.

versatile_kat · Jul 16, 2005

...
Participating in preoperative teaching
Preparing for anesthetic management
Administering anesthesia to keep the patient pain free
Maintaining anesthesia intraoperatively
Overseeing recovery from anesthesia
...

I commend you for taking your future seriously this early on in your life. And I can see how the paycheck to someone as young as you are can look very attractive.

The part I've higlighted from your post is what makes anesthesia not "relatively easy" ... it may sound easy on paper, but having a working knowledge of anatomy and physiology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, chemistry and physics is a difficult thing. The human body is an awesome machine and can take quite a bit of damage before you start to see adverse effects. A good percent of the time, CRNA's are taking care of the patient when these adverse effects occur, which can lead to a lot of associated risks with the surgery (called co-morbidities). It's at this time when a lot can go wrong in a short amount of time (especially if grandma has been less-then-truthful about having frequent syncopal episodes) and you must be ready for anything as the anesthesia provider.

I know you've said you've done a lot of research on the career, but maybe you should devote some time to researching what anesthesia actually is . Here are some websites for you to peruse in your free time ...

http://www.bumc.bu.edu/Dept/Content.aspx?PageID=5314&departmentid=71 ... a veterinarian website - but we're all animals! Talks about the basics of anesthesia.

http://www.udmercy.edu/crna/agm/ ... an overview of the anesthesia gas machine used during surgery

Those ought to be sufficient for you as a high school student. They don't have "easy" subject matter ... but not much about anesthesia is easy. If you remain serious about this path through college, focus on your sciences and your nursing program. It's good that your cousins are "planning" on becoming CRNAs, but this is a hard profession to enter with a lot of competition. Make sure you realize this before committing the rest of your life to it.

skipaway · Jul 16, 2005

It is good that you are thinking so far ahead about possible career choices. You do understand, don't you, that you need to become a RN first and then apply to CRNA school? What this means, is that you may have a job as a nurse and not like nursing, then apply to anesthesia school and not get in. Where does this leave you? In a career that you don't like in the first place. I'm not saying that this will happen to you, just that, looking at a career primarily for how much money it'll make you, can backfire.

A good suggestion was to shadow a CRNA if you can. Sometimes your high school principal can get in touch with a local hospital and help you arrange this. And while you're at it, shadow an ICU nurse and a floor nurse to help you decide if Nursing is a career interest to you. Nursing is not an easy job, and being a CRNA is an incredibly difficult yet rewarding career. So, again, continue to do well in school, do well in college, be a great RN, and then good luck in applying to anesthesia school.

regards.

skipaway

meandragonbrett · Jul 16, 2005

Nursing to begin with isn't easy. Advanced practice is just that...Advanced

littlebitwf · Jul 16, 2005

I am a pre-nursing student right now going into my second year of my pre-requisties. And I live in Alabama and am looking into becoming a CRNA as well. HOw I became interested in the CRNA field is because my girlfriend's dad is a CRNA and I went to work with him one day and I thought it was real exciting!! I love the OR. In my career I want to work in the OR and also see patients before and after surgery, so I figured the CRNA thing would be good for me. But im still not sure yet. Im probably going to go back to work with him some more just so I can be sure that's what I want to do. My advice to you is to shadow under a CRNA just so you will get a real idea of what they do. Hope I could be some help