Nurse Anesthetist

RNnme3j · Apr 28, 2012

I too am choosing the anesthetists route!! Cant offer advice from employment stand point...just been accepting into an ADN program...but I had the pleasure of recently shadowing a CRNA and she absolutely loves her job. The fact that you are there in the midst of everything!! Working along side physicians and playing a very important role in someone's life. This field lives by the Ph-scale (know it, love it) the only disadvantages that she mentioned is the fact that schooling/training can be very expensive!! But it’s worth the debt. Enrollment into an anesthetics program requires experience in acute care (ICU, etc…), a very high GPA & a good entrance exam score! Start building your resume, network, volunteer & make sure you can obtain good references AT ALL TIMES it’s a long journey but I can not wait. Do your research & learn as much as you can about the career. Good luck to you!

rubato, ASN, RN · Apr 29, 2012

I've been debating this path as well. I'm starting my AN program this fall, and in 2 years, I'll make the choice to bridge to my BSN and become a hospice nurse or bridge to my masters and become an anesthetist. The bridge program for the masters is a 70 hour per week program and you aren't allowed to work at all, so I'm just not sure. Good luck if that's where you decide to go. You might go over to the CRNA board and talk to the experts.

semrad · Apr 30, 2012

Hello. I'm a 25 year old who graduated from college several years ago with a non-nursing major and am in a field I do not like. I really want to pursue something in healthcare, and think that nursing is a good option for me. I want to help people when they need it most. I'm really interested in pursuing nurse anesthesiology, but would really like to talk to a current nurse anesthetist before I pursue this path. I'm from the D.C. area, but would welcome e-mail or phone conversation from anyone who can help me out. If anyone out there has some time to discuss their experience in this field, and what their day-to-day is like, along with the pros and cons, I would REALLY appreciate it!!

Thank you for your responses!

knittygrittyRN, MSN, RN · May 1, 2012

I'm not a CRNA but I have spoken to a few since I was looking into that specialty. The ones I talked to do love their job (although one complained since there's talk of getting them re-certified every 2 years). It is a lot of responsibility on your shoulders, and in more rural parts of the country you can make much bigger bucks since your acting as the anesthesiologist. I'd follow what Shellbie wrote, it works for any specialty and it presents a much better image to employers.