A little background on me. Am 29 year old working in the tech industry. I have a bachelors in computer science and 2 masters.I wanted to be in the medical professional but too late to pursue medical school and i was planning on a career change in the next 2 years. The motive is, i like medical field and also i am looking for areas that pay high ( > 150k ). I would appreciate if someone could jot down some points on what my options could be and if i wanted to make a jump how to get started. I dont want to do a bachelors of nursing all over but i have the capacity to learn quick if its a shorter duration degree.
I also wanted to know, in . a perfect world if i wanted to become a CRNA what would be path that i need to take.
Would i be able to work an 8-5 job while pursuing an accelerated RN/BSN course ( which ever is better) ?
What would be the estimated number of years according to you, if i was willing to sacrifice time to study to be a NP or CRNA?
Just wanted to add that CRNA is a very specific type of job; there's a very real possibility that you'd get into nursing and realize that you'd hate being a CRNA. Part of the reality of being a CRNA is spending all day, every day in an OR; there are no windows, little patient contact, and a lot of surgeons with big egos. I've heard CRNAs describe it as several hours of (boring) downtime punctuated by moments of sheer terror. If you realize that you don't like the work environment, there really aren't many alternatives. I'd definitely recommend shadowing before you commit.
In addition, CRNA school is fairly expensive. Most take 3 years with absolutely no way to work part-time (nursing or tech), and they cost $80-$150,000 to complete, not including living expenses.
So, from a financial perspective, you'd have 2 years of lost wages during your RN degree (plus tuition expenses), 2+ years of working full-time as an ICU nurse in order to get accepted to CRNA school, then 3 years of lost wages plus crazy-expensive tuition during CRNA school.
If you want to be a nurse because you think you'd enjoy nursing, then absolutely go for it. But if the finances are going to be a major hang-up, it may not be the field for you.
adventure_rn, MSN, NP
1,598 Posts
Lots of great points.
Just wanted to add that CRNA is a very specific type of job; there's a very real possibility that you'd get into nursing and realize that you'd hate being a CRNA. Part of the reality of being a CRNA is spending all day, every day in an OR; there are no windows, little patient contact, and a lot of surgeons with big egos. I've heard CRNAs describe it as several hours of (boring) downtime punctuated by moments of sheer terror. If you realize that you don't like the work environment, there really aren't many alternatives. I'd definitely recommend shadowing before you commit.
In addition, CRNA school is fairly expensive. Most take 3 years with absolutely no way to work part-time (nursing or tech), and they cost $80-$150,000 to complete, not including living expenses.
So, from a financial perspective, you'd have 2 years of lost wages during your RN degree (plus tuition expenses), 2+ years of working full-time as an ICU nurse in order to get accepted to CRNA school, then 3 years of lost wages plus crazy-expensive tuition during CRNA school.
If you want to be a nurse because you think you'd enjoy nursing, then absolutely go for it. But if the finances are going to be a major hang-up, it may not be the field for you.