BEA72

I'm from St. Louis, MO and I'm graduating in a few months. Every clinical site I've been to over the last 2.5 years (about 6 of them) has been heavily recruiting students.

I'm in my 2nd year of a nurse anesthesia program...I was an ICU nurse for 8 years and liked it, but I love anesthesia...I have also not met one CRNA that is unhappy with their job...

My bad... I assumed that the MSN programs required graduate level nursing theory courses. I also wanted a reason to use that WOOT! smiley.

I agree with you ether. It's mostly the residents and students on the SDN site that fan the flames. It's amazing how arrogant they can be. Although, I shouldn't be to surprised. I've worked with physicians for the last 8 years :chuckle. One day they will be out in private practice, and hopefully they will understand the importance of CRNA's in that practice. They can choose to work with us or not, but the number of nurse anesthetists graduating from anesthesia schools are increasing: I found an interesting piece of info in the CMS Medicare Part B Update Final Rule: Agency Language on Anesthesia Teaching Rules "...there has been an increase in the number of nurse anesthesia programs from 83 programs in 2000 to 105 programs projected for 2006. The number of nurse anesthesia graduates has surged from 1075 nurse anesthetist in 2000 to 2035 projected for 2006."... Strength in numbers:cheers:

I think most of the nurses entering anesthesia (who already work in the ICU) do so for similar reasons: Wanting to take the next step to advanced practice nursing Looking at the options available Finding out that CRNA's work autonomously from physicians Realizing that CRNA's take ICU nursing to the next level (hemodynamic monitoring, IV gtt's....) Becoming excited about learning to do more invasive procedures (spinals, lines...) Feeling that anesthesia is a natural progression from ICU nursing Find out how much money CRNA's make... Apply

i had similar experiences as above. i had a 2.6 when a received my adn. i went back for my bsn 6 years later. i had a 3.8 in my bsn completion classes. i then took gen chem 1 & 2 applied to anesthesia school didn't get in took organic chem, and a non-calculus based physics class offered by my anesthesia program applied again got in i had all a's in these science courses. i think this made a big difference. the programs are becoming much more competitive. it took me 2 years to get in, and some of my classmates didn't get in until their 3rd try. 120 applied to my program and 20 made it in. definitely a good idea to maintain the grades during your bsn, and take a few science courses on top of it. some programs require organic and biochem, mine didn't. the program i attend is a ms not a msn, so there is a greater emphasis on the sciences (and no more nursing diagnosis :w00t: ).

I've been lurking around for a while viewing the discussions on this forum. There is some great info on this board for CRNA's, SRNA's, RN's etc. Political and clinical. I think it is beneficial to have a place to vent about the CRNA/MDA debate. The discussion may get heated, but as long as everyone avoids the personal attacks, I say carry on. I am a 1st year SRNA, but I've done some research on the CRNA/MDA debate and I have some opinions about it. I read the AANA and the ASA websites, and I read the threads over on SDN from time to time because they have some informative CRNA vs MDA discussions. Some of the residents and MDA's have GOD complexes and seem to despise CRNA's, but some of them are more realistic and know CRNA's will always be needed and utilized. Like almost everything else, it's all about money and control. CRNA's will never completely get out from under the thumb of the MDA's, but MDA's will never completely control anesthesia or nurse anesthetist. The ASA and AANA must know this. They've tried to play nice, but they have competing interest. MDA's will say that CRNA's are not qualified to administer anesthesia independently, but they do it all of the time without an increase in negative outcomes. When I read some of the posts on SDN, I don't think they have a clue about the amount of training and education we go through. My own family doesn't completely understand what I'm doing, or how much additional education it takes to be a CRNA. Physicians have more education and more training, but I do not need that level of education and training to provide safe anesthesia. Are MDA's overqualified? Is anesthesia the realm of nursing? I believe providing anesthesia is a blend of nursing and medicine. MDA's titrate meds, manage airways, start IV's, administer blood products, monitor hemodynamics etc. CRNA's treat symptoms, make independent decisions, perform invasive procedures, run codes etc. These functions overlap. Some MDA's are spreading the notion that CRNA's are following a list of standard orders without knowing why they are doing something or giving something. I will not graduate if I don't know why I am doing something or giving something, and I definitely will not pass boards. CRNA's have had to fight for many years to be where they are today. I think one of the biggest problem with the profession, is the level of misunderstanding by the healthcare community, fellow nurses, and the public. I would recommend that anyone wanting to enter nurse anesthesia read the book "Watchful Care: A History of America's Nurse Anesthetist" by Marianne Bankert. It's required reading in my program. I make sure I tell all of my patients that I am a nurse anesthesia student, and then I explain what that is. Many of the CRNA's I have worked with in clinicals do not explain who they are to the patient. They just say they are with the anesthesia department. We've got a long way to go.