Kenelty

I am finally finished with the worst couple years of my life, and am now a GRNA. Yes, it feels better than you can imagine. Taking boards the first week in August, so most of my summer won't be fun. But, for now, if you see somebody driving towards Monterey California with a HUGE smile on his face, that will be me. So long east coast, I won't miss you.

Wow, how to reply? First of all, you are not the only one. Trust me! I graduate this year and will soon have this nightmare end. There truly has not been a day in the last year and a half that I have not regretted my decision to attend CRNA school. It has been, without a doubt, the most miserable time in my life. There was a point that I reached about a year ago when I decided to quit, and I had never quit anything in my life...that is how miserable it has been. I was willing to quit and eat $60,000 worth of loans rather than continue in a profession that evidently encouraged the treatment that I was receiving. Had it not been for a call from a close friend and CRNA the day before I turned in my resignation letter, I would have been gone. Our instructors and the vast majority of clinical preceptors are the most miserable and evil bunch of individuals I have ever encountered in my life. How our college and the Council on Accreditation allows these rotten people to continue what they do is beyond me. I have been verbally and physically insulted and assaulted while in clinical. I have been called stupid in front of peers and patients. I have had my appearance insulted. I have been accused of substance abuse while in clinical and have been subjected to random testing for same (and passed BTW, each and every time). And the list goes on and on. I was asked just today at lunch by a junior student if I would do it again, and of course my answer was an unequivocal "No way in Hell!". I have, however, never met a CRNA who has told me that the sacrifices they made were not worth it in the end. I am having a hard time seeing that at this point, but I pray everyday that they are right. I will say this though: No matter how good the job is or how much it pays, there is no excuse whatsoever for the horrible treatment many SRNAs receive, and something needs to be done by the Council of Accreditation or the AANA to remedy this situtation. Sorry to be a bummer, I'm just sick and tired of this crap.

I need a little input on a situation I find myself in. I recently wrote an order for a lab (blood) test on myself. I called the lab ahead of time to make sure that they didn't have an issue with it and was given the all clear. FYI, I'm only in this area (NY state) for a few more months and don't have a private provider to order the test for me. And, I don't really feel it's necessary to establish myself with a provider just to get this one test done. So.... I go to the lab last Monday and got drawn. The tests are batched, and were not run until Thursday. Thursday I called for the results, and was given the run-around about them not being able to release the results to me (the patient). I explained that I was the patient and the ordering provider, and that I would like the results. I was sent up the chain to the lab manager who stated that "We do these things all the time for physicians ordering for themselves and it's getting out of hand. Now we have nurse practitioners doing it? I'll have to get back to you to see if this is acceptable." I called back the next day for my results and she informed me that she discussed the issue with the lab director and that they decided that they would not run the test for me (a nurse practitioner). I realize that it's not exactly kosher to treat yourself, but my question is this: Can a lab just refuse to perform a test ordered by a licensed health care provider? And, not only am I a licensed provider, but I'm also a paying customer. I don't get this, and the more I sit and stew about it the more ticked off I get as I was given the distinct impression that if I were a physician, the test would have been done, and that this woman (the lab manager) is on a personal crusade against nurse practitioners. Advice? Suggestions? Thanks in advance.

It all depends on what you want, but my advice would be don't waste your time...or money. I'm currently training with a senior resident who is also a CRNA who wishes he would not have done it. I also have talked with multiple attendings and residents who have told me in no uncertain terms, "If I'd have known then what I know now (about the CRNA profession), I would have done that instead." Just my $.02.

Then I would sure like to be where you are. Are you in a teaching facility? The vast majority of our surgeons could not care less who is above the drapes or what is happening above the drapes. Like I said, as long as the patient doesn't move and the wake up is timely...they're happy. It's unfortunate, because the environment would be much more conducive to learning if it were not that way. But, alas, I'm stuck. In their defense though, they likely see so many students come through (including their own residents) that it just doesn't matter anymore.

Then I would sure like to be where you are. Are you in a teaching facility? The vast majority of our surgeons could not care less who is above the drapes or what is happening above the drapes. Like I said, as long as the patient doesn't move and the wake up is timely...they're happy. It's unfortunate, because the environment would be much more conducive to learning if it were not that way. But, alas, I'm stuck. In their defense though, they likely see so many students come through (including their own residents) that it just doesn't matter anymore.

Gotcha. I get a little defensive at times.

Some good advice so far. Also, remember to be very verbal. This was difficult for me to grasp initially. I'm not a very talkative person to begin with, and rely alot on mannerisms and facial expressions to communicate (if that makes any sense). But remember that you are wearing a hat and a mask, and noone can see your facial expressions. Consequently, things that you may say, or mean, are sometimes not conveyed accurately. Definately introduce yourself to the staff, and be very nice and humble. Even the techs and the housekeepers have important jobs, and they can make your's miserable if you make their's miserable. In other words, try not to leave them a mess. Hang up your leads, throw away your trash, etc.... As far as introducing yourself to the surgeons goes, don't waste your time...they don't care about you (at least not at this point in your experience). Once you get your feet under you and begin to do things more independently and are able to contribute some to the case, they'll open up a little towards you. But, for now, they are only concerned about a patient who is deep enough, and about not having to wait for emergence. Also, I don't know about your program or your facility, but I can tell you that where I have been is absolutely miserable with lousy personalities. Myself and my classmates have been beaten down, insulted, and treated like idiots on a regular basis by quite a few of the attendings and CRNA preceptors that we have been with. I hope that you don't have to go through that and that your experience is more nurturing. But, if you do, just don't take it personally. Suck it up, try not to get frustrated, keep your mouth shut, agree with them even when you know they are wrong, keep your head down and move forward, and remember that every day you get through is another day behind you and another day closer to graduation. Good luck.

Easy there buddy. I happen to be a (former) Masters prepared flight nurse/paramedic, and current SRNA. And, in a critical situation with a crashing patient in the OR, I'll take an experienced flight nurse over the vast majority of ICU nurses and CRNAs that I've been around.

In my class, the oldest are 51, 50, and 42 (myself). We're all doing fine.

Redjet, I am an NP and in my first semester of CRNA school. It was a difficult decision for me to make, going back to school, if for no other reason than I actually really enjoyed being an NP. So, I can certainly empathize with you. I think that what it boils down to is what you really want when all is said and done. I, as many have, had to move to a different state 3000 miles from home, family, and friends. And, I've got to say that it's not a whole lot of fun being that far from your known support systems. As far as school itself goes, let me assure you that it is no walk in the park. Not to sound cocky, but it's not that it is necessarily that difficult (perhaps because having been through NP school, I've had alot of the Phys and Pharm stuff already), but it is the sheer volume of material that is overwhelming. I am literally in class 8 hours a day at least three days a week. And the time not spent in class is spent trying to stay caught up on your studying. You will really have precious little time to spend doing much of anything else. You will need to make sacrifices should you decide to do this, and the bottom line is that you just need to decide if those sacrifices will be worth it in the long run. Like I said, for me it was a difficult decision to make, but I am convinced it was the right one. Also, you might want to consider asking your program if they will hold a spot for you. Last spring after I had been accepted, I actually debated not going for a brief time. When I asked the director, she told me that they would hold my spot for a year if I wanted. So that might be an option for you. Anyway, best of luck to you. I know the exact position you are in and it's not a fun place to be. Also, for what it's worth, I am post-Masters as well, and from what I have been told by upper-classmen, that will be a HUGE benefit. As I said, the volume is overwhelming, and to throw a thesis in on top of that ... well, I can't imagine.

Whoever you talked to was a jerk, and no, your dreams of becoming a CRNA are not over. I made it in with 3.25, so it can be done. Selection is based on several things, GPA is only one of them. They look at GPA, GRE scores, experience, how well you interview, references, etc.... Hang in there, and apply elsewhere.