blazeboy97

It really depends on the hospital or group, how many MDA/CRNA employed, and size of operating room, and what you are looking for. Before school I came from a hospital that employed their own CRNAs. The schedule was M-F, work five weeks off the sixth week and an additional 4 weeks vacation. Call the weekend before your week off and one week of evenings during those five weeks. Benefits included 401K with 6% matching, partial medical/disability insurance, etc. Salary 130's/10K sign-on for 3 yr commitment. After school I chose a group (better benefits). Work is M-F (10 hrs), no nights, no weekends, no call, out by 5pm. Salary 120's, they paid off my scholarship from the other hospital plus a sign-on bonus for 2 yr commitment. Benefits include profit sharing/401K (15-18% Gross income), five weeks vacation, paid medical and malpractice insurance, etc. At my point in life I wanted my nights and weekends off, plus it's nice knowing that no matter what come 5pm I'm outta there! Weigh all your options, sit down and sort out what's important to you.

The Georgia nurse anesthestist programs take the COA standard as "direct" supervision of the SRNA. Meaning a CRNA or MDA must be the preceptor for the student or else the school can LOSE its accreditation for the program. This was the reason we could not work with AA's or even stay in the room if a CRNA was relieved by one. Many clinical sites were not aware of this and many AA's took offense to this, which was very understandable. Alot of the AA's that I came across had very excellent skills and knowledge of anesthesia. As for CRNAs teaching AA's, one clinical site that I was at also was a rotation site for student AA's. The CRNAs at the site did precept AA's.

Anesthesia tech (AT) jobs vary according to the facility. The job can range from as little as just changing out machine circuits after each case to almost completely setting up for the next case. Where I currently work, our ATs change out our machine circuits, check for leaks, refill our vaporizers. restock each room cart to keep a good supply of things available, set-up and help MDAs and CRNAs with all regional procedures, central lines, and IVs. Of course there are other things but this is the jest of it and at most facilities that I had clinicals at during school. My only concern for you is they may not be willing to hire you knowing that you will soon be shipping off to the ICU in the near future to get that experience. A more suitable position would be a nursing tech in an ICU were you would be interested in working. They would more than likely hire you, knowing they will get you after you graduate. It is not glorious work but being a tech in an ICU will get you a head start on learning the equipment, monitors, routines, and paperwork that the ICU has. This is a tremendous help when you are also having to learn organization and assimilation of all data involved with the ICU patient. As for a phlebotomist, you will get experience with IVs after graduation. Yes, they have many difficult sticks but they are not necessarily sticking for IV access, just to get the blood they need.

It really depends on the extent of your injury, what aggravates it, and if you are able to "guard" it carefully during your practice. I injured my back when I was 17 and 18 years old. I did not have trouble with it again until after I had started working as an ICU nurse. I was a nurse for 16 years before going to CRNA school and now recently out. So far my back has done well. There are still aches and pains as with any job, especially if I have to stand for an extended period. For me, being a CRNA is less stressful on the back than as an ICU nurse. Less pulling on patients, patients pulling on you, and bending over for long periods in awkward positions helping them. My activities outside of the job cause me more discomfort than the job itself. For those times when it is out-of-kilter a support brace can be a godsend. Go for what you want, you will learn in time what how to protect it the best.

I recently graduated from a local anesthesia program that used the Augusta, GA VA as a clinical site. If anyone is interested in how things work there for SRNAs or the CRNAs just send me a PM.

For those with PONV history we are giving: Pepcid 20mg and Reglan 10 mg IV in pre-op holding; then Zofran 4mg and Decadron 6-8 mg (depending on the size of the patient) at the end of the case. Just trying to hit all the receptors. I have been to some clinical sites that also add a scop patch in pre-op holding. Blazeboy

I am in the final stretch of a front-loaded program and I have a best friend who is attending an integrated program. I chose my school for location, not for format. In the end I believe that it all equals out. I think what is important is how you learn best. One of my concerns with an integrated program is was how could I give anesthesia when I would not even have pharmacology until the third semester, but still be responsible for giving drugs! My program has two semesters of classes before going into clinical but then we have at least one class with clinicals for the next three semesters (so in a way it is part of both formats). My classmates and I wondered if we would remember what we learned the first two semesters when clinical came around. We found that once we got started, things just came to us, that all the studying was there somewhere and we were able to bring it forth. I don't believe that one program format is necessarily better than the other when it comes to taking boards. Some integrated programs end classes after the first year, so they too must review for boards. Seriously, is there a program out there where you do not have to review for boards, integrated or front-loaded? As for developing "better" anesthetists, each program format does this well. By giving it your most, it is usually the individual that determines his/her own ability to give anesthesia and be the best CRNA that they can be.

Interview letters should be mailed out by this Friday.

I think this depends on the school. My school (Medical College of Georgia) offers a spouse/significant other forum on the days of the interviews. This is a time where some of the spouses/significant others of those in the program are there to talk with them about what it is like during the program. It is encouraged that they also go on a tour of the campus, which is not part of the interview. But I will tell you, even with this, there is no way to truely prepare a spouse/significant other for what they are about to experience when you get into a program.

During my clinicals what I'm hearing some of the MDAs saying is "if I had it to do all over, I would have gone to CRNA school". Go figure!!

The University of South carolina (USC) in Columbia accepts those with an ADN degree and a BS in a science-related field. The nurse anesthesia program is out of the School of Medicine, which is separate from the main campus. The degree granted is a Masters in Nurse Anesthesia. Applications are not accepted until either January or February with deadline in June. The program has no plans of closing.

My program is a Masters in Nursing (MN) not a Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN), therefore we do not have a thesis. 6 out of 7 semesters we have 1-2 papers to write with each being 10-15 pages. For each paper there is also a powerpoint presentation required. Most of these papers are about pharmacology and/or physiology. For two semesters we also have projects with the simulator that require research, demonstration, paper, and presentation on a selected topic.

I had 15 years of experience (3 neuroscience, 2 cath lab, and 10 surgical icu). I have the most experience of my classmates. Most of my class consist of 3-5 years of experience with one having one year and another having 10 years. kimmi

13 students (8 women, 5 men). 4 men are married (3 have kids), 5 women are married (2 have kids). I think alot of it may have to do with what program you chose and how it is set up. Here at Medical College of Georgia, we have classes 3 days a week during the first semester, 4 days a week second semester, then clinical starts (up early, usually finished by 5p) third semester. My friend at the University of South Carolina is married and has a child (4 yrs). She has classes 3 days a week (8a-12p) and clinical one day a week, she comes home and studies until her husband and child comes home (6p) then spends some family time. She usually returns to the books after the child is in bed. I am not married nor have any kids, but listening to those at school who do, it is possible, you just have to plan your time wisely. Kimmi

MCG has a cadaver lab but this will be the first year that the nurse anesthesia students will be able to utilize it since the program began in 1995. I also know that the University of South Carolina has a cadaver lab that the nurse anesthesia program there utilizes.