CRNAgirl

It sounds like you're doing all the right things. Of course, it will be stressful...but so will anesthesia school. With all the certifications, you will get in pretty much anywhere you apply. good luck

Hi, I remember thinking the exact same thoughts as you are now. I was single without kids, so it was a little easier for me. I had a lot of doubts, but went ahead and applied to 3 schools. I got in to each of them..that was 1996. I entered anesthesia school and it was so stressful. It was probably the most stressful time in my life and I still have not fully recovered. During school, I met my husband. We married 6 months before graduation. And, I took 1 month off..studied for boards, then started working. After a couple of months of working, I got pregnant with my first child...had to go on bedrest and did okay. I had another baby 20 months later. I loved being a mother and being with my babies. However, the bills started piling up, so I went back to work as an independent contractor and part time. I make more money than my classmates that work full time. However, it gets discouraging because Uncle Sam takes so much of my pay, plus I have to pay malpractice insurance and disability. So, all the money that I thought I would be making just doesn't exist. It's only a decision that you and your husband can make. I have an easy job now. I work from 6 am to 2pm and some of that is down time. Surgery centers are the nicest place to work if you want to have a family. No weekends or holidays and rare add on cases. I'm glad that I have the education, but there are other ways to make money...usually by owning your own business. If you would like to call me and talk, I would be more than happy to give you the full scoop. Just email me at my private email.

Hi, I experienced the same type of treatment in anesthesia school. It is just bad behavior on the faculty's part. Take them aside and tell them to stop being abusive. If you have to, keep a journal of all the incidents. By my last 6 months of school, I confronted my program director and told him that I wasn't taking the verbal abuse any more. It never happened again. At that point, I didn't care if I got kicked out of school....it made me hate anesthesia. I would like to tell you that it gets better in private practice..it does some... but be careful of which job you take. Email me at my private email and I'll give you my phone number, so that you can have someone to talk to. I will be supportive and help you get through this. crnagirl

Anesthesia is not as physically demanding as most ICU's. However, moving pts back and forth to the stretcher and flipping pts prone is physically tough, but we try to get lots of help. You may try neonatal ICU. That was very intense, but not physically demanding.

This is my opinion. They are rude, because most of them were spoiled children that kept their noses in a book all the time. You would be amazed at their lack of people skills and social skills in medical school. Then....in residency, the attending doc yells at the sr. resident, who yells at the jr. resident, who then yells at the intern. Their behavior is dispicable and it is rampant. I don't tolerate it at all...and it has been my greatest dissatisfaction with the medical field. They are arrogant, because they have completed years of school and think that they are better than everyone else. A lot of them truly feel that way.

Hi, UTMB in Galveston now has a 12 month accelerated BSN that starts in MAy

Hi, Ben Taub usually gets the shooting and stabbing victims, while Hermann gets the Life Flights and MVAs. Each gets everything, but the majority of those go the different hospitals. My experience is only Ben Taub and there is never a dull moment. crnagirl

Hi, Congratulations! Reading your post brought back memories of 10 years ago. It seems like yesterday! I used to dream about writing crna behind my name and now it seems strange to me that I ever doubted it would happen. The road is rocky but fun. Good luck. A tip for you...find a classmate ahead of you in your program and start reading the 1st semester material now. It was hard to absorb everything all at once. On the other hand, these are the last few months of relaxation and sanity...so enjoy them. Good luck.

Hi Georgia, I have never been upset about non-nursing people inquiring about the nurse anesthesia field. Good luck with your pursuits. If it is something that you really want, don't let anyone or any negative comments stop you. You can do it. MB

Hi Sigma, Call me 281-455-9518 and I'll give you the details. mb

Hi, I went to Baylor College of Medicine. Here's what I know: It really doesn't matter where you get your ICU training. The admission committees like adult ICU, CVICU, and SICU. I did get in with a lot of Neonatal ICU...but it's rare. I think that I boosted my odds by taking the CCRN and RNC exams. The CRNA programs in Texas are all good, but are different. At Baylor College of Medicine the admission process is rigorous. They especially look at your science GPA and ICU experience. But on the good side, once you're in...they do their best to help you graduate. I reviewed the course program the other day and it is even better than I went there. You get a lot of trauma experience, difficult airway practice, and work on the simulator. It is very good. You work sometimes 100 hrs/wk on the trauma rotation...but you finish with a massive amount of cases under your belt. The pass rate is very good for the boards. Texas Wesleyan seems like a very good school. The tuition is similar to BCM. I think that the SRNAs have to travel around to different sites a lot. UT in Houston has a reputation for kicking out all but 5 of their original class of 15...or that's they way it used to be. BUt, they have 100% pass rates. Their clinicals are not as good. The UT students don't get as many regionals as BCM does. We did 100 to their 5. We were always left alone in the OR from day 1 which is very scary. They were not...but I don't know if that's a big deal or not. On the up side, the tuition there is very very low. I got in to both BCM, UT, and another school in TN. I think that I got the best education at BCM...but I could just be biased. If I were you, I would call Jim Walker, the program director, and ask to shadow a SRNA for the day. He's very nice and loves to help students succeed in school. You can find the webpage online. I can't remember what it is. I think that I typed http://www.bcm.tmc.edu and found it. Good luck. MB

Hi, I live in Houston, TX. What I like the most about anesthesia is that I feel comfortable saving lives and the knowledge that I've learned. When I was dreaming of anesthesia school years ago, I would try to read some of the AANA journals and it was total greek to me. Obviously now...it's very easy to understand...so the learning curve is huge. The money is great. I work about 20-28 hrs/wk and make what my full-time friends make. The downside...it is very stressful. There is a worry of getting sued especially over difficult airways. Patients are getting heavier and heavier and getting harder to pre-oxygenate and intubate. So far...I haven't had any disasters. There is a lot of tension between MD anesthesiologists and CRNA's. They resent how much money we make and that we don't take call usually. Other MDs (different specialities) resent how much money we make. MDAs also want to control CRNAs and we are under the nursing board. IF they could control us, then they could cut our pay drastically. A lot of MDAs are pushing for AA's..that is someone with a B.S. degree in any field that they personally train. However, the AAs have no critical bedside nursing experience. Over the past 2 years, it seems that the MDAs are trying not to be so hostile and work with the AANA...but it remains to be seen. Every group is different. Currently, I work with a nice friendly group that like CRNAs, so that is nice. There are a lot of MDAs that are not very proficient at difficult airways and take a lot of chances...that really puts me in a bad situation. At a conference this weekend, they said that if you get involved in a situation that you predict with be bad...that we are just as liable as the MDAs. THat is very tough...because if you question their judgement and they don't really like CRNAs anyway...it's not good for employment. So overall, it's a great job for the hours and they pay...just know that it is very stressful...especially the first 5 yrs out of school. There is no perfect job. I am building another business on the side to replace and surpass my current income. But, I will probably always work a little to keep my skills up and I enjoy the mental challenge. Hope this helps. MB

Hi, Here's my opinion and story. I finished a music degree 1st..got tired of being poor. Finished my bsn in less than 2 yrs. Worked 3 yrs Neonatal and Adult ICU. Took the ccrn and neonatal certifications. Everyone was negative about getting into anesthesia school. I happened to get in to every one that I applied to. I had a rosy view of what it would be like. Anesthesia school was just pure torture...but, I did meet and marry my husband during school...that's crazy too. This yr we'll be married 7 yrs, so it worked out. There is a lot of animosity of md anesthesiologists toward crnas. Other physicians get upset when they find out what we get paid. The mda's don't like the fact that crnas are under the nursing board vs. the medical board. Most of the time I feel like a prostitute...I do all the work and they take most of the money. I have worked a lot of locums since graduation, because I have 2 children and don't want to work all the time. Each practice situation is totally different. Some places the people are nice and happy...others are dangerous and mean. If you work in a hospital, there will always be pressure to stay late and work overtime. However, I have a great job at a surgery center and work part-time. What I make part-time is more than my friends that work full-time...but, I don't have benefits. If you want to know what crna's make, check http://www.gaswork.com. Hope this info helps. MB CRNA

Hi, I am new to this site. I graduated from anesthesia school in 1998 and have a few years under my belt. If you have any questions to ask a crna, just email me.

Hi, I live in Houston and the county hospital is a level 1 Trauma center. Baylor College of Medicine has an CRNA program and CRNA's and SRNA's, residents, and MDA's staff the General OR. The exclusive elevators connect Anesthesia, OB Anesthesia and the ER. So, several times a shift, we would grab the code box and run to the Trauma room or floor for a code. It was a lot of fun. For a serious trauma case, there are usually 5 anesthesia people: one gives the drugs, one types the computer record, one runs the rapid infuser, others put in the lines, etc. There are openings occasionally. I'm sure that there are other trauma hospitals that employ CRNA's, but I only personally know this one. MB CRNA