question for crna's

question for crna's Post #1

I shadowed a CRNA for a day and he stated thought a lot of his precepted SRNA's seem to be doing it strictly for the money and is amazed they get into programs with that attitude. Do any of you see that from students you precept? What are your feelings on this attitude on a personal level?

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Money is certainly a big motivating factor for nurses who want to enter anesthesia school or want to become nurse practitioners. Who would want to be glutton for punishment if nurse anesthetists would be making the same salary as RNs who do bedside nursing?

I graduated from anesth school in '94 and practiced nurse anesthesia for only a short period of time - 5 mos because I did not pass the CRNA Boards in June 1995. I never took it again because I felt so bad and so depressed about it. I was highly motivated strictly by money alone and nothing else really.

I really like taking care of cardiovascular patients more than anything else in the world to which I have returned in 1995 until my recent disability for my knee probs. I cannot lift heavy patients anymore at this point in my career after 23 yrs of being an RN.

I remember being shocked when I received my first paycheck as $5000.00 net (no kidding!), holy s--- !, because the bookkeeper made a mistake in payroll. I told my boss, one of the MDA partners about it who told me it was meant for one of the other MDAs in the anest group I was with at the time.

I was very unhappy then because my mind was focused on the money issue alone. Being a CRNA is not easy. You will need a lot of energy, patience and endurance to withstand the rigors of this career. It is not meant for everyone. Read about it. Talk to a lot of nurse anesthetists about it and best of all get a job in PACU or the OR so you know what you're getting into before embarking into this career.

I will be taking some refresher courses at a local graduate nurse anesthesia school and reviewing to take the CRNA Boards for the second time in nearly 10 yrs. But I'll be ok. At least I can pace myself with the clinicals and didactic.

There are several hospitals here in Hampton Roads, VA including Portsmouth Naval Hospital in Norfolk, VA (excellent for regional anesthesia), Sentara Norfolk General Hospital (excellent for trauma anesthesia), Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters (for peds anesthesia), plus Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital and DePaul Medical Center BonSecours (for routine gen anesthesia, OBGYN, neuro, uro, ortho. plastic, ambulatory, etc.) where I can get all my clinical internship done again without pay.

I don't want to say good luck to you because I don't believe in luck or fortune. Best wishes to you though and hope your dreams come true. "Money is not everything" according to one of my friends who is a surgeon. I answered, " for those who don't know how to shop!" :chuckle

Nurse anesthesia is a very challenging and very interesting field. You'll never be bored in this career for sure if this is what you really want to do without focusing on the money aspect only. Remember to eat well, exercise, get as much sleep :zzzzz as possible (which is really hard to do when you're in anesth school -I used to drink 8 cups of coffee a day which was not a good example). Try to learn relaxation techniques like what has been posted by yoga crna in the past and you'll be just fine.

Take care Tess

I haven't preceptored a student or potential student because of the confidentiality factor with my high profile patients having plastic surgery. I am working on something now with the younger surgeons and "regular" patients. If it ever happens. I will probably talk with the program director of one of the close-by schools. I would love to have the opportunity to instruct students on independent, elective practice. However, I do have the wonderful experience of teaching a summer class on legal and business aspects of anesthesia at an anesthesia program, and love being around young, bright people.

What I look for in you young'uns is the ability to use your education to analyze all of the facts to make clinical decisions. Graduate students should know why, not just how. Regarding money, I have no problems with anyone wanting to make a good income, particularly for the difficult work of doing anesthesia. I believe anesthesia administration is undervalued. But, if money is your prime motivator, you are going to be very disappointed. When your income is value-based, you pay a high personal price in the stress, time away from family, loss of balance in your life and in many cases, substance abuse. This is a serious field; don't ever forget that.

YogaCRNA