Everyone and their dog

Gods child · Nov 1, 2006

I've been an RN for 15years now. It was always my intent to try for CRNA school. That was before the mad rush and everybodys dog wanted to do it too. But you are right. I finally decided it was "time" and have a couple of interviews lined up. One of the schools I applied to reportedly had close to 500 applicants. Both said they had "overwhelming" response to applications this year. My unit is heavy on the new grads and almost everyone of the guys wants to be a CRNA. However, only one of them has any real chance of it with their current academic standings. Several of them don't meet the minimum GPA requirement. I think most people want to do it b/c they hear it pays well. They dont know realize the cost and dedication that is required. When i first decided it was what i wanted to do, all I heard was horror stories about it. I still want to do it :) I live in a city that has 2 CRNA schools. Can you believe that? They claim it is due to the shortage of them. Jobs are getting harder to come by here and salaries are dropping as well. Guess Ill have to move :)

It is that way where I live as well. I read all of these articles about how there is nothing to worry about because there will be plenty of jobs available due to the baby boomers aging and the schools only being able to graduate so many students. I just fear the market for CRNA's (and anesthesia providers in general) will be flooded in the future. There are more and more people who enter nursing for the sole purpose of becoming a CRNA. I may be way off base, but with the emergence of more AA (and even CRNA) programs I don't think the market being flooded with anesthesia providers is as impossible as people believe it to be. I think its possible to try to overcompensate for the shortage of anesthesia providers and in the process create a surplus. Hopefully I'm way off base and have no idea what I'm talking about.

llg, PhD, RN · Nov 1, 2006

Another aspect of this issues is that a lot of nursing students say they are interested in CRNA roles and/or NP roles because those are some of the few advanced nursing career paths they know. They know very little about all the other options and don't know what else to say.

I interview students for student extern positions and ask them what their long term goals are. Over 50% say either NP or CRNA. Later, when teaching them classes on career planning I ask them why they say that and why they chose those roles over the other opportunities that nursing has to offer. By then they know me well enough to admit to me that they are fairly clueless about nursing careers and responded as they did during the interview because it sounds good. They are usually grateful to have opportunities to learn about other options (though of course, for some people CRNA and NP roles are the right choices.)

llg

endorphinrush · Nov 1, 2006

To be honest, I did look at "other things". I work pretty close with several SA's at our hospital. I contemplated going back for that. However, compensation is very low considering what they are responsible for. Yea, they make more than I do starting out but not much. Sure their top end is higher than mine as an RN but they don't make pay that is equal to their responsibility. Also, out of all of the SA's I spoke to only one had anything that could be considered positive to say. His reply.........it pays my bills. NP would be great but where I live...well we have University of Alabama at Birmingham. It ranks in the top 10 teaching hospitals in the Nation. Then we have Samford University, another top notch program, both churnig out NP's and now CRNA's. NP's don't get paid well here either. Maybe elsewhere but not here. I don't want that much more responsibility for only a few extra dollars. Not that is about money in the first place. Yea, it would be nice but barring CRNA......I'd teach :) That would be my second choice and we all know that doesnt pay lol.