The business of being a CRNA

Nitecap · Jun 10, 2006

Do CRNA schools touch upon the business side of anesthesia? I know medical schools teach this aspect. Are the dynamics involved in working privately vs. being a salaried employee in a hospital discussed? Do programs teach business strategies to maximize the potential of practicing anesthesia? Can you even do "freelance" work so to speak........

Yes you can do free lance type work. I cant vouch for all programs but the many programs that either me or friends train have this included in the curriculum.

The course at my programs teaches many things besides that. Things including: reimburstments, Medicare/Caid issues, leadership, the professional side of being a CRNA, practice settings issues, a ton of medical legal issues, practice standards, substance abuse, info technology, budgeting, expense reports ect ect. The dynamics of being a Group employee vs Hospital vs independent contractor are all discussed, though they dont favor one particular practice setting.

As far as teaching one how to maximize practice potential that may be a little out of anesthesia school realm. Practices vary greatly d/t geographical locations, demand, shortages, lack of competition ect ect. These courses just kind of lay the lattice work down and give you an understand of the basic business side of anesthesia. It will be up to you to make decisions and attain further education and knowledge to maximize your earning potential.

krzysiu · Jun 10, 2006

beautiful summary

platon20 · Jun 10, 2006

Do CRNA schools touch upon the business side of anesthesia? I know medical schools teach this aspect..

what the hell are you talking about? med schools dont teach a damn thing about business

Icenurse · Jun 10, 2006

hi,

sorry, i´m from Iceland but what is a CRNA ? :uhoh3:

MmacFN · Jun 10, 2006

Yes they do

Most med schools include lecture time and seminar time devoted to the buisness of medicine. This is common practice as, essentially, physicians are often self employeed individuals or their own buisness. This is something that has become more common in the last 15 years.

what the hell are you talking about? med schools dont teach a damn thing about business

Gabie Baby · Jun 10, 2006

Perhaps you will find some info at a business management library section. Business management. you need to know about taxes, deductions, bookkeeping, and the like.

More importantly, perhaps, you need to know the law governing being a CRNA. I find it hard to believe that your curriculum does not include something about the legalities involved in your line of work. Consult the state board of nursing and some lawyers, maybe, to know EXACTLY what the law permits you to do and what it does not. Keep safe, above all.

yoga crna · Jun 10, 2006

Gonzaga has a class on business tied in to Law and Medicine. I know, because I have been teaching it every year for the last 25 years. At the end of the intense weekend, the students have to prepare and negotiate an anesthesia contract.

If there are any Gonzaga senior students on this board, you now know what part of your final project will be. See you next month.

yoga

SigmaSRNA · Jun 10, 2006

Gonzaga has a class on business tied in to Law and Medicine. I know, because I have been teaching it every year for the last 25 years. At the end of the intense weekend, the students have to prepare and negotiate an anesthesia contract.
If there are any Gonzaga senior students on this board, you now know what part of your final project will be. See you next month.
yoga

Do you have a syllabus or notes that can be made available to students in other programs?

Nitecap · Jun 11, 2006

Do you have a syllabus or notes that can be made available to students in other programs?

If you guys are that interested here is a book you can order from AANA.com titled:

The Business of Anesthesia; Professional Practice Manual for the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist; Guidelines for Expert Witnesses; other standards and guidelines.

THink you have to show proof of enrollment in a program to get it as a student but dont quote me on that . Go to aana.com. Search Books. Then click aana bookstore. They give a phone number to call to place the order.

ECU_CRNA2B · Jun 11, 2006

Yoga,

Have to agree w/ Sigma SRNA. I am only in my second semester, but I hear from more experienced CRNAs I hear that negotiating your contract sets the pace for your employment there. The business of locum tenens and being incorporated can blow your mind. Is there a way to benefit from your wiseness if we don't attend Gonzaga? BTW: where the heck is that??????

K

platon20 · Jun 11, 2006

Yes they do
Most med schools include lecture time and seminar time devoted to the buisness of medicine. This is common practice as, essentially, physicians are often self employeed individuals or their own buisness. This is something that has become more common in the last 15 years.

NO they dont. Dude I know people at 7 different medical schools, and NONE of them take any business classes or lectures.

Now, some schools might offer you the opportunity to take electives in any subject you want, such as history or business. But they are not part of the organized curriculum that all MD students have to take.