Travel CRNA opportunities for new grads-Realistic?

deepz · Jun 27, 2004

Is it realistic for a new crna to consider travel assignments/contracts? If so, what extra skills or experience should this person possess? Who are the best travel agencys to work for?
ALL:)

Until they have amassed a considerable base of clinical experience, most new grads of my acquaintance have not shown the polished skills or the self confidence required to venture into solo slots that locum tenens assignments often involve. Solo = YOYO: you're on your own, out in the boonies, no backup. Of course there are also non-solo assignments in ACTs where this caveat would not necessarily apply. (Not until 3 PM, anyway.)

Experientia docet.

JMHO

deepz

loisane · Jun 27, 2004

I agree. Any locum is best left until you have a few years under your belt.

A regular home base gives you the chance to polish your abilities, with a solid network of collegues. You can't count on having that kind of relationship as a locum. No matter how intense your clinical education was, you will have learning curve as a graduate. It will just be shorter or longer based on the quality of your experiences as a student.

The best first job is one where you will have to do it all-neuro, OB, peds, hearts, trauma, your own regional, etc. Once you do that for a couple of years you will be able to draw from that experience for the rest of your life.

There are some malpractice limitations for new grads as well. Some insurers will not cover you for some practices (solo, office, etc) until you have a prerequesite amount of experience.

loisane crna

TejasDoc · Jun 27, 2004

Lemme guess Deepz, you turn into a pumpkin?

TD

deepz · Jun 27, 2004

Glad you asked! Surprised you're not yet familiar with the 3 PM Rule, otherwise known as the Sundown Paradigm: it's the situation in certain ACT practices -- no, make that that 'some' ACT practices -- no, actually, call it MOST of the ACT practices I've observed in a number of settings across America over the years -- where the lowly CRNAs require clinical stupervision throughout the daylight hours ... until the anesthesiologist wants to go home. Or has a tee time. Or a flight lesson. By that hour the hospital administrators etc. have also left the building. No one's watching what really goes on, not even Medicare investigators. (Though some auditors in Minnesota did perk up their ears recently, to the tune of a multi-million dollar settlement for billing fraud.) The CRNAs' intelligence just SOARS after 3 PM; then they're capable of most anything in the line of clinical anesthesia miracles.

Then .... YOYO, baby.

All night.

"I'm available, right here on the other end of the phone line." Just don't dare disturb me or, I guarantee you, you'll be sorry.

At 7 AM of course the CRNAs' IQ again drops to room temperature.

JMHO

deepz

TejasDoc · Jun 28, 2004

glad you asked! surprised you're not yet familiar with the 3 pm rule, otherwise known as the sundown paradigm: it's the situation in certain act practices -- no, make that that 'some' act practices -- no, actually, call it most of the act practices i've observed in a number of settings across america over the years -- where the lowly crnas require clinical stupervision throughout the daylight hours ... until the anesthesiologist wants to go home. or has a tee time. or a flight lesson. by that hour the hospital administrators etc. have also left the building. no one's watching what really goes on, not even medicare investigators. (though some auditors in minnesota did perk up their ears recently, to the tune of a multi-million dollar settlement for billing fraud.) the crnas' intelligence just soars after 3 pm; then they're capable of most anything in the line of clinical anesthesia miracles.
then .... yoyo, baby.
all night.
"i'm available, right here on the other end of the phone line." just don't dare disturb me or, i guarantee you, you'll be sorry.
at 7 am of course the crnas' iq again drops to room temperature.
jmho
deepz

thanks, though i knew what you were getting at the first time, it was a rhetorical question. but that's my fault, i gave you an excuse for a diatribe, i can't really complain when you do.

though maybe it'll make you feel better if you look at the situation you described in a different manner. just think of all the autonomy you get at night in those situations! wow, how exciting. see, the glass is half full, not half empty.

it must be quite a sight at 3pm, all those mds leaving, wearing their flight suits with a donut in one hand and a driver in the other talking to their brokers on a cell phone and counting the money they make off your back breaking labor.

td

deepz · Jun 28, 2004

.....It must be quite a sight at 3pm, all those MDs leaving, wearing their flight suits with a donut in one hand and a driver in the other talking to their brokers on a cell phone and counting the money they make off your back breaking labor.

Glad you asked! Of course, they'll also be stopping by the bank, to make a fat deposit of unearned income. Myself, I'd much rather pick cotton.

Really, TD, it's just about hypocrisy.

deepz

u-r-sleeepy · Jul 2, 2004

Thanks, though I knew what you were getting at the first time, it was a rhetorical question. But that's my fault, I gave you an excuse for a diatribe, I can't really complain when you do.
Though maybe it'll make you feel better if you look at the situation you described in a different manner. Just think of all the autonomy you get at night in those situations! Wow, how exciting. See, the glass is half full, not half empty.
It must be quite a sight at 3pm, all those MDs leaving, wearing their flight suits with a donut in one hand and a driver in the other talking to their brokers on a cell phone and counting the money they make off your back breaking labor.
TD

I'm just playing "catch up" again -

Perhaps TejasDoc really does understand the hypocrisy of his (A$A's) position of trying to convince us of just how important it is to have their $upervi$ion during the daytime hours... Heaven forbid the public (and Congress!) learn they're really not needed in that role 99.98% of the time. I do wonder how the anesthesia providor "shortage" would be if the MDAs actually did their own cases for a while?

Maybe we (the CRNAs) should try and learn a few things from the "methods" of some civil rights successes? "We have a dream... we want to practice our chosen profession as independent anesthesia providors... free of supposed $upervi$ion by MDAs... making $$$ of our backs... when they could be doing their OWN WORK... and actually helping those people in need of anesthesia care... even though they would take a cut in pay to do so... to help the REST OF THE POPULATION in America... and stop SUCKING UP SO MUCH GRAVY ($$$) from the healthcare system in America... and also stop trying to out-business-maneuver and legi$late CRNAs into increasingly inferior roles... all because of their lust for power and greed for money...."

Well, it was a simple thought.

Sleeepy

u-r-sleeepy · Jul 2, 2004

Thanks, though I knew what you were getting at the first time, it was a rhetorical question. But that's my fault, I gave you an excuse for a diatribe, I can't really complain when you do.
Though maybe it'll make you feel better if you look at the situation you described in a different manner. Just think of all the autonomy you get at night in those situations! Wow, how exciting. See, the glass is half full, not half empty.
It must be quite a sight at 3pm, all those MDs leaving, wearing their flight suits with a donut in one hand and a driver in the other talking to their brokers on a cell phone and counting the money they make off your back breaking labor.
TD

I'm just playing "catch up" again -

Perhaps TejasDoc really does understand the hypocrisy of his (A$A's) position of trying to convince us of just how important it is to have their $upervi$ion during the daytime hours... Heaven forbid the public (and Congress!) learn they're really not needed in that role 99.98% of the time. I do wonder how the anesthesia providor "shortage" would be if the MDAs actually did their own cases for a while?

Maybe we (the CRNAs) should try and learn a few things from the "methods" of some civil rights successes? "We have a dream... we want to practice our chosen profession as independent anesthesia providors... free of supposed $upervi$ion by MDAs... making $$$ of our backs... when they could be doing their OWN WORK... and actually helping those people in need of anesthesia care... even though they would take a cut in pay to do so... to help the REST OF THE POPULATION in America... and stop SUCKING UP SO MUCH GRAVY ($$$) from the healthcare system in America... and also stop trying to out-business-maneuver and legi$late CRNAs into increasingly inferior roles... all because of their lust for power and greed for money...."

Well, it was a simple thought.

Sleeepy

TejasDoc · Jul 3, 2004

I'm just playing "catch up" again -
Perhaps TejasDoc really does understand the hypocrisy of his (A$A's) position of trying to convince us of just how important it is to have their $upervi$ion during the daytime hours... Heaven forbid the public (and Congress!) learn they're really not needed in that role 99.98% of the time. I do wonder how the anesthesia providor "shortage" would be if the MDAs actually did their own cases for a while?
Maybe we (the CRNAs) should try and learn a few things from the "methods" of some civil rights successes? "We have a dream... we want to practice our chosen profession as independent anesthesia providors... free of supposed $upervi$ion by MDAs... making $$$ of our backs... when they could be doing their OWN WORK... and actually helping those people in need of anesthesia care... even though they would take a cut in pay to do so... to help the REST OF THE POPULATION in America... and stop SUCKING UP SO MUCH GRAVY ($$$) from the healthcare system in America... and also stop trying to out-business-maneuver and legi$late CRNAs into increasingly inferior roles... all because of their lust for power and greed for money...."
Well, it was a simple thought.
Sleeepy

So yeah, that's pretty offensive, comparing the "plight" of nurse anesthetists making more than 100k a year PLUS overtime to the actual plight of a race of people who had to come out from under the foot of hundreds of years of slavery and legalized oppresion. Like I said before, the comparison is just offensive.

And as I've been told numerous times, you by law can practice as an independent anesthesia provider, so what are you complaining about? I hear there are plenty of jobs just a few hours outside the major metropolitan areas in South Dakota and Montana just waitin' to be picked up by an eager CRNA like yourself. Not an anesthesiologist in sight, so have fun.

TD

TejasDoc · Jul 3, 2004

I'm just playing "catch up" again -
Perhaps TejasDoc really does understand the hypocrisy of his (A$A's) position of trying to convince us of just how important it is to have their $upervi$ion during the daytime hours... Heaven forbid the public (and Congress!) learn they're really not needed in that role 99.98% of the time. I do wonder how the anesthesia providor "shortage" would be if the MDAs actually did their own cases for a while?
Maybe we (the CRNAs) should try and learn a few things from the "methods" of some civil rights successes? "We have a dream... we want to practice our chosen profession as independent anesthesia providors... free of supposed $upervi$ion by MDAs... making $$$ of our backs... when they could be doing their OWN WORK... and actually helping those people in need of anesthesia care... even though they would take a cut in pay to do so... to help the REST OF THE POPULATION in America... and stop SUCKING UP SO MUCH GRAVY ($$$) from the healthcare system in America... and also stop trying to out-business-maneuver and legi$late CRNAs into increasingly inferior roles... all because of their lust for power and greed for money...."
Well, it was a simple thought.
Sleeepy

So yeah, that's pretty offensive, comparing the "plight" of nurse anesthetists making more than 100k a year PLUS overtime to the actual plight of a race of people who had to come out from under the foot of hundreds of years of slavery and legalized oppresion. Like I said before, the comparison is just offensive.

And as I've been told numerous times, you by law can practice as an independent anesthesia provider, so what are you complaining about? I hear there are plenty of jobs just a few hours outside the major metropolitan areas in South Dakota and Montana just waitin' to be picked up by an eager CRNA like yourself. Not an anesthesiologist in sight, so have fun.

TD

WntrMute2 · Jul 3, 2004

I really have no complaints about the supervison level at my hospital but, it is interesting that we have to wait for the docs to supervise placing a SAB in the OR but we are expected to place epidurals without any supervision 24/7 in OB. I'm not really complaining but it does raise questions.