Very Unique Situation/Student

[revolution]

I've always been very interested in medicine. However, I am very good at business and during college took a position with a large, Fortune 500 company as an interventional cardiology/radiology product rep. Needless to say, I never finished my degree but have about 40 hours with a 3.2 GPA from a very good university. I have considered going to medical school but realize it just doesn't fit my life and family commitment.

To complicate the issue, I have been promoted to the position of Director within the company and most likely will make Vice President within a year or two. So onto it, being a CRNA seems like the best path to enter into a high paying speciality that allows me to work on my ADN, BSN, and CRNA as I work my existing job.

I looked into my local CC which has an online ADN. I could head to a school like University of Phoenix (working adult school...) to do my BSN. My issues are simply, I understand being a CRNA takes a very large time commitment to earn the 1-2 years as a CCRN prior to entering. I can't just walk away from my Director position now as I have a family to support and the money is very good.

My hang up is after I get my BSN, how do I work as a CCRN and still manage my "day job". Are there part time CCRN jobs out there that would still award me the experience needed to become a CRNA or is this just a pipe dream? I understand CRNA school would more than likely be a full time position and ultimately cost me my current job - I will cross that bridge when I get there.

Any realistic, brutally honest suggestions are welcome.

Thank you in advace.

[srna2008]

CRNA school is a very large commitment. You need to look at what a CRNA does and not just the fact that they make a good income. After you look more into the field, you need to decide if you are willing to pursue becoming a Registered Nurse and hope you get a chance to go to CRNA school. There are a ton of nurses that say they want to go to CRNA school, but most of them never go. It is difficult to get into any program, and if you do get it, the programs are very demanding physically, emotionally, and financially. It sounds like working as an RN may be a step back financially for you, so you need to decide if you are willing to go to nursing school realizing you may never get a chance to go to CRNA school.

If you do go to nursing school, after graduating, you would need to begin to work in an ICU. You can sit for your CCRN (which is required by some programs) after you have enough clinical hours (about 1-2 yrs of working 36-48 hour weeks). You would also have to take the GRE (that test sucks really bad), get letters of recommendation. You would have to contact CRNA program directors to see how many years of experience they required if you did work as a RN part time, because they require about 2 years of full time in ICU. I don't know how hard it would be to juggle your other job and nursing, but I don't see any way you could work a full time job and go to CRNA school.

If you are willing to put in the work and time, I say go for it, but really assess your whole situation. I have only been in CRNA school for a month and I have probably studied more in the past month than I did through all of nursing school. School also takes a toll on your family; I have a wife and 3 small children and my wife has pretty much taken over running our house (my job is to finish school over the next 2.5 yrs). You have to make sure your family is behind you, because it is a huge sacrifice.

Good luck

[jls189]

CCRN (crtical care registered nurse) isn't a job but a certification that you get after you work a certain number of hours in an icu as an RN. You most likely won't be able to do a full-time day job when you graduate and start working as an RN, and it will be hard to work full-time while you're getting your associates degree in nursing. You need to consider doing clinicals which are usually daytime or evening hours. You whole ADN program will not online (speaking of your clinical rotations). You can't learn to be a nurse online. Getting your BSN is a little different. A lot of peolpe do that online. Also, you don't have to be a CCRN to be accepted to CRNA school, but it can always help. Also, remember that you can't work while you're in anesthesia school. It's fulltime for about 27 months. Good luck. Maybe think of down-sizing. Get all bills paid off. Learn to live on a lot less.

[akijitsu]

Revolution,

Let me mirror your (unspoken) frustration that our economy/scoiety does not allow one to move easily from one field to the other.

I had an excellent job in the allied health field that was high in skill and most people would consider it "above" nursing (I wouldn't say that, but it did pay a lot more).

Anyways, I worked during the day and got my ADN at night. I'm now working full time as an RN and part time in my old job. This part can be done.

Here is your problem. When you come out of school, you will not really have the skills to work alone in a high acuity setting (Such as the ccrn type situations you would need to enter a CRNA progam). You will need at least a year of full time RN work just to be semi-autonomous (this is coming from someone with a LOT of high level experience). I don't think you could get someone to hire you part time as a new graduate into a critical care setting.