Why everyone wants to become anesthetist? Is it because of the salary?

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My 3 friend wants to become anesthetist because of salary. I mean yeah the salary is good but how's the job market? How stressful is the job? Right now it's really hard to find a job as an RN without experience. Imagine finding a job as Anesthetist. It went to my mind also that I want to try anesthetist but lets face it,there's too many competition and I don't have an Idea about the job market of anesthetist..

It's easy to say I want to become an anesthetist but hard to earn it..

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Specializes in Cardiothoracic ICU.

Well there are also other desirable aspects such as autonomy and more technical and critical practice. It bugs me as well when you hear these people in nursing school say they want to be an anesthetist. I'm sure the job market for an anesthetist is fine if your willing to move, there would not be so many applicants per position like we see for RN jobs.

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Specializes in Med surg, LTC, Administration.

So what if it is hard to earn. Most things worth having are...

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How many Anesthetist are there in OR? 1? 2??

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I want to be one too, but I know my priorities will change should I get married, have kids, or whatever.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

More than likely it' the money, but it probably also has something to do with CRNA being arguably the most challenging Advanced Practice role.

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Specializes in OR; Telemetry; PACU.
How many Anesthetist are there in OR? 1? 2??

One...you are in charge of keeping the patient alive and pain free during the procedure. One of the biggest patient advocates during their surgical time. Some places will not allow a CRNA to put a patient asleep without an anesthesiologist to be present (lame because many hospitals ONLY have CRNAs...they are perfectly capable of doing it on their own)...so be aware of the politics involved with that.

A goal of mine has been to be a CRNA and not for the pay. I've seen those anesthesiologist and CRNAs only in it for the money...this area is nothing to monkey around with. If you don't love the work, find something else or play the lottery if money is the issue. It's stressful at times. You need to know critical care like the back of your hand and be able to think quickly and react even quicker on your feet.

I'd suggest following a CRNA for a day or two and find out what it's like. We have students in our OR all of the time.

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, Emergency, SAFE.
How many Anesthetist are there in OR? 1? 2??

Usually 1 per OR, with a rounding Anesthesiologist split between a certain number of rooms. You work very independently in this position and it requires a wealth of knowledge, which is why schooling is so tough. But the salary draws a lot of people as well.

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I hate to say it, but in my experience (i.e. the people I know who are considering it), money is a huge factor. Also, some people actually just like the CRNA role. It's very challenging and stressful. My mom was a CRNA, so I know just how stressful it was. The coursework is also very challenging. And in my clinical experience, there is usually one CRNA in the OR, if there is one, but I have seen a CRNA work under the supervision of an anesthesiologist as well.

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Specializes in LTC currently.

Yes, I think it partially has something to do with the salary. An school a lot of the students in my classes want to be a CRNA necause of the money and the more critical role as an APN. Personally I want to advance my career to owning a nursing home. I just want to obtain my BSN and a Bachelors in business administration or a licensed nursing home administrator.

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

I think CRNA is viewed rightly or wrongly as the Top GUn of nursing. Besides who wouldn't want to make people feel comfortably numb.

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Specializes in Nurse Practitioner-Emergency Room.

I'm an NP. I always made good grades, nursing school wasn't too difficult for me, and I feel like I was a pretty good nurse. When I used to tell people I was going back to school to be an NP, they always used to say I should go to CRNA school because they make so much money. The money is great, but even though I could have went to CRNA school, NP school was a much better fit for me. I like the process of seeing the patient, talking to them, and trying to figure out their problem and treating whatever may come up. So many people said I should have went to CRNA school for the money, but as a new NP I'm at the six-figure range, and I love my job. It depends on what you like to do. I always hated surgery. Too sterile, cold, masks, etc. lol, but I do believe many people go into it for the salary. As one poster above mentioned, it is hard. It requires time, effort, money, etc. NP school wasn't anything to sneeze at, but my fellow MSN students in the CRNA track did have a tougher and longer road than us. So, many people do go into it for money, but many of the students I had core MSN classes with that were in the CRNA track were doing it because of the challenge of the role, the technical side of it, they had a genuine interest in surgery, and they wanted a more autonomous role. I went to NP school not because I could make more money, but because of the autonomy, and the ability to make decisions rather than always following what someone else ordered. You also get more respect from other healthcare professionals, including doctors, in the advanced practice roles, so I guess it varies from person to person. Good luck to those that pursue advanced practice. it's not for everyone, but I wouldn't trade my new NP role for anything!

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