Working full time as a CRNA student

CRNA, DNSc · May 16, 2010

Can you have a full time job as full time student in a CRNA program and still do well in school?

Realistically- Full-time Work plus CRNA school = recipe for failure. Maybe during didactic only semester in a front-loaded program. During clinicals- no!

ukstudent · May 16, 2010

No, and if they find out you are trying to work they will kick you out.

JSTARZ · May 17, 2010

we had to sign a waiver stating we would not work and agree to be administratively dismissed if they found out otherwise

dmtaylor3 · May 17, 2010

Thanks, do you recommend part-time work throughout the program?

Jdog19s · May 17, 2010

My school encourages you to work for the first year of didactic- Only one person tried to do 36 hours, I'm doing 24 hours, and other people are working usually less than 2 shifts a week. When clinical starts, I havent heard of anyone surviving while working more than 16 hours in a month.

creativemom, BSN, RN · May 17, 2010

Not true. You can work full time and be a CRNA student.

However it's not recommended due to lack of sleep = poor performance.

On the other hand some places allow you to work 3 qty 12 hr shifts and that is considered full time and so then the rest of the week you are free to sleep, perform your studies/clinicals.

loveanesthesia · May 17, 2010

No, you cannot work. My housemate in my program thought since she had worked through her MSN, she could work in the anesthesia program. She didn't make it through the first semester-and I had to find another place to live.

ssrhythm · May 21, 2010

Some may be able to, but the vast majority can not. Working would be a huge gamble, as once you find out you can't do it, you will be behind; you do not want to fall behind in your program. Why risk it? Take out what you need of the numerous loans that are out there for you, and put every ounce of your effort into school. Don't settle for grades that get you by, and blow the doors off your classes. Take the extra time to be the best you can, come out of school a very attractive new-hire, and repay your loans. Seriously, why chance it?

PaSSiNGaS, MSN · May 30, 2010

I'd love to know how you could work full time as a RN and still do the required amount of clinical time each week. I know myself we are doing 50-70 hours each week in rotations and that's not counting the 1 day a week we have class all day. If you were able to work full time during clinical rotations I'd be worried your school is not preparing you enough.

Not true. You can work full time and be a CRNA student.
However it's not recommended due to lack of sleep = poor performance.
On the other hand some places allow you to work 3 qty 12 hr shifts and that is considered full time and so then the rest of the week you are free to sleep, perform your studies/clinicals.

RedCell · May 31, 2010

Not true. You can work full time and be a CRNA student.
However it's not recommended due to lack of sleep = poor performance.
On the other hand some places allow you to work 3 qty 12 hr shifts and that is considered full time and so then the rest of the week you are free to sleep, perform your studies/clinicals.

Nurse Anesthesia school does not equal Nurse Practitioner school. 60-70 hours of OR time per week (5-6 days), 8 hours of didactic (1-2 days) and a minimum of 10-20 hours of self study. I cannot really see how one can fit three 12 hour shifts in to that kind of schedule. This does not even take into account 24 hour call the majority of SRNAs take part in. Just because Lennon and McCartney can conjure up 8 days in a week does not mean that it equals reality for the rest of us. I find it quite interesting that of all the anesthesia forums online, this is the only one where non SRNAs or CRNAs feel free to post random fabrications of inaccurate information pertaining to the education of nurse anesthetists. Even the anesthesiologist and anesthesiology assistant forums do a better job and these are two groups that we traditionally butt heads with.

AbeFrohman, BSN, RN · Jun 3, 2010

I know, firsthand, of only one person who worked a regular schedule all the way through. He had a baylor position and only worked Saturday and Sunday. So not full time really, but he was paid full time. He had no other choice as he had unique family problems and this was the only way he could ever do it. The guy was an absolute genius and everyone looked at him like superman. I would have personally killed myself if I didn't have a single moment of relief for almost 2 1/2 years. I would never suggest this to anyone unless it was the only way it could ever happen and even then I would tell you to expect paying back loans with RN pay eventually.