New program in Utah

[icudoucme?]

I don't know how to go about getting this new school on the interactive map so I thought I'd post this. Westminster College in Salt Lake City just gained accreditation in January. Thanks.

[Catcolalex]

I hope this doesnt get too many people in utah excited, I dont know [I]any[I] crna's that are happy about this. there are already about 20 people in line for every crna spot in utah

[assilem]

really, why is that? supply/demand? not that many spots or is that great of an environment to work in?

[Idaho-RN]

I heard that there were a gazillion applicants for the first class. Plus, from what I know about Westminster College, well!!!

[Catcolalex]

avg salary for utah is around 100 k, some as low as 80 k, not exactly a cash cow. but most people who work here are from here and therefore family is here etc. westminster is a private college and the tuition is high. clinicals are not all in utah either. the university of utah has squashed several attempts at starting a crna program in utah this far. the fact that westminster is private has everything to do with why it has a program.

[MmacFN]

Why would the univ be against a CRNA program?

[Idaho-RN]

Hey Mike,

Just a guess but one of their oldest medical specializations is Anesthesiology. Plus I knew this MDA in Utah. He had some pretty interesting stuff to say about CRNA's. Jerk!

Phil

[icudoucme?]

Phil,
There were about 25 interviewees, 15 accepted for the first class. I don't know how many qualified applicants they had to choose from. I know it wasn't a huge pool because the timing was off for the first class. They interviewed in June and July for an August 28 start date.

We did hear that Utah was not the best state to try and get a job after graduation. They told us that right up front in the interviews. They also told us what Catcolalex said, in that quite a few CRNAs in Utah were not happy about this school. I can understand the concern. After all, more CRNAs in competition for jobs just lowers salaries and makes it harder for those who are there already to negotiate fair contracts.

I'm from Boise too and in Idaho, the picture is quite a bit different. I think because the CRNAs and the Anesthesiologists have the team care approach going in a lot of settings. There is still some tension but not as much as in Utah.

[icudoucme?]

One other thing, tuition at Westminster is comparable to other schools. My tuition costs for the entire program is 40K.

[DebbieC]

So, ICUDOUCME (love that!), did you get accepted?

$40,000 is quite acceptable.

So what is it with Utah?? Great place to live? Center of Mormon culture? What?

What is the MDA/CRNA thing like in Utah?

I'm amazed at the topsy-turvy supply/demand thing.....

[icudoucme?]

Debbie, thanks for the comliment on my sign-on name. No one has ever said a word so I thought it might be creeping people out or something.

Anyway, yeah I'm currently attending the program, second semester of a front loaded program.

My best guess on the CRNA vs Anesthesiologist debate in Utah is that the University of Utah has a big medical school and they have anesthesia residents here that don't want to compete with SRNAs for cases in clinical rotations. They don't want CRNAs here at all, in fact. There is a big group of anesthesiologists that pretty much have all the big hospitals under their control. They don't want CRNAs hired at their hospitals and they certainly don't want SRNAs being taught there.

My take on it is that they will eventually be forced to join the rest of the nation in the general trend toward mid-level providers. Financial constraints will force the hospitals to consider other options. In the mean time, the CRNAs that are here are not happy about our school either. So clinical sites in Utah are hard to come by. There are a few, however.

[Idaho-RN]

Hey ICU,

Didn't mean to ruffle any feathers. I think Utah is a great place. Hope school is going well.

Phil

[Idaho-RN]

Hey ICU,

Didn't mean to ruffle any feathers. I think Utah is a great place. Hope school is going well.

Phil

[Catcolalex]

My take on it is that they will eventually be forced to join the rest of the nation in the general trend toward mid-level providers. Financial constraints will force the hospitals to consider other options. In the mean time, the CRNAs that are here are not happy about our school either. So clinical sites in Utah are hard to come by. There are a few, however.

Not so fast, why pay a CRNA 100k when you can pay a resident 40k and also get a kickback from the state for being a teaching hospital. There are CRNA's at the university hospital, but they make about 80 k?

[icudoucme?]

Hey ICU,

Didn't mean to ruffle any feathers. I think Utah is a great place. Hope school is going well.

Phil
Hey Phil, not ruffled at all. Just kind of wondering though...what gave you the impression that I was ruffled? Writing is a very limited communication form at times. So I hope I didn't put you off. So you are from Boise eh? I miss being home. Utah is ok but I like Boise a lot better.

School is going as well as can be expected...mostly stressing out a lot.

Good point Catcolalex. I forgot the residents don't make squat. I don't know the salary for CRNAs here. Thankfully not my concern.

[Idaho-RN]

[QUOTE=icudoucme?]So you are from Boise eh? I miss being home. Utah is ok but I like Boise a lot better.
QUOTE]

No, I am a transplant from Utah, but plan on staying in Idaho when all is said and done. My wife doesn't like it here but we live off Maple Grove. I keep telling her if we lived in Eagle or Meridian it would be better. Good luck with school! Oh and when do they interview at Westminster for this fall?

Phil

[westcrna]

80K, eh, Catcholalex?!?....20 CRNA's for every job?!?! You obviously don't know your facts and have made your displeasure concerning the Westminster program evident. Well, I'm in that program and you need to check your facts before you come to a public board and start spewing untruths.

Sounds to me like you don't want any competition when you come back...

[MsADMIN]

80K, eh, Catcholalex?!?....20 CRNA's for every job?!?! You obviously don't know your facts and have made your displeasure concerning the Westminster program evident. Well, I'm in that program and you need to check your facts before you come to a public board and start spewing untruths.

Sounds to me like you don't want any competition when you come back...

West,

Welcome to our website. We are happy to have you here, but please be forewarned that all posts here are read by moderators & administrators. Any kind of personal attacks will not be tolerated.
Why don't you kindly tell us your version of the facts. We'd all love to hear them. Thanks! :focus:

[westcrna]

Thanks for the welcome. Here are few facts and several opinions...

As CRNA's/SRNA's, we need to be supportive of growth in the educational infrastructure of our profession. There is a large demand for CRNA services nationwide and any new program will help to meet that demand. Bickering about job availability in a particular area is part of what fuels the current MDA/CRNA debates. Nationwide, there is room (and always will be) for everyone.

Westminster's program focus is not to provide CRNA's for the greater Salt Lake area, but to to provide a program in the intermountain region (Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Nevada, Wyoming, Montana) of which there is none. Both the program director and assistant director are on the board of the Utah Association of Nurse Anesthetists. The director is president-elect. This provides Westminster students the opportunity to be kept current on issues in the region.

As to the compensation issue, there are current jobs on Gasnet for 100-150k at the university that supposedly only pays 80K. I am an employee at that same university (in the OR) and am friends with several CRNA's in the area. I have yet to hear of dissatisfaction from them concerning the Westminster program. Yes, there are some (but not all) MDA's that would rather not have CRNA's around, but you will find that everywhere.

So, I'll step off my soapbox, now. I did not intent my prior post top be a personal attack. My feathers just got ruffled a bit. I just find it hard to believe that a current SRNA would find fault in the institution of a new program.

Jason West
Westminster SRNA
duewest@allwest.net

[Catcolalex]

Thanks for the welcome. Here are few facts and several opinions...

As CRNA's/SRNA's, we need to be supportive of growth in the educational infrastructure of our profession. There is a large demand for CRNA services nationwide and any new program will help to meet that demand. Bickering about job availability in a particular area is part of what fuels the current MDA/CRNA debates. Nationwide, there is room (and always will be) for everyone.

Westminster's program focus is not to provide CRNA's for the greater Salt Lake area, but to to provide a program in the intermountain region (Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Nevada, Wyoming, Montana) of which there is none. Both the program director and assistant director are on the board of the Utah Association of Nurse Anesthetists. The director is president-elect. This provides Westminster students the opportunity to be kept current on issues in the region.

As to the compensation issue, there are current jobs on Gasnet for 100-150k at the university that supposedly only pays 80K. I am an employee at that same university (in the OR) and am friends with several CRNA's in the area. I have yet to hear of dissatisfaction from them concerning the Westminster program. Yes, there are some (but not all) MDA's that would rather not have CRNA's around, but you will find that everywhere.

So, I'll step off my soapbox, now. I did not intent my prior post top be a personal attack. My feathers just got ruffled a bit. I just find it hard to believe that a current SRNA would find fault in the institution of a new program.

Jason West
Westminster SRNA
duewest@allwest.net

I am not opposed to a CRNA program in Utah. I am now a CRNA in utah and love it. I also worked at the University Hospital in the SICU before I went to school. A little background, I attempted, in my time before I went to school, to find out why there was not a CRNA program in utah. I contacted all colleges and universities in the state including westminster. the story I got was that there wasnt a demand. I didnt believe it, but that is the story I got. There has been more than one attempt to start a program at the university, but it has been squashed by the anesthesia dept. at the university hospital according to the school of nursing. this doesnt seem to be the friendliest enviornment to start a program in. correct me if I'm wrong. these are the facts not just me sounding off. Im happy for the program at westminster, I am, I wish it would have been there 3 yrs ago when I could have applied. however, the facts are the facts, there are not a lot of spots for CRNA's in Utah.
One of guys in my kaiser class worked on the burn unit, and got to know the CRNA that works there pretty well. he told him that after 20+ yrs working there his salary is 120K, I emailed the university hospital as I was looking for a job after school, and contacted the chief CRNA who informed me that they had 10+ applicants for each spot. her words, not mine.
My anesthesia chief right now told me that he gets called every day about CRNA spots at our hospital, and that he doesnt even want to answer the phone anymore. He has a stack of CV's in his office about 40 deep. His words not mine.
this is what I base my opinion on, that and the continuous job search for the last year. sorry its not very inspiring for those looking to come here, but that is just the way it is.