My journey from RN to CRNA

Mike, I love your enthusiasm!

As I continue the search for my first job out of school I sure hope you are right

Mike,

What about the number of CRNA programs? The number of programs have certainly increased, but not all will be offering the doctorate level option, so will some program be going away so to speak? (In your opinion...)

Personally, I have no doubt that this is the path I wish to travel... my only regret is not having chose it earlier in life. I love the practice of nursing and all the options it affords you, but when you see that being a provider of anesthesia can come from nursing, the doors are further opened.

My group just took a 30% cut in pay and let one crna go. And I see salaries continue to fall as there are too many students coming out every year. Not many jobs here in NC. I can see us getting to 100k here shortly. Plus the crna's in my group that are in their 60's are not retiring due to economics.

Stephgor,

I had a feeling that the supply would soon out-weigh the demand at one point or another. The profession as it has been known, was a best-kept secret, but it's greatly gained popularity and continues to be one of the most sought after specialty in nursing today. I think we can all agree that what draws us all initially to the specialty, is the salary. Aside from the monetary reward of the profession, I believe that the knowledge base obtained in the education track is tremendous. There is a higher level of autonomy and a greater sense of respect from other healthcare professionals, namely physicians when practicing as an anesthesia nurse.

As I mentioned previously, this is definitely the path I wish to travel with my only regret being that I waited so long to initiate the journey... everything happens for a reason though. There's no telling when this economy will turn around, but there's one thing for sure; there will always be a need.

An interesting read. One thing to remember is that everyone is suffering these days. My brother in law is a smart kid, just graduated from an ADN program here in Jacksonville, passed boards 3 months ago and just got his first interview--for a home health company. He wants to work in a hospital, and even though there are 5 in town, there are very few jobs out there now for new nurses.

As a side note, I was laughing at your use of "bolus". Funny how our medical terms seep into everyday talk. Yesterday I was telling someone how I need to start "titrating down my fun level" before I go to work so I'm not at risk for "fun shock".

I think that the future of Anesthesia will depend more on politics than anything else. CRNAs in many states are fighting for their right to practice against groups backed by the MDAs who are trying to chip away at our ability to practice. In Alabama today the Board of Medicine is hearing arguments about whether interventional regional pain management is solely in the realm of physicians' responsibility. If this decisions goes poorly, CRNAs may lose the ability to do epidural steriod injections, epidural blood patches and possibly even labor epidurals. Over one third of the small hospitals in Alabama do not have and anesthesiologist. Physician groups often have better political connections than CRNA groups. This can lead to the physicians dictating to us by State Statute what our job description is. I urge everyone to personally meet their State Representatives and get involved in State politics. Remember that State Legislatures approve the Nurse Practice Act for your state.