A factor in my deciding not to go to CRNA school was the way I have been treated by the CRNA’s I work with. When I initially told some CRNA’s at my work I was looking at AA along with CRNA. I was shunned by all the CRNA’s including a couple I was pretty decent acquaintances with and they said that they had been told by their head anesthetist to not speak with me. My requests (in person and via email) to shadow a CRNA were ignored, and CRNA’s tried getting the anesthesiologist to also not let me shadow them. The head of the Anesthesiology Dept. quite vocally refused the CRNA’s requests to ignore me and he sought me out to let me shadow him, and when I was done shadowing him he said to look him up after I graduate, he would like to start hiring AA’s bc they don’t try to tell him how to run what is literally his dept. I really liked the CRNA’s I work with, but I lost a lot of respect for all of them when they allowed their behavior to be controlled by a superior with a political agenda. I for one have never allowed myself to be controlled by someone else bringing politics into interpersonal relationships. Two of the CRNA’s have since then apologized to me for allowing their boss to manipulate them. Both of them were per diam and are no longer with our facility. I don’t know if its bc of me, but I think it may have something to do with it. I can’t believe an “issue” as small as one 8 hour job shadow has caused such drama.
The Anesthesiologist I shadowed helped me get a job within the anesthesia dept as a Anesthesia Tech. I am well respected by the physicians I work with along with the perfusionists. Most of the CRNA’s have come around as well. On a daily basis the anesthesiologists I work with try to talk me out of AA school, and into medical school.
Now when a CRNA has a problem with the anesthesia machine, or has a difficult intubation they page me for help. : )
So besides the extra 3-5 years it would take to be a CRNA, it was ultimately the CRNA’s I work with who made certain I would be attending AA school and not a CRNA program.
Your whole story about unemployed AA’s had no facts in it. I have communicated with 3 AA’s who recently graduated along with 2 that have been working for years. They all spoke of multiple job offers from places they rotated through during their second year. The recent grads stated offers of 110k to 140 depending on the location hours and benefits. Two said there were rumors that a couple people got offers of 150k but it was in areas that were short on anesthetists and had a higher cost of living.
I located 3 AA’s within my state and will be shadowing them in the near future. They said that the hospital they work for likes AA’s and will be hiring more of them. I currently work at two hospitals. The head Anesthesiologist at the other hospital has told me to do a rotation there and that he would hopefully be able to offer me a job as well.
Both hospitals I work at; the head of the Anesthesia dept has said they would try to hire me when I graduate and I haven’t even gotten into school yet. I haven’t even had my interview and I have 2 jobs offers. I think I’ll be ok.
I just finished all my apps, and should be hearing from schools for interviews in the next few weeks. I think from Ms. Fisher with admissions at South said I would hear next week.
I hope no one else has had a bad experience from what are typically good people like I have. I can’t imagine letting the political opinions of my boss stop me from helping a young person be successful.
Keep in mind this is just a supplement to my previous reasons for choosing AA vs. CRNA; not the sole reason.
Also as previously stated: getting a medical vs. a nursing education.... priceless
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