#CRNAJourney

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Becoming a CRNA: Is It Worth The Journey?

There is a lot that goes into becoming a CRNA. If you’re already a registered nurse, the time and money you’ll have to put in are rather low. If you are a student though, and are looking into nursing, then you have a long way to go. It is important to decide whether the journey will be worth it before embarking on it.

It all depends on exactly what you desire. But, if you are sure that you want to be, or are already a nurse, it is worth it. Becoming a CRNA can be a very fulfilling occupation. Besides that, the earning potential for a CRNA is much greater than for a registered nurse.

You will need to get a master’s or doctorate to become a CRNA. You will also need to write the NCE. There are a lot of requirements, but with dedication, you can achieve them for sure.

This article will discuss the journey to become a CRNA along with the benefits and downsides. The hope is that this will help you make an informed decision on the next step that you wish to take.

What Are the Advantages of Becoming a CRNA?

A certified registered nurse anesthetist is a specially skilled registered nurse. They have received certification to work alongside the surgical team and the anesthesiologist. They have a good number of skills that make them quite valuable to the team. 

Reaching this point requires effort and long dedication. If it feels daunting, then look to the end result. Below are some of the benefits that you will gain from becoming a CRNA.

1. Increased earning potential. If you are aiming to maximize your earning potential, becoming a CRNA is an amazing choice. It is worth it if that is one of your major considerations. Among all nursing disciplines, a CRNA is one of the highest-paid. In fact, many times, a certified registered nurse anesthetist is the highest-paid nurse. Compared to an RN, becoming certified as a nurse anesthetist can earn you more than double an RN’s pay. In 2019, the RN salary was a little over $70,000 and nurse anesthetist pay was over $180,000. That is a major difference. Once again, if the financial benefit is a major consideration for you, the journey will be worth it in the end.

2. Improved employment opportunities. In almost any profession, once you narrow down your focus, you become more in demand. A CRNA doesn’t lose the skills of a registered nurse, but also adds a nurse anesthetist’s skills to the mix. This means that you will be more attractive to employers. You will also have more job opportunities as you can now apply for CRNA positions. 

3. Good career advancement options. Reaching the top of the career ladder is something that many people want to achieve in their fields. Advancing your career brings a sense of fulfillment and a bump in benefits and pay. 

It is fortunate that a CRNA has quite a few career options. A CRNA can decide to focus on a specific area of care. This can be pediatrics or neurosurgery, for instance. This helps focus their skills to provide the absolute best care for patients in a field.

They can also become academics, either by engaging in teaching or research work.

With enough clinical years, they can find themselves as the chief nurse anesthetist. This is more likely when they have administrative or managerial certifications.

4. Personal fulfillment. If becoming a CRNA is something that you have wanted to do for the longest time, it's hard to say it's not worth it. Along with the other advantages, if it is your passion, then that is enough to make it worth going for. They are an important part of the team.

What Are the Downsides of Becoming a CRNA?

No profession is perfect. This remains true with becoming a nurse anesthetist. The process that gets you there might be the part that frustrates many registered nurses the most. For some people, some aspects of this process might be a deal-breaker for them. Here are some of the disadvantages of opting to become a CRNA:

Courses are expensive. To be fair, college is rather expensive almost anywhere in the United States. Students depend on student loans to be able to fund their way through school. This is the case with CRNA programs as well. Recent changes that make a Doctor of Nursing Practice the necessary minimum qualification. This means that RNs looking at this specialization will need to spend more money and time to get there. A Bachelor of Science in Nursing required 2 years as opposed to 3 for a DNP. Many CRNAs find themselves dealing with student debt years after the fact. But then again, so do most American graduates. The pay for the CRNA position will help get rid of that debt a bit faster too.

It takes time and effort. The journey to becoming a nurse anesthetist is rather long. After a 4-year bachelor, they need at least a year of experience, and then 3 years for a DNP. That’s nearly a decade spent chasing the CRNA certification. That is not including the certification examination. You will need to pass that exam to become an official CRNA. For anyone in a rush to end their educational journey, a CRNA might not be the best choice. Many aren’t ready to spend that time and effort going back to school life.

Shifts can be tough. This all depends on your workplace or the surgery, but some shifts will be brutal. Certain surgeries can take as long as 12 hours or even more. You will have to be there for the whole procedure and you won’t get the chance for breaks. You will likely also have frequent night shifts and call duties. If you’re not resilient, the stress of being a CRNA may get to you.

In the end, it is all up to you. If you have gone through all the pros and cons listed here, you can make a decision. Balance these against each other and figure out which side you lean towards. Are any of the cons a deal-breaker for you? Are any of the pros and absolute must in your book? 

It all depends on you to figure out whether the journey is worth it. If you ask me, it is. But we are all different, so you must decide on your own. The one thing I can promise you is, hate it or love it, being a CRNA is fulfilling.

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Is Med School A Requirement To Become A CRNA?

If you’re reading this, you may be either a registered nurse or a student with the hopes of becoming a CRNA. If this is the case, you may have many questions about how to get there. For instance, do you need to go to medical school to become a nurse anesthetist?

The simple answer to this is no. A certified registered nurse anesthetist is a certification in nursing practice.  This means that you need to be a nurse beforehand, not a doctor. However, there are quite a few steps before getting certified as a nurse anesthetist. Medical school is not one of them, though.

Depending on where you are at right now, the journey to CRNA may be a little long. But, if you know exactly what you need ahead of time, it will be as smooth as possible. Whether you are already a nurse or a student, this article is here to help you with that journey.

What Do You Need to Do to Become a CRNA?

You may already be a nurse who is looking for a direction to take your career or  you may be a  nursing student who has  Nurse Anesthetist  in their sights as a career option.

Either way, I’ll tell you about all the steps you need to take. I will be starting from the very beginning.

Before you can become a CRNA, you need to be a registered nurse. And to get there, you’ll need a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree beforehand. This is a four-year degree.

1. Become a Registered Nurse. Once you have your BSN, you can take the next step to become an RN. You will have to write and pass the NCLEX-RN examination. This stands for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses. Once you have passed this exam, you can apply for your RN license. This is done based on your state. Each state has its fees and requirements associated with it. Depending on the state, the amount of time it’ll take from applying to getting your license may vary.

There is something important to note. The two-year Associate Degree in Nursing can be used to become a registered nurse. But to become a CRNA, you need a BSN.

2. Gain valuable experience. Once you have become a registered nurse you will need to have at least 1 year of Critical Care experience. Some programs now may require you to have 2 years. This can be an intensive care unit or an emergency room, for instance. One year is the official requirement, but some schools may have higher criteria. Be sure to check the programs you want to apply for and their requirements. Make sure you choose an accredited program.

3. Get a Master’s Degree of Science in Nurse Anesthesia. Once you have your required experience, you can apply for a master’s degree in a nurse anesthesia program. This is roughly a two-year program in most cases. It is very important to note that the requirements to become a CRNA will change by 2025. An MSN will no longer be the minimum requirement. Instead, you will need to have a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. This takes about a year longer than an MSN does to get.

4. Pass the National Certification Exam. To get the coveted CRNA credential, you will need to pass the NCE. The National Board of Certification & Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists organizes this. Once you conquer this, your state board receives the results. You need to follow a few more steps depending on your state. Once that’s done, you are a CRNA!

What Does a Nurse Anesthetist Do?

If you want to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist, it is important to know the job well. It is a long road to becoming a CRNA, after all. You should get to know the job description and their function.. This will help you know for sure whether it is the path that you want to take.

Below are some of the duties of a CRNA

They help develop an anesthetic plan. They can prepare anesthetic solutions or mixtures.

They can administer a wide array of anesthetic techniques. This includes spinal and epidural anesthesia. They are also able to perform regional nerve blocks.

They monitor the patient following surgery. This involves monitoring vital signs and watching for any complications that may arise.

They have the appropriate skills for emergencies. This includes life support and trauma stabilization. They can also perform airway management, such as intubation.

They can manage both acute and chronic pain.

What Are Important Considerations Before Becoming a Nurse Anesthetist?

Being a certified registered nurse anesthetist is a demanding job. This is in the physical, mental, and even emotional sense. Working as a nurse anesthetist means that you will spend a lot of time standing and moving around. Lifting and moving a patient with the team is a major physical aspect of the work.

There can be a lot of stress when working in surgical or critical care scenarios. Night shifts will be frequent, and this can be a big adjustment. When emergencies arise, there is a lot of pressure and mental stress. Plus, there is the sad fact of being a medical professional: with enough years, you'll deal with sad outcomes. This can take a huge emotional toll on a person who is not equipped for it.

Before you go begin the journey to become a nurse anesthetist, you need to examine yourself. Will you be able to keep going in such mentally tasking situations? After all, you won’t have the chance to take a break during an emergency. You need to be sure that you can soldier on, at least until you have averted the danger.

Becoming a CRNA is a long journey. To become a nurse anesthetist, you will need many degrees and exams for you to be certified. While you will not need medical school, this still takes a lot of dedication and hard work.

But if your goal is to become a CRNA, you will realize that it is all worth it in the end. It can be very fulfilling work, with a lot of prospects.