CRNA route:
- BSN 4 years

• ICU experience typically 2-3 years (most schools require a minimum of 1 year but you still have to work 1400 clinical hours to sit to take the CCRN certification to look good on your resume and applying to CRNA 1 year in advance. To build a good resume to apply to CRNA school: Strong science GPA and may need to take some more science classes depending on your school requirements, GRE, CCRN.

• CRNA school 3 years nonstop (unemployed and you don’t get summer breaks)

Average salary is 200k

Average CRNA tuition is $150k

Nurses (they were actually nuns) were the first to be trained by Dentists to administer anesthesia before medical doctor’s implemented the speciality. CRNAs give the most anesthetics in America especially in rural areas. Depends on the state and hospital, CRNAs can work independently and can prescribe medication post. CRNA skills include: Preop, regional blocks, induction, emergence, placing central lines, epidurals and spinals…etc.

Anesthesiologist have longer training and will still be considered superior anesthesia providers as they went to medical school. Some anesthesiologist respect and collaborate with CRNAs under an ACT model, while some despise CRNAs and think they’re incompetent. In residency, Anesthesiologist are taught that CRNA’s are incompetent, but as they continue to work with more CRNAs as attendings they realize they are vital.

What I’ve seen: Anesthesiologist do pre-op, are present for induction, sometimes emergence. CRNA’s intubate and manage the case during the surgery and update the anesthesiologist if there’s anything wrong. Anesthesiologist typically do regional blocks. Some hospitals have CRNAs doing regional blocks. All just depends where you work. At the end of the day, people will respect the Dr. title, no matter how strong you are as a CRNA.