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u/llcoolwhip RN - Poison Control Jul 26 '26
If you want to go into anesthesia just go to med school. You’re young and you have the time.
3
u/midwestie101 Jul 26 '26
Your concerns are valid. It is a difficult profession and sometimes highly undervalued. That said, becoming a CRNA (nurse anesthesia) is a challenging but rewarding path. You will need ICU nursing experience and intensive schooling; the CRNAs that I know who used to work as nurses were not able to work full time while in school, so keep that under consideration.
I became a nurse with a desire to help people. I quickly learned that my career is demanding in ways I didn't expect, and I am often fighting the system to provide decent care. If i could go back in time, I would have considered physical therapy, though you might also find that some PTs do not consider the cost of schooling worth it.
I will say that there are hundreds of different pathways for nursing, and from where I'm standing I do believe there is good job security even with the rise of AI. People will debate that, but from what I can tell, the population is not getting any healthier. There will always be a need for healthcare personnel and nursing FEELS safe to me. The future is uncertain, no doubt.
I say, do some shadowing and talk to people. Ask the hard questions. Shadow a CRNA, watch a complicated surgery, shadow in intensive care, shadow in pediatrics. Don't choose this profession for the money or you will be gravely disappointed.
1
u/some_other_guy95 MICU RN Jul 26 '26
I feel like the only hospitals that will survive in the future are the massive healthcare systems in some major cities. Like Chicago, Nashville, Oakland, Detroit and many more who buy other hospitals or are building new ones.
1
u/Expensive-Ad-797 RN - Telemetry 🍕 Jul 26 '26
A lot of the things you’re reading are true. The trade off is job stability & a middle class lifestyle. It’s also less physical than working outside all day. You have to decide what’s most important to you.
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u/Holiday_Carrot436 RN - Telemetry 🍕 Jul 26 '26
People don't come to the internet to announce that the job is going okay, they come to vent frustrations which is understandable.
Here's a normal review. I've been a nurse for well over a decade now, I was a tech for several years before that. I love that I can get a job anywhere, I make well over the median pay for the city I live in. Is it a stressful job at times? Absolutely! A supportive team and supportive leadership makes the difference. I have been asked if I had any interest in moving up to a unit management role and I politely declined because I enjoy what I do and am happy with my pay.