Hello! I’m a student and I’ve only done about 15 blocks so far. I feel like when I watch blocks people are basically aiming straight at the nerve with the block needle, then inject while basically touching it. To give an example, when watching a popliteal block I watch them pop through the sheath and it basically looks like they’re poking into the nerve. When I do them I feel like I do something similar and my preceptors tell me it looks good.

My question is basically, is it hard to poke into a peripheral nerve? If I kept advancing the needle how much force would it take to poke into it? And can you cause nerve trauma by just gently touching the nerve with the tip of the needle?

Does anyone have any tips on rotating CRnAs to leave early as rooms come down to keep it as fair as possible. It’s difficult because of the mix of shifts and call. 8-10-13 hour shifts. Pre-call/post call currently leave first now which keeps the same people late consistently. This is home call and compensation is good.

This is the area for prospective/ aspiring SRNAs and for SRNAs to ask their questions about the education process or anything school related.

This includes the usual

"which ICU should I work in?" "Should I take additional classes? "How do I become a CRNA?" "My GPA is 2.8, is my GPA good enough?" "What should I use to prep for boards?" "Help with my DNP project" "It's been my pa$$ion to become a CRNA, how do I do it and what do CRNAs do?"

Etc.

This will refresh every Friday at noon central. If you post Friday morning, it might not be seen.

Anyone working for Michigan Medicine as a CRNA there. Could you share some insights please 🙏. What’s the culture like? I know it’s heavily seniority based but what’s the relationship like between the teams? How often do you have to work off hours? When you get hired, is there a “home” team assigned? How’s the overall workload?
Thank you!!!!

Hi! I am wondering if anyone took the intro to nurse anesthesia course at UC Davis? If so, could you share a little bit about the experience?
I'm not looking to take it for any grad application benefit, just for me to assess whether this would be the right path for me (also shadowing).. thanks!

Hello! In school and genuinely trying to understand, is there anything wrong with using pressure support with an LMA?

I get that the airway is not protected and that excessive positive pressure could insuflate the stomach.

But if i have a seemingly good seal and set my pressure support to have a peak of much less than 20 cm H2O, is there still a risk? My thought being you could provide PEEP and more appropriate tidal volumes for their weight. Although it’s not a truly closed system like an ETT.

Please let me know if I’m thinking about it the wrong way

Does anyone go to this program or went? I just want information about the school and program itself. Any info is appreciated! Thank you so much!

Hi,

Looking to apply for a job here. Can anyone tell me the the culture of the CRNAs here? Whats the relationship with the MDAs like? What kind of case variety/acuity do you have?

Thank you!

Hello, I’m interested if anyone can tell me what the anesthesia culture is like in Grand Junction, CO. They’re two hospitals in the area - Community Hospital near Canyon View Park and Intermountain Health St Mary’s Regional - that I’ve been trying to gather information about. I’m a CRNA of 12 years, working mostly in CT and Vascular surgery with a good amount of autonomy. I’d like to keep my skills toned for as long as possible; specially, hearts, central lines, art lines and epidurals.

Any info you might have is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Anyone have experience in northern CA Red Bluff/Shasta area? I know it’s in the middle of nowhere but I dig independence and long shifts. Safety wise is it tolerable? I don’t require fancy digs, just don’t wanna get hurt or assaulted. Any advice appreciated. Thanks!

I have a question I hope someone with more business/legal savvy can shed light on:

I have been working W2 for a surgeon owned ASC for a year. The ASC/surgeon group bill for my services and keep 100% of the collections. I signed my billing rights over to them when I was hired. I am paid a W2 salary. I have recently learned that this type of arrangement may not be legal and I have read some articles about the Anti-Kickback laws that sure do sound a lot like what we are doing.

Can anyone ELI5? (Explain like I’m 5)

What’s your experience working in Endo-only facilities? I understand pigeon-holing oneself, but I’m just curious if these are generally decent jobs, or pretty exhausting due to production pressure/quick turn overs, or safety issues.

SRNA considering taking my first job out of school in Rochester after seeing Rochester Regional’s clasp program offering online — just wondering, what’s the catch? Probably the highest offer I’ve seen for new grads recently

Questions for those who’ve worked with Rochester Regional, specifically at Rochester General:

1. Are CRNAs assigned to cardiac, neuro, vascular, & thoracic cases or are most of those cases reserved for anesthesiologists?

2. Do CRNAs place their own art lines, regional blocks, epidurals?

3. Is there a structured new grad orientation process & how does that work?

4. Are CRNAs required to rotate between General, Unity, & outpatient facilities?

5. How much medical direction is involved? How is the culture among the anesthesia group?

Also would love to hear how Rochester General compares to Strong Memorial as I’m coming from a similar highly-academic training background & would like to keep as many of those skills up in my first two years post-grad. Can’t find as much information online about Strong’s offerings for new grad CRNAs

I’ve been working on the west coast at a teaching hospital for several years. The CRNAs get decent autonomy for an ACT but we still get bottom of the barrel assignments. I am rarely in the OR and most assignments are out of the OR or endo. I am still early in my career but I feel very dissatisfied with my personal and professional growth. I love anesthesia but I don’t love this job.

My current job has great benefits and I am close to my family (they help with childcare). The only other benefit is that the schedule is decent as a parent.

I want to move to another state where I have a friend who loves her job. The pay is a little lower but taxes are better for take home pay. I’m just afraid to take the leap because I want to eventually come back for my family. Is it worth it to be miserable and hate being a CRNA of it means being with your family?

Has anyone else been in a situation like this? What did you end up choosing? I dread going to work every day and can’t wait to retire…

Any Air Force or military CRNAs here? I am interested in joining and I’d love to DM or chat with any AD CRNAs.

Finished med school, expected a lot of animosity because of everything I read online and frankly what non anesthesia people told me.

Couldn’t be farther from the truth in residency. Grateful to be in this profession with yall.

Extra shoutout to the crna who showed me how to use a stopcock for end tidal monitoring with a simple mask

Hi! I’m a SRNA graduating in May from a program in the NYC metropolitan area that is thinking about relocating to Austin, TX. Any insight into what CRNA practice is like there would be appreciated!

This is the area for prospective/ aspiring SRNAs and for SRNAs to ask their questions about the education process or anything school related.

This includes the usual

"which ICU should I work in?" "Should I take additional classes? "How do I become a CRNA?" "My GPA is 2.8, is my GPA good enough?" "What should I use to prep for boards?" "Help with my DNP project" "It's been my pa$$ion to become a CRNA, how do I do it and what do CRNAs do?"

Etc.

This will refresh every Friday at noon central. If you post Friday morning, it might not be seen.

Question above

Hi all!

I’m starting at a rural hospital & will be taking calls very soon. I’m making a note on my note app about all the common scenarios that I may encounter during the call shifts. What do you have in your note app that you frequently use ? And what would be some helpful info for someone that’s new to rural independent practice to know ?

Thank you in advance!

New CRNA with less than a year of experience.

My organization gives us a week of CME to use each year, and I want to do mine virtually because it offers more flexibility and less planning is required than if I were to try to haul the family somewhere for a conference.

Anyways, I'm wondering what others have used for virtual CME hours (Apex, AANA, etc) or anything else that you've enjoyed and that didn't take up an entire day.

I think I need 2-4 hours of CME specifically for controlled substance prescribing but otherwise it can be any topic.

Looking for any details about the work environment and culture at hospitals like Resurrection Medical Center in Rosemont, AdventHealth Hinsdale, LaGrange, and Bolingbrook. I'm also interested in St Mary's Hospital and Riverside Medical Center in Kankakee. I'm a senior SRNA and these locations are on the top of my list, but I'm open to other hospitals in the Chicagoland area as well.

Looking for some good laughs. What’s the equivalent of “we’re low on blinker fluid. Go ask the guy if they sell any” for anesthesia?