Has anyone heard anything about Common Spirit - St. Mary/Corwin in Colorado Springs? I saw a job posting the other day, and before actually applying, I wanted to get a better idea of the anesthesia culture at the hospital and region in general. I’ve heard Denver is very MD controlling due to the presence of AAs. Is the same true for this facility/locale? I’m mostly concerned with maintaining the autonomy i have now at my current job; specifically, placing epidurals and central lines and providing service for cardiac surgery. The job I saw posted was with a group called Vituity. The job description says line placement is a “usual” part of the job, but is this accurate? Further, there appears to be a “dedicated CV team” again, is this true? Thanks for any info you might be able to provide!

Hello, I have been wanting to get a cat for a while now! I was traveling and paying off nursing school loans but now I am more settled and am ready to get a cat. However, I want to apply to school this coming year. Is it unwise to get a cat before CRNA school due to time constraints? Should I wait until after I apply and get the degree! I don’t want to wait that long lol but I need advice since this may be a terrible (but good?? Heheh) idea? Honest thoughts thanks!

Hi all!

I am an S-Corp 1099 CRNA in California and my partner is now leaving the W2 workforce to do 1099 CRNA work as well. What are the benefits and disadvantages of him joining my existing company as an employee verses him creating his own S-Corp? Specifically, if we pair as one company would malpractice issues potentially be applied the entire company or just him/me? That seems like the only potential disadvantage, as saving money with one S-Corp and CPA fees seem obvious. Are write off limitations minimized with just one company? Any advice or experience is appreciated! Many thanks 😊

Does anyone know of any positions on Maui or in Steamboat springs, CO? Are they MDA only anesthesia practices? I was hoping since UC health bought yampa steamboat would start employing CRNAs, or does anyone have any idea when those contracts are up for renewal?

Hi! I’m looking for help finding a CRNA practice that would be a good fit for my clinical interests, lifestyle, and long-term goals.
I’m open to location but would prefer the Southeast or Southern states, particularly Texas, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, or Georgia. Ideally, I’d love to be somewhere with milder temperatures, access to water or lakes, and a great outdoor lifestyle. I also love farm-to-table food, locally sourced ingredients, and great food and drink spots, so having a vibrant local food scene would be a plus!
Clinically, I’m looking for a practice that allows CRNAs to practice to the fullest scope of their license. I’d love the opportunity to perform spinals, epidurals, and peripheral nerve blocks, be involved with the OB team, and potentially care for healthy pediatric patients. A broad variety of cases and opportunities to continue developing my skills are important to me.
I’m also looking for a supportive work environment with strong team dynamics, good camaraderie, and a collaborative culture. From a lifestyle standpoint, I would prefer a position with no nights, weekends, or holidays, or at least minimal call requirements. Ideally, I’d also like the flexibility to pick up additional shifts at an hourly rate.
Overall, I’m hoping to find a practice that offers strong clinical autonomy, diverse case experience, a great team, and a healthy work-life balance in a location that fits my lifestyle and interests. I’d appreciate any recommendations for locations, facilities, or groups that might align with these preferences!

Hello, trying to get some feedback for hourly rate for pulse field ablations done under MAC at an outpatient facility with an Electrophysiologist. These are all ASA 3 patients. We do 4 cases by 2:30 to 3 pm. Start time is 8 am but obviously setup takes a little time in the morning because of fast turnovers so I am there around 645 am. No lunch break. What would your cost be for guaranteed pay until 3 pm?

Hey all. Anyone have any good resources for transesophageal echo training/education? Preferably online?

I do a lot of cardiac cases and know the basics but would like to become more skilled

That's pretty much the question. Is is typically 7 days normal-ish hours vs 5 longer days? It's been hard to find a clear picture of that online. Thanks.

Hi everyone. Curious on people’s thoughts of the butterfly IQ or any similar products? Looking to use some CE money towards buying one of these devices to better my POCUS skills, like gastric and airway scanning. Thanks for any advice!

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.

I’m hoping to connect with CRNAs who have successfully returned to practice and obtained employment following historical Board disciplinary action.
I’m currently NBCRNA certified, have completed all applicable requirements for returning to practice, and have recent experience independently providing anesthesia in an outpatient setting.
My disciplinary history dates back more than 15 years, and I am finding that some employers may have credentialing policies that make obtaining employment difficult despite my current qualifications.
Has anyone navigated a similar situation successfully?
I’m particularly interested in learning about outpatient surgery centers, office-based anesthesia practices, or anesthesia groups that consider applicants individually rather than automatically excluding anyone with a history of Board discipline.
I would greatly appreciate any advice, recommendations, or private messages from someone with firsthand experience. I am located in Georgia.
Thank you!

Hi,
Dunno if this is a vent or an ask for advice but here it is. This month will mark 10yrs as a CRNA for me. I work 1099 with no call or no weekends but I still feel like I’m being low balled with pay. I also feel like healthcare in general is getting worse. I feel like a 2nd class citizen anymore in the hospital - staff generally treating me as not human, patients at times treating me poorly as well. I’m not asking to be treated as royalty or have some in depth conversation. Pleasantries is really all I ask but I do not even get that. I have no desire to work more or practice independently. I work to live not live to work but I feel this creeping sensation that the hospital is always asking for more and managers as well. I’ve been good with boundaries but I feel as though everyone is pushing them - recently I’ve been told I cannot take the week off that I notified them of because they’re already short. I want to do my 40hrs and go home to my family as I have a pregnant wife and a small child. I live on the east coast and there’s 2 big healthcare systems in my area. I can’t necessarily pick up and move elsewhere as my whole support system is here and my wife generally likes her job. I just got back from a week off and it feels like I need another vacation. So I guess I’m at an impasse - leave this current 1099 job that’s a low ball and take a w2 that’s even more of a pay cut. Or stick this out. The w2 job would be my previous job before transitioning to 1099 and I’d leave work and never think about it - but that was 3yrs ago and things might’ve changed.

Thanks

Hi everyone,

I am about to start CRNA school in January 2027, and currently weighing my options in terms of student loan burden after graduation. From my calculations, I will be owing $300,000 before interest kicks in. This includes tuition, cost of living, and miscellaneous expenses. Was not able to get into a cheaper school after multiple efforts. Also, I do have some savings, but I like to plan for unforeseen situations. Of course I would need to utilize private student loans.

Therefore, my question is this? Is joining the military a good option for my situation? I don’t want to spend the rest of my life paying off student loans or barely making ends meet. For those in the military, is it worth it financially and career wise?

Thank you for your responses

Do CRNA-scientist roles exist, as in CRNAs who do pharmacology research, clinical trials etc (or at least 50-50 clinical/research split)? Is it even realistic to plan for a PI role in anesthesia research/ anesthetic trials as a CRNA (with a PhD)?

If you know any, or are one: what's the title, where do they work (academic center, industry, VA, NIH), and how did they get there?
Thanks in advance.

With the new federal student loan caps, I wonder if CRNA education could become more dependent on hospital and anesthesia group funding, similar to the 1990s.

Back then, many programs relied heavily on hospital support, and financial pressures contributed to program closures.

Today, hospitals are already offering SRNAs significant tuition assistance and stipends in exchange for employment commitments. If federal loans become insufficient, these arrangements could become increasingly necessary.
But what happens if the CRNA market becomes saturated?

Hospitals currently have an incentive to fund SRNAs because of staffing shortages. If shortages ease, salaries stabilize, or reimbursement declines, that funding could quickly disappear.

We could end up with a cycle where shortages encourage hospitals to fund more students, schools expand, and then funding dries up as those larger cohorts enter the workforce.

With CRNA education now requiring three years of expensive doctoral training, I wonder if we’re setting ourselves up for more volatility in program enrollment and available seats.

Curious if anyone who remembers the 90s sees parallels here.

Hello everyone,

Thank you to everyone who filled out the applicant survey this fall. This is now the 2nd round of data collected. As far as I know, it’s still the only public dataset of accepted CRNA applicants. Keep filling it out and passing it along to colleagues and classmates!

I’ve attached screenshots of the updated spreadsheet, and the full sheet can be requested by applicants at any time.

A few points from this round compared to this spring:

GPA held steady. Median overall GPA for accepted applicants is 3.70, and median science GPA is 3.75.

-Median ICU experience is 3 years and the average is 4.1. Most accepted applicants (62%) had 3 or more years. One person was accepted with less than a year, so it can happen, but it’s rare.

-For the first time, there are enough not-selected responses to compare against (26). It isn't a lot, but we can start to make some assumptions.Their median GPA was 3.43, compared with 3.70 for accepted applicants. Their ICU experience was not lower, though. If anything, they had more. With a group this small, treat it as a trend rather than a rule, but it suggests extra ICU years don’t make up for a weak academic record.

-CVICU/CTICU is still the most common unit at 44%, with MICU at 36%. That means more than half of accepted applicants never worked in a cardiac ICU. Schools are clearly open to all kinds of ICU experience.

-When asked what influenced their outcome most, accepted applicants still put the interview first. Leadership moved up to second, ahead of clinical experience, GPA and the GRE. Networking was the biggest climber: AANA and state conferences, contact with program directors, and connections through alumni or a hospital tied to the program.

-Applicants who apply more broadly tend to have lower GPAs and lower rates of interview invites

If you’re waitlisted or still waiting on a decision, you’ll get an email (if you provided one) in a few months asking you to update your submission.

Google Survey Link

Survey Results Round 1

Let me know what you think!

Exploring options and was just curious if it has good coverage and has competitive pricing. Or if I should look somewhere else?

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.

Just kidding how does anyone get a license in this state 😭

SRNA graduating in May 2027. My partner and I really want to move near SLC and after some research about the culture, we’re considering Ogden instead. I saw a new grad friendly posting for Ogden Regional through National Partners in Healthcare. Just looking to see if anyone has experience working at this hospital or through this group? Any insights are super helpful this job search.

SRNA looking for thoughts on a case today.

Patient had no respiratory history, normal EF, and normal hemodynamics after induction. During robotic fundoplication, the patient became persistently tachycardic and hypotensive enough to require a vasopressor infusion. Towards end of case I was on around 70% FiO2 with 8 of PEEP. Sats were in low 90’s

At the end of the case, I noticed significant subcutaneous emphysema with periorbital swelling. That made me concerned that the earlier hemodynamic and respiratory changes may have been from a CO₂ capnothorax with tension physiology.

In PACU, the patient was still requiring 8 L O₂ and saturating around 90%, so I suggested a CXR. Patient was still tachy and hypotensive, and uncomfortable from all the gas.

Would you consider that overall picture concerning enough for capnothorax/tension physiology? Would you get a CXR or lung ultrasound postop with that persistent oxygen requirement?

CRNAs need to understand what is happening here.

People outside our profession are helping build a larger CRNA labor supply, and they have every financial incentive to do it.

USAP (already in anti-trust lawsuits) is helping fund, train, mentor, and recruit through Nova’s anesthesia education pipeline. NAPA, owned by private equity, is paying SRNAs while they are still in school and recruiting them directly into its groups. These companies are employers. Labor is one of their biggest costs.

They do not need to announce “we want to saturate CRNAs and lower wages.” If you are an anesthesia corporation, more graduates means more applicants, easier staffing, less dependence on travelers, and eventually less leverage for individual CRNAs.
That is the problem.

We are letting organizations whose economic interests are directly opposed to strong CRNA bargaining power help shape the size of our training pipeline.

The COA should be raising standards, limiting low-quality expansion, and aggressively protecting clinical training quality. And PE-backed anesthesia groups should have no role in driving how many CRNAs we produce.

If the profession waits until the labor market is flooded to care, the damage will already be done.

Private equity anesthesia groups should have far less influence over CRNA education.

If we wait until wages, leverage, and training quality deteriorate to care about this, we waited too long.

SRNA here. I've been pretty good with ultrasound A lines (I've done countless US IVs as a nurse) but less than 50% successful with the palpation based technique. Should I just stick to ultrasound and get really good at it or keep practicing palpation and be decent at both? Thanks!

Hello all, I am considering relocating from Colorado to Washington, specifically Spokane. The city seems to offer great cost of living and close proximity to nature.

Anyone work as a CRNA in Spokane have any thoughts of the city, jobs, hospitals etc.