the 100% directionless thread

Carlos Danger

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On the topic of classes. @Carlos Danger and @E tank. Yall got any info worth considering or that you think is valuable for someone debating the CRNA route? I know the surface level concept, but I want to know the lesser known aspects of what yall do (good and bad) that you think people should know.

I'm leaning towards PA right now, but what I do know about a CRNA encompasses what's probably my favorite part of being a Paramedic.
The lesser known aspects really depend on what type of setting you work in and what type of cases you do where you work. Large academic centers, small rural hospitals, surgery centers, endo centers, etc can all provide a very different career experience. I'm part of a group of 4 CRNAs and one MDA who cover two rural hospitals. It's a lot of responsibility and a lot of call but is rewarding financially and otherwise (I literally just got home from being called in to intubate and line up a very sick patent in the ICU). A girl that used to be part of our group wanted more time off and a more predictable schedule so she went back to The Big House and works Tue-Wed-Thur each week and that's it, no call or anything. Another guy that I used to work with is a 0.6 FTE at The Big House doing OB 7 nights straight and then has two weeks off in between those stints, during that time he picks up days at a few different outpatient centers (endo and eyes, mostly) or goes on vacation. Another guy I know is part of a small all-CRNA pain practice that travels around a few state region spending a few days at a time at different rural hospitals doing interventional pain procedures.

One thing that I think most people aren't aware of is that anesthesia is, unfortunately, very political. That doesn't need to affect your day to day, of course; that depends on you and the culture where you practice. Another thing is that doing anesthesia isn't necessarily just sitting on a stool in an OR all day; there is a lot of opportunity to learn some cool skills and practice with a lot of autonomy and make a really, really good income and have a lot of flexibility in your schedule, especially if you don't mind living and practicing in more rural areas.
 

Fezman92

NJ and PA EMT
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Well I’m annoyed. First I had to cancel my debit card because someone tried to spend $200 at Walmart Since it’s Monday night/Tuesday morning I’m doing my volly shift and so far with the one call we’ve gotten, they left without me even though I was already at the station. No explanation given. They’re still out on the call.

Edit: Found out why they left me. They thought I was sleeping in the squad room.
 
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GMCmedic

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$75 to renew a license I don't use and nobody is willing to reimburse it, but I learned my lesson to never let a license lapse once you have it.
 

Jim37F

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So my captain is getting forced on the other end of the county… 3 hour drive to the station. Oof.
At least here, a 3 hour drive, even with rush hour traffic is still a good 2, or 3 times round trip around the entire county lol
 

Jim37F

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Old Tracker

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At least here, a 3 hour drive, even with rush hour traffic is still a good 2, or 3 times round trip around the entire county lol

And that is exactly why when the Navy tried to send me to Pearl Harbor, I fought it tooth and nail. After a couple of months, where are you going to go that you haven't been to a couple dozen times already?
 

EpiEMS

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Any thoughts I’m on things to do in Kentucky? (Other than the bourbon trail - already got that set up!)
 

ffemt8978

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Any thoughts I’m on things to do in Kentucky? (Other than the bourbon trail - already got that set up!)
Dont they have the Noah's Ark recreation?
 

ffemt8978

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@VentMonkey That's why there is snow on the ground...in August....in Indiana.
20210826_162149.jpg
 

Fezman92

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Well two people at work tested positive for COVID. They’re going to tell the people who worked closely with them in person. Hope I’m not one of them.
 

ffemt8978

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Are you at an ice factory? It's 94* in SW indiana
Nope....pet food processing plant in north central Indiana where it was 81 when I took that pic. Obviously the "snow" came from a refrigeration system and was dumped there to melt away.
 

Jim37F

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Well I couldn't get an OT shift this 4 day at the station BUT I do have another background gig tomorrow so there's that lol

One of the things about that particular side gig is the production companies require a COVID test before showing up for a shoot day, idk how often or not the regular cast/crew gotta do it, but so far every time us background extras needed to be tested each time. It's actually not too bad because they pay for the test, and it's actually counted as a work hour or two so I'm actually paid to take it (granted all of a few bucks worth, but much better than paying out of pocket...)

Given the surge in new cases, and that said surge has also meant a surge of COVID positive patients at the regular job (which also has the side effect of EMS regularly being at level 0 and meaning we get to wait 20+minutes for them to respond simply because there aren't any closer available ambulances...) AND that once again we're starting to suffer a PPE shortage, the red strapped 1870+ N95s I was fit tested for are completely out of stock, and while I have my P100 half face respirator I wear for known COVID positive patients for the rest I've just been grabbing one of the other size N95s, and since I didn't fit test for them, the fact that I've had 3 or 4 COVID tests this past month with the side gig (obviously coming in negative) has actually been a bit of a relief in and of itself (even if I need like 2 shoot days to equal the pay of a single half shift of OT at the station lol)
 

pregnancywhine

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“You will lose someone you can’t live without, and your heart will be badly broken, and the bad news is that you never completely get over the loss of your beloved. But this is also the good news. They live forever in your broken heart that doesn’t seal back up. And you come through. It’s like having a broken leg that never heals perfectly – that still hurts when the weather gets cold, but you learn to dance with the limp” – Anne Lamott
 

GMCmedic

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Nope....pet food processing plant in north central Indiana where it was 81 when I took that pic. Obviously the "snow" came from a refrigeration system and was dumped there to melt away.
Down where I live we have a pet food plant, it's the one that makes the food that is killing dogs.
 

Fezman92

NJ and PA EMT
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Since we’re short staffed because of the crew out from COVID, I’m pulling a 14 hour shift today.
 

Akulahawk

EMT-P/ED RN
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Well two people at work tested positive for COVID. They’re going to tell the people who worked closely with them in person. Hope I’m not one of them.
I heard/read this the other day (forget where) and it makes sense in the setting of the Covid19/Delta variant: You've got a date with COVID19. You don't know what that date is, but you can choose to be there vaccinated or unvaccinated. In my case, I was vaccinated. The odds were ever in my favor.

At work, we're seeing a LOT of people, even in non-clinical areas, getting COVID19.
 
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