Job hunting as an anesthesia provider comes with a long list of important questions for you to answer. Which role is the right fit for my experience, skills, personality, and goals? Do I want to be a W-2 employee or a 1099 contractor? Am I interested in working in only one location or open to traveling and a locum tenens position?
Another essential question to ask is: What type of work environment best aligns with my priorities at this stage of my career? There are advantages and disadvantages to both working in a surgery center and a hospital as CRNA or anesthesiologist. Here are some factors to consider as you decide which environment is best for you.
Pros of Working in a Surgery Center
- Elevated autonomy: You typically work more independently than you would in a hospital. As a CRNA, you may function more independently, with or without direct supervision; and as an anesthesiologist, you may be able to focus on one patient and practice autonomously more.
- Specialization: Surgery centers often offer a specific list of procedures, making your day-to-day schedule more streamlined and giving you the opportunity to develop specialized expertise.
- Smaller environment: Surgery centers are usually much smaller than hospitals, allowing you to work more closely with patients and colleagues.
- Call, nights, holidays, or weekends: None
Cons of Working in a Surgery Center
- Lack of procedure diversity: Because surgery centers specialize in certain procedures, you do not have as many opportunities to practice new skills as you would in a hospital.
- More limited resources: Working for a smaller organization means you may have limited resources available to manage potential complications.
- Faster tempo: Surgery centers provide a work setting with a faster pace that focuses on throughput and efficiency. This is a selling point for some providers, but if you like a more urgent/emergent, intense, dynamic environment, a surgery center might not be a great fit.
Pros of Working in a Hospital
- Professional development: Hospitals provide a wide range of procedures, which provides opportunities to gain experience and practice new skills.
- Access to resources: When working in a large hospital, you have access to abundant resources to ask for support or address potential complications.
- Teamwork: Hospitals are typically run in a care team model, meaning supervision and teamwork are integral to your work. (Depending on your personal preferences, this feature could be a pro or a con.)
Cons of Working in a Hospital
- Slower pace: In general, hospitals are more deliberate, specialty-divided environments, especially in a teaching or trauma center.
- Higher rates of complications: Surgery centers statistically have lower rates of surgical site infections and potential complications than hospitals. Typical hospital patients often present with more co-morbidities than their ASC counterparts.
- Schedule unpredictability: Working in a hospital requires accepting a certain degree of variability in your schedule. Emergencies occur frequently and may change procedure timelines at the last minute. Call and cases at night, on weekends, and on holidays are part of any hospital schedule.
Looking for your ideal work environment? Contact Radar Healthcare Providers to find out about job opportunities across the United States.
