application question

Have you worked in critical care for at least a year as an RN? If so, then I would think that it would be okay to go ahead and submit your app, but I would wait until after November, since this is the deadline month for the fall class of 2004.
However, if you do not have a year of critical care experience, you might want to check with the program's director for guidance.

Good Luck!

I think you need to have your BSN in order to apply...

I interviewed in December 2002, and was accepted prior to graduating in May 2003 with BSN. THe only mention was when my graduation date was. I had been an ADN since '94 though.

OK, it is time to stop this assumption that every CRNA school in the US requirese ICU experience. This is not true. I, as hard as it might be to believe, do not have any ICU experience. Yes, I hear the gasps coming from all over the Web as people read this. Seriously though, I made a dozen phone calls to different schools and found three that did not require ICU experience. True, they would prefer ICU experience, and I recommend to everyone to get a year or two. With my ED, PACU and Flight Nursing experience they would accept an application.

This may all be blowing in the wind, considering I haven't even interviewed with any of the schools yet. I just want everyone out there know there are schools that will accept applications from people without ICU experience.

A mimimum of one year critical care experience as a registered nurse is required. That is per the association of nurse anethesists. However, every school can define what they consider critical care. Thus the reason why your PACU, ED and flight nursing experience counts at certain schools. (I am not debating that those aren't critical care environments, bc they are just to clarify ) However, every school will except ICU experience whether it be MICU, SICU, CICU etc. So by having the ICU experience, you are increasing the number of schools that will consider you.......

As already pointed out, the requirement, set out by the AANA, is one year's critical care experience. How the school chooses to define critical care experience is up to the school. There are a few schools that will accept ED or some other areas as critical care. But, a few thoughts about that.

If you apply to one of those schools, remember first that they only taking your application. There is no guarantee that you will be accepted. In fact, in almost every case I know of (and I have talked to instructors from a number of different schools) if there are two equally qualified applicants, one with experience in an ICU, and the other with experience as listed by flying ED, they will take the applicant with ICU experience every time.

Ask yourself why they want ICU experience. The reason is that the ICU is the only place you will get long term experience with ventilators, vasoactive drips, and critical patient management. The PACU, ED, and flight nursing only give you exposure to these things for limited times. You may be exposed to initiating these therapies, but have nowhere near the experience of the ICU nurse in managing these therapies. That's the discriminator.

Think about it from another angle. Suppose you are accepted with the experience you listed, FlyingED. You still have a longer road than most SRNA's. You are going to have to do more work teaching yourself the things ICU nurses already know. Having said that, if you are willing to do the extra work to get there, then by all means, go for it. It can be done, its just not easy.

To answer the original question, if as it appears, Georgia, you are already an RN with a year's experience in an ICU, go ahead and apply. Many programs will accept ADN's in their final semester of a BSN program. Acceptance will simply be contingent on your finishing your BSN.

Kevin McHugh, CRNA

KM and New are very correct. Key words Critical Care. Yes, I will have a harder go in CRNA school, if I get in, due to my lack of ICU experience, but it is very doable.

(personally and hopefully non-offensive)
i can't imagine wanting to apply to such a difficult program w/o nursing -and i mean good- nursing experience. there is soooo much that books don't teach - and there is so much you cannot learn in a year
i feel the first 2-3 years of nursing you learn to "read" patients by just looking at them - you learn to anticipate what they will do next - i don't feel that i could get the full learning experience out of a crna program w/o the background to support it...... just a thought