I started my career in pedi and quickly went through a MSN program to get my Pedi NP. I loved being a PNP, but have been a stay-at-home-mom for the past 4 1/2 years. On Monday, I am starting a job in an adult ICU and I know that I am going to continue my education once I get some ICU experience. I have really wanted to become a CRNA since before I started nursing school, but I had a baby my senior year of nursing school and one thing after another has happened...now my "baby" is almost 12!

Here are my questions:

1. I know that most of the courses differ between NP school and CRNA school, but will I still have to jump through the hoops to get my second master's degree?
   
2. Has anyone considered getting an Acute Care NP instead of CRNA school? I know the positions are very different, but it seems like they would attract people with similiar interests. I am tempted to go for the Acute Care NP since it will only take me 4 or 5 courses to get my post-master's certificate. However, I am not sure if it is the path to take if CRNA is really my first choice.
   
3. With a MSN, what nursing GPA do they look at? I have a 3.5 for my BSN and a 4.0 for my MSN...so there is definately an advantage if they look at the MSN.
   
4. What basic science courses would you recommend taking? I am looking into taking General Chem, Organic Chem and Biochem.

Thanks!!!

HI there....I don't know how much I can help, but will give it a try.

1) I am guessing that you would probably have to. There may be a school out there, but none that I know of that would do some kind of post-masters degree certificate. The classes are all very different. I would probably call one of the programs that you might be interested and check with them.

2) I know that I personally didn't consider it. I have wanted to be a CRNA for over 10 years, but like you...life got in the way. I am finally starting school this fall. It would definitely be the easier way...but you need to decide what you want. Shadow an ARNP and a CRNA. Decide which role fits you best.

3) I would assume that they would look at your masters classes and that is a good gpa. They will also look at how you did on any of the science classes you have taken.

4) Before you took any classes I would try to have a sit down with a program director in a program that you are interested in. It will help you in several ways. 1- shows the program director that you are very interested and also lets you check out their program and school in depth. 2- They may say you don't need any classes, or just one. It will prevent you from taking classes that you don't need.

Well, hope these answers helped you. Good luck! It can be done if it's what you truly want.

I would get on the schools you are interested in websites and see if they offer programs for RN's who already have their masters. I am pretty sure that I have seen it while perusing websites but I don't have a MSN so I didn't pay close attention to it. I think that it cuts off quite a few hours though if I am remembering correctly. Sorry, hope that was even a little bit helpful. Good luck in whichever direction you choose.

One of our classmates has her family NP, and she still has to do everything. She's done very well, though. I think it helped her.

I have some classmates with FNP and ACNP degrees. One got her degree just to get accepted into our program. The others did not have much quality ICU experience and have to start with the rest of us. But some schools that offer an MSN as opposed to a MS will waive some of those fluff nursing courses but only one or two at most.

Don't waste anymore time on additional classes. When you have good GPA's with a graduate degree it shows you can do graduate level work.

Hi,

Regarding whether your graduate courses will transfer (count towards your future degree)......depends on the school.

I aggree with the previous posters---shadow an Acute care NP and a CRNA. Of course, the "the role" the NP or CRNA perform varies to some degree at different hospitals. Some hospitals allow more / less autonomy and where you shadow will determine the types of cases you see (ie level 1 vs level 3 hospital).

If you are interested in the military, they offer another view....with alot of autonomy.

But your "prior" MSN will not permit you to "skip" any classes.....many students in our class have MSN/NP and we ALL have to take every class. But that's o.k., because we are gettilng paid to do it and every class is taught differently as we all know :) (whether in the civilian or military world).

Good luck,

c.