[OURN83]

I am an aspiring nurse anesthetist. I will be an RN in December of this year. I currently have a dilemma. I have two job offers for a nurse extern position at two different hospitals and in two very different specialties. One is a cardiac ICU step down/telemetry unit and the other is in the Operating Room. I know, very different floors. I know that for most anesthesia schools they require ICU experience and I figure that the telemetry floor is a step in the right direction. However, I have talked to an Anesthetist in the OR during my clinical experience who said he went straight to the OR after nursing school. He said he would recommend OR experience because he was very familliar with all the drugs and that was an advantage for anesthesia school. I don't know what to do, what do you all think?

[cathys01]

You cannot get into a CRNA program without ICU experience. If I had to choose between the two offers you've received, I'd go for the cardiac ICU step down, then move to the ICU (or skip step-down and try to get into the ICU off the bat).

There are many anesthetists out there who did not have previous ICU experience, but they went to school before the current rules were put in place. OR experience will no longer get you into CRNA school.

[BULLYDAWGRN]

This is the way I see it. You have to end up in a icu sometime in order to get in crna school, right? Go ahead and get into the icu, you'll have way more exsposure to caring one on one with sick pt's, meaning more interactions with vassoacting drugs and even the same paralysis agents they use in the or. You'll definitly get more hands on vents and hemmodynamic monitoring than you would otherwise in the or. Sure being in the or has it's plus, but you'll certainly learn more in the unit to prepare you for crna school. And as stated before it's required, so why wait...

[cathys01]

Take the step down experience...or get into an ICU as soon as you can. OR experience will not get you into CRNA school.

[cathys01]

**This is my third attempt at a reply, the two previous ones appeared to post, but disappeared upon refresh**

Take the step down position, or try to get into an ICU (ICU experience is required to get into CRNA school). OR experience will not get you into a CRNA program.

[gasgalcrna]

Cannot get into Anesthesia school with only OR experience. I would go for the ICU and get as much experience as you can with lines and hemodynamic monitoring.

T

[cvicu80]

Hello,

If it was me I would take the CICU step down position. You will get more experiences with lines, drips, and ventilators. When you get out of nursing school you will be able to get into the CVICU alot easier to. Wish you luck!

JC

[MethaneMan]

ICU experience. Do not even mess with OR or stepdown. I have always been a big believer that if you want to work ICU, get an ICU job...or in this case, if you want to go to CRNA school, get an ICU job. It is the gold standard for the experience requirement.

[OURN83]

Thank you for your replies. Trust me, I would love to get into the ICU immediately. I have applied at every hospital in the city for that position. Unfortunately my lack of hospital experience is a major hindrance in the selection process. So my choices are very slim. I am pretty much taking what I can get and it just happened to come down to operating room and CICU step down.
I think you all have helped me make my decision! Thank you very much.

[japaho41]

Originally Posted by OURN83

Thank you for your replies. Trust me, I would love to get into the ICU immediately. I have applied at every hospital in the city for that position. Unfortunately my lack of hospital experience is a major hindrance in the selection process. So my choices are very slim. I am pretty much taking what I can get and it just happened to come down to operating room and CICU step down.
I think you all have helped me make my decision! Thank you very much.

No, it is not lack of experience many ICU's only get new grads applying to working there depending on where you are at. If there are no jobs in your area branch out, they are there trust me. Even if you had to move to work in an ICU would be more beneficial in the long run then wasting time in a step down if you plan to go back to school.