[Forrest Forrest Gump]

I know there has been some speculation on this board in the past about if a nurse with the bare minimum experience should (or could) go to CRNA school. Well, I just got accepted.

I graduated in July 07 with my BSN. I was in a non-health care field prior to my BSN. I immediately went to work at a large teaching hospital in a med surg ICU. I worked very hard to learn everything I could, and I feel like I am currently a very competent ICU nurse.

I have been accepted to my program of choice for fall 08, when I will have one year experience as a nurse.
Understand I am not trying to shortcut anything. I worked very hard on my school studies and my clinical experience to be well prepared. I scored very well on the GRE. I shadowed a CRNA for ~ 40 hours. I have a 3.7~3.8 GPA. I spent my own time understanding the hemodynamics of the cardiopulmonary system, the MOA/effects of different vasopressors. I work with (and understand) vents, settings, therapies.

This route is not for everybody, but I am proof that you can do it. And I feel like I am very well prepared for the program. I just want other potential candidates to know that it can be done.

[RN1980]

good job gump...it shows just about anything is possible if you bust your butt. good luck.

[neurogeek]

It's obviously possible to go with 1 year experience. I think the big discussion was how much one can realistically learn in that 1 year. There is that old saying "you don't know what you don't know" or in other words, you can't be aware of your limitations if you don't know that you have limitations. Makes sense? I think that because you start from ground zero as a CRNA anyway having only 1 year critical care can be sufficient but it all depends on the actual experience. Sounds like u had great training where u were at, and were also very self motivated to learn above and beyond the requirements. Good for you! I remember reading something years ago in a critical care journal. I wish I had a copy but basically it summed up the learning curve of an ICU nurse. I remember I was about 6 months into my first year in the unit, feeling very confident, etc. when I read it. Suddenly I realized "wow, I don't know nothing. Anyway, it basically said that at the end of year 1 most ICU nurses feel that they are very competent and can work independently, by the end of year 2 ICU nurses began to realize that they don't know half of what they thought they did and begin to pursue the path to increased knowledge, and by year five they realize that they are really just becoming true ICU nurses in the sense of critical thinking. It went on and addressed knowledge even further than that, but I only remember the first 5 years. I keep this is mind because I think it will also apply to CRNA. I'm sure it takes a good 5 years or more out in practice before you really are able to practice as a fully rounded CRNA.

(Implied profanity edited out...traumrus, admin).

[wildflower rn]

i was going to ask if you had your ccrn but i think you have to have more experience to take the test.

anyway, congrates on getting in. what school did you get into?

[winddream]

Just wondering which school you are in?

[Forrest Forrest Gump]

Thanks for the congrats.

No, I dont have a CCRN since I dont have the required bedside hours.

I would agree with Neurogeek that you should have keenly developed critical thinking skills. However, in my case I developed that over many years in another profession. Nursing (or medicine) is not the only profession that required you to understand systems, process, relations, etc. I believe that greatly enhanced my learning curve. My big challenge was to gain the knowledge. I already had the ability to put the pieces together. If I was a new grad with no professional experience coming to nursing, I feel it would have been MUCH more difficult.

[wildflower rn]

forrest,

if you graduated in july, 2007. i'm assuming you had to apply by september to get an interview this year. so you interviewed with less than 6 months experience in icu? what type of unit do you work in?

[Forrest Forrest Gump]

I interviewed with approx 6 mos. experience.

I work in a med surg ICU. Mostly medical. We see a wide variety of very very sick people.

[one_crna]

I strongly agree with Neurogeek on this one. As a new CRNA, it is disappointing to me that any school would even consider interviewing a new grad RN with less than 1 year of ICU experience (at the time of the interview). Through admitting individuals with minimal nursing experience, the CRNA profession as a whole becomes weaker. Assuming you had a proper ICU orientation (~3 months), Forrest Forrest Gump, you will have barely 1 year of independent practice as an ICU nurse before you become an SRNA. Anesthesia school assumes you have mastered the role of ICU nurse and goes from there. While 1 year of experience is enough to master the technical aspects of being an ICU nurse, it is inadequate to master the higher level perspective that every pt deserves when being cared for in such a vulnerable state. Anything less short changes both the individual pursuing the education and their patients. I went to anesthesia school with a very intelligent, highly motivated, hard-working nurse who had less than 2 years of ICU experience before starting school. I was frequently shocked by the things she didn't know, not directly related to anesthesia, but medical things she would have known if she would have spent more time as an ICU nurse. I know that the 5+ years I spent working in various ICUs before I went to school served me extremely well.

[serengeti]

Forrest,

Thanks so much for taking the time to post this. Congratulations!!!! It is very encouraging. I also graduated in May of '07, unfortunately didn't start in the ICU right away - I will be starting next week though. Hope to apply next year for 2010. Just knowing that getting in without multiple years in the ICU is possible is very motivating. Thanks once again,
Serengeti.