[Mullis22]

I have kind of an odd question and i was wondering if anyone could possibly help me out. I just recently graduated and took my registry for Respiratory Therapy and want to get my BSN in Nursing to hopefully become a CRNA one day. I was curious if taking courses and/or getting a degree from an online school is looked at differently or negatively as compared to a bigger college or a more well-known nursing school. Will it hurt my chances any for getting into a CRNA program one day? Also, will my being a Registered Respiratory Therapist help any in getting into a CRNA program? Thanks

[graduate_2002]

Usually college transcripts don't say that your classes were taken online so it shouldn't matter.
Hope this helps.

[dfk]

i agree with above.. just do well, especially science courses.. your rt background would definitely not hurt you for those physiology based classes.. as an rt, you would also have more specific knowledge base of vents/pulmonary and the like.. so, rt with bsn and critical care exp. looks decent to me.. - good luck in your endeavors:hatparty:

[Air'n]

I'm an RRT as well and I'm working my way through BSN school right now. During interviews for BSN program the interviewers were very interested in my respiratory background and with vent, critical, and high stress code blue experience that saturates the profession it could only help for CRNA school. Plus they might tweak the tally of minimum years needed in critical if you've already been in the ICU as a RRT for years.

[dfk]

'tweak' perhaps, but remember, the one-yr icu experience (as an RN) is a national requirement according to the national CRNA accrediting board.. also remember, it is very important that that year of experience includes hands-on hemodynamics and vasoactive meds, which RRTs do NOT get.. believe me, most RRT's i work/have worked with are there to troubleshoot vent or give a tx, then it's bye bye.. so don't cut yourself short with the needed experience, if that option would even be presented with admissions committees/admissions boards/interview panels..

[HawaiiRRTRN]

Just throwing my hat into the discussion here...I am also a RRT and a RN. Currently working in critical care as a nurse for about one year now and I have to say I have learned so much as a nurse it is amazing, even after many years in the ICU at the patient's bedside as a RRT. But, my respiratory education was much more "technical" in nature and many of the things I learned in respiratory school (hemodynamics, a-lines, intubations, and of course, the ventilator) were things hardly touched upon in my ADN and BSN programs and these skills seem to play a big part in the everyday lives of CRNA's. However, now that I am a critical care nurse, I actually get to put everything together, which is really good. There are hospitals out there where the RT is the one managing the swan, inserting a-lines, and intubating as it is an intergral part of our education and training. Granted, these places are few and far between and I can say from personal experience that sometimes the RT's job can be to just troubleshoot the vent and give breathing tx's, which I feel is underutilization of our training and skills......

Now, to answer your questions Mullis...I am currently finishing an online RN to BSN program and no, I don't think it will matter to the admissions committees as graduate 2002 said, as long as it is an accredited program and as dfk said, keep up good grades, especially in the sciences. I also agree with with dfk that you definitely need at least one year as a critical care RN before applying, to bring everything together. When you do finally face that admission committee, your experience as a RT (plus good grades, work experience, GRE scores, etc.) can only help make you a very well rounded candidate for CRNA school.

Hope this helps,
Hawaii RRTRN

[RRT2RN2CRNA]

Originally Posted by HawaiiRRTRN

Just throwing my hat into the discussion here...I am also a RRT and a RN. Currently working in critical care as a nurse for about one year now and I have to say I have learned so much as a nurse it is amazing, even after many years in the ICU at the patient's bedside as a RRT. But, my respiratory education was much more "technical" in nature and many of the things I learned in respiratory school (hemodynamics, a-lines, intubations, and of course, the ventilator) were things hardly touched upon in my ADN and BSN programs and these skills seem to play a big part in the everyday lives of CRNA's. However, now that I am a critical care nurse, I actually get to put everything together, which is really good. There are hospitals out there where the RT is the one managing the swan, inserting a-lines, and intubating as it is an intergral part of our education and training. Granted, these places are few and far between and I can say from personal experience that sometimes the RT's job can be to just troubleshoot the vent and give breathing tx's, which I feel is underutilization of our training and skills......

Now, to answer your questions Mullis...I am currently finishing an online RN to BSN program and no, I don't think it will matter to the admissions committees as graduate 2002 said, as long as it is an accredited program and as dfk said, keep up good grades, especially in the sciences. I also agree with with dfk that you definitely need at least one year as a critical care RN before applying, to bring everything together. When you do finally face that admission committee, your experience as a RT (plus good grades, work experience, GRE scores, etc.) can only help make you a very well rounded candidate for CRNA school.

Hope this helps,
Hawaii RRTRN

Hawaii RRTRN is right on the money!

Good luck!