Is Burn ICU enough for CRNA school

I would check with the schools you are applying to. Most seem to take medical, surgical, cardiac, neuro and even some pediatric ICUs. Probably depends on the experiences you will have on a daily basis. I imagine you will have vents but will you get enough experience with drips, codes, pressure monitoring (a-lines, swans, etc.), and other stuff that other types of ICUs typically have. I tend to hear about MICU, SICU, CVICU acceptance and haven't specifically heard of anyone from burn units (not that it doesnt happen). Personally I came from a CCU and was nervous because I thought they preferred surgical ICU but I had the right experiences that I was accepted for 2009. Good luck!!

It depends on the unit. The one I work in provides excellent experience for and has sent a lot of nurses to CRNA school. When you interview, make sure you ask details on the acuity of the patients, such as the frequency pressors are used, arterial lines, ventilators, etc. Regarding CRNA schools, make sure that you contact the schools you are interested in attending to check if BICU is acceptable experience. Good luck! Burn nursing is intense but very rewarding.

If you look at the AANA website you will see that the actual requirement is critical care not ICU. ICU means a lot of different things to hospitals around the US. Some people who say they are ICU nurses are really working in a glorifed med/surg unit with telemetry. Others are dealing with cool toys like VADS, IABPs, CVVH, Swans, tons of vasoactive drips, and above all... a decent amount of autonomy.

I did not work in a burn unit prior to anesthesia school, however I can say working in the burn OR sucked. It was hot, and the patients were all over the place. Most of them required lots of volume replacement, inotropes and sometimes toys to keep them from meeting Jesus. The nurses that recovered these poor bastards in the burn ICU at this particular institution were outstanding and got to play with most of the toys anesthesia had when we were done with them. Many of the RNs there were applying to CRNA and ACNP school. Im sure many of them will soon be starting their desired programs of study.

If you go to a burn ICU that deals with patients under the same conditions you will have no trouble in regards to your clinical background when applying to school.

I will be starting on the Burn Unit at a Level 1 trauma hospital in Feb 2010. I'm a new grad and am thrilled with the opportunity. My ultimate goal is also CRNA school. I started out as a tech in the PACU and snuck into surgeries to shadow every chance I could. My Burn Unit also takes ICU patients also. I took this job with the hope of autonomy on my unit and establishing a unique set of knowledge I can bring to a CRNA program. Its my understanding that schools choose a variety of backgrounds for each class. Can anyone tell me otherwise? Advice for an ambitious/eager to learn BSN? LadyinGreen (hence my scrub color )