Are All CRNA Grad's Created Equal?

Students SRNA

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What makes one CRNA school better than another? Why are some programs 24 months and other 33? Will the longer program give me better training? Should accept any offer to go to any school? Should my goal be a specific University or just to get in?

ICUDOUCME?

147 Posts

You know, this is an interesting question. I don't think all programs are created equal, nor are all the students in a given program created equal. In my experience with my own school and talking to many different CRNAs from other programs over these two years, there are many variables in the mix. These include the teaching styles of the professors, perceived levels of difficulty, time in class vs time in the OR, testing philosophies, etc.

One thing only is constant and never based on subjective variables...the board exam. All SRNAs have to take the same test nationwide...(just like the NCLEX. Doesn't matter what nursing school you went to, if you passed the NCLEX, you are an RN).

Some programs are longer because they add a teaching component. Some are shorter because they don't require some of the graduate nursing classes that other programs do. But the standard number of cases that you have to have in clinicals is the same for everyone.

Pick a school based on what is important to you. Do some research about the schools you are interested in. Then be the best that you can be personally. Believe me, the quality of practitioner you become is entirely up to you and within your control.

loveanesthesia

867 Posts

Specializes in CRNA.

Some programs have 12 months of clinical, while others have 24 or more. The case requirements are the same, but the experiences can vary greatly. You are required to have 5 open heart procedures, so in one program you may stand in the room basically observing 5 open heart procedures, while in another you may put in the lines, give all the drugs, hand off the to ICU for 24 hearts. Those are completely different experiences. The requirements for regional anesthesia are 1 SAB, 1 epidural. Doing 1 will not get you anywhere near proficient, need to do 50 to reach 90% proficiency and some programs will get you that level of experience, probably not in 24 months though. When you look for a desirable position the employer will be most concerned with your level of clinical experience. Difference in program legnth is often related to amount of time in clinical. Also some programs are x months, but you need to complete several courses prior to 'starting the program', so are actually longer than 'x'.

ICUDOUCME?

147 Posts

I totally agree with the above post. In my opinion, all these topics are good questions to ask a prospective school.

Some schools have 1 or 2 primary clinical sites and you don't travel beyond that. Therefore, whatever that site's philosophy is regarding allowing students to do things will be constant. So if you land in a school that won't let you do the lines, the regional, the other technical stuff, you will not be proficient in those skills when you graduate. Schools that send you to several sites will lessen the risk that you will be pigeon-holed.

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