Complete 1 yr ICU req. in the first year of CRNA Schoo?l

Oakland University in Michigan has, although I would say it is not the norm. I wouldn't suggest applying fresh out of nursing school though. I spent many a long night on the phone with my friend when she was an SRNA in that boat. The anxiety and learning curve you will experience will be a serious hinderance to you. Apply after a year or two of nursing so you have at least a couple of years under your belt. It will only help your education and your credibility. There is plenty to keep you busy/challenged in the ICU for at least a couple of years. This is not to say that there are not CRNA's out there that only spent a year in the ICU that arent great practitioners. I will say that most of my friends that have gotten in have been denied the first time around and get in after the second app. So applying might be a good step to becoming comfortable with the interview process so you can slam it the next year. Just a thought, but I am not a CRNA so my opinion might not be as meaningful. Just giving you some observations (as an RN obsessed with getting into CRNA school). Good luck!

From AANA:
The requirements for becoming a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) mainly include having a bachelor's degree in nursing, Registered Nurse licensure, a minimum of 1 year acute care experience (ICU, ER for example)....

Education of Nurse Anesthetists in the U.S.

Not possible to do "his 1 year in the ICU while in the first year of CRNA school" as requirement of 1 year expeerience in acute care needs to be completed prior to starting nurse anesthesia program.

Some programs may conditionally accept a student based on application package to enter a program at future date upon completion of 1 year acute experience. A Program would loose accreditation if 1yr minimum not upheld.


There is a whole world of nursing out there that one is just becoming aware of/exposed to with one years experience. Use that time wisely as it is an Advanced Practice role. Need the seasoning of a few years of practice/ clinical experiences to really perform well ahead of the newbie learning curve.

I am a nurse who recently changed from being a Pedi NP to working in an adult ICU as a RN. I have been there for 4 months and can't imagine going to CRNA school with only 1 year of ICU experience as your only nursing experience. The learning curve is simply way too steep.

Seems really odd to me. Have friends that had only a couple of months in the ICU when interviewed, but eventually had at least 1 year of experience when starting classes. Seems impossible to work fulltime and attend school in an integrated program. With a front loaded program, working once a week is manageable if you're usually on the top curve of your class. A friend of a friend huh??? Think I heard these stories before.

Don't forget about the job search after school is out. A school may allow a person into a program without the requirement, but he/she may not be as competitive an applicant post graduation. Imagine having to get a year of ICU experience after finishing a CRNA program just to get a job!

CrazyPremed

I'm speechless.....

This may be a silly question, but why not get the ICU experience while they were doing their bachelor's. I work almost full-time now, school full-time with 2 young children, and I hope to continue working through my bachelor's so I'm ready for CRNA school.

Have they looked at the practice surveys for applicant's; they ask, for example, how many intravenous lines you have put in per day/week, how often you do pulmonary artery pressure monitoring, how often you adminster infusions of dobutamine, dopamine per day/week, and the list goes on and on, and that is just one school (this particular school is descrbed by Fastweb as "minimally difficult" to get into!).

I just happend to talk to AANA about a program I'm considering in the future today, and the two absolute requirements (but most universities have more of course) are the following, and I'm pasting in exactly what AANA wrote to me.

The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) requires nurse anesthesia programs to have two requirements for admissions. These two requirements are that candidates be a licensed RN and have one year of acute care experience. Programs do have additional entry requirements for admission, but include the two I just noted.

But, hey, lemme know where they're going, with two kids I'm looking at accelarated programs as it is to get done quickly but with the best education.

"Don't forget about the job search after school is out. A school may allow a person into a program without the requirement, but he/she may not be as competitive an applicant post graduation. Imagine having to get a year of ICU experience after finishing a CRNA program just to get a job!"

UMMMMM....that makes no sense!

Forgive me for the tirade...but this is a peeve of mine:

Besides the "minimum" pre-requisite for ICU experience.....

What do you think it takes to be a CRNA? Or pass each hurdle as an SRNA?

You need a variety of top-notch critical care experienceS. You have to understand invasive lines...be aggressive in treating patients. You need excellent hands-on skills. This doesn't come with "1 year" ICU experience. You need to be one of the best in the ICU...the one that races to codes. You should have the multi-tasking experience of floor nursing and the fast pace of ER.

Plus, the most valuable thing that critical care provides is the extra "sense" when things just aren't right. That "sense" will save your butt way too many times....it will keep you from killing your patient.

A surgeon once told me, "For me to kill my patient..almost impossible. FOR YOU (with anesthesia) you can kill every patient, in less than 2 minutes!"

Think about that. Anesthesia is deadly. You need to be an expert in critical care and airway management, because you're the one putting that patient into the deadly situation.

Would you want someone doing anesthesia on your family, with only a basic understanding of health care? The minimum ICU? Without that "critical care sense"?

Even as a Paramedic for 13 years, CVICU, Neuro-surgical/Trauma ICU, and Trauma ER experience......it hasn't been enough.

It's not just getting accepted....it's about surviving and excelling! It's about being at the top of your game, being thrown back to the bottom (trampled), and climbing your way back to the top. !

Sorry if I sound harsh. But I guarantee anyone who's experienced anesthesia education will agree.