How Does CRNA school and clinicals compare to RN school??

Nursing Students SRNA

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So how does CRNA school and clinicals compare to RN school?? I know I got a reality check when I started nursing school.. so I wonder how that compares to starting CRNA school as I would like to do in the next year or so once I get the experience I need.

Specializes in ICU, currently in Anesthesia School.
So how does CRNA school and clinicals compare to RN school?? I know I got a reality check when I started nursing school.. so I wonder how that compares to starting CRNA school as I would like to do in the next year or so once I get the experience I need.

CRNA school is to Nursing school what Climbing Everest during a snow storm is to a Walk in the Park on a sunny day.

CRNA school is to Nursing school what Climbing Everest during a snow storm is to a Walk in the Park on a sunny day.

How true!

Specializes in MICU & SICU.
So how does CRNA school and clinicals compare to RN school?? I know I got a reality check when I started nursing school.. so I wonder how that compares to starting CRNA school as I would like to do in the next year or so once I get the experience I need.

Simply said, it doesn't compare at all. CRNA school to me is like going through nursing school 4 times over, at least. At the time I thought nursing school was tough but you learn quickily this is a different game all in it's self.

Specializes in Anesthesia, ICU, Oncology.
So how does CRNA school and clinicals compare to RN school?? I know I got a reality check when I started nursing school.. so I wonder how that compares to starting CRNA school as I would like to do in the next year or so once I get the experience I need.

Hmmmmmmm? Is this a real question? It's a trick isn't it?

Answer: they don't compare. Sorry to be short but it is true...

[not kidding] I have a prior BS from a decent university, and I'm in a 15 month ABSN program that sucks all my time away from me. However, it's not that DIFFICULT, per se, it's just time intensive. Every SRNA just says, "there's no comparison," but what does that really mean? I'm sure the actual difficulty level of the material goes up. And I've been told that you get up in the morning and do all school-related stuff until it's time to catch a few hours of sleep, then get up and repeat. I would fully expect to spend 80 hours/week, maybe more. Is that anywhere near realistic? I'm aware that I won't be working, and that if I have children before I attend my husband will be providing the majority of the child care. I know I'll have to borrow a ton of cash. I guess...what CAN you compare it to? I'm meeting with the director of one of the local programs tomorrow, and apparently she's the one to talk to to set up some shadowing experiences, so I'm planning to do that. I've talked to some SRNAs in the same program, and they just use that same line - "no comparison." How DO I find out what I'm getting myself into? Thanks!

Specializes in Anesthesia, ICU, Oncology.
[not kidding] I have a prior BS from a decent university, and I'm in a 15 month ABSN program that sucks all my time away from me. However, it's not that DIFFICULT, per se, it's just time intensive. Every SRNA just says, "there's no comparison," but what does that really mean? I'm sure the actual difficulty level of the material goes up. And I've been told that you get up in the morning and do all school-related stuff until it's time to catch a few hours of sleep, then get up and repeat. I would fully expect to spend 80 hours/week, maybe more. Is that anywhere near realistic? I'm aware that I won't be working, and that if I have children before I attend my husband will be providing the majority of the child care. I know I'll have to borrow a ton of cash. I guess...what CAN you compare it to? I'm meeting with the director of one of the local programs tomorrow, and apparently she's the one to talk to to set up some shadowing experiences, so I'm planning to do that. I've talked to some SRNAs in the same program, and they just use that same line - "no comparison." How DO I find out what I'm getting myself into? Thanks!

Here is a glimpse of my week:

Monday:

Class from 8am to 4pm. Come home at 4:30 so you can study for the classes that you just had and get ready for your cases in the OR the next day. Oh, don't forget to pee, eat, and sleep.

Tuesday:

Wake up at 4:30 am. Drive for 45 minutes to the clinical site by crossing two state lines! Set up your room for the cases that you actually find out you've been changed to after you had gotten your assignment the night before. Find your attending and be ready to change your anesthetic plan all over again because he or she does it that way. They are always right, you are not, you know nothing and your ten years of experience as an RN means Jack.

Leave clinical when they relieve you, like 4, 4:30 or 5pm. drive back home in rush hour traffic which takes longer than the morning drive. You are home at 6pm? Acknowledge that your kids exist, say hi at least. Try to sound excited about their day... Don't take your frustrations out on them. Then regroup and get meal ready, have your kids' homework done. Greet your husband who is exhausted and wants attention too. Listen to how miserable his day was. You want to talk about your day? No time for that!!! Go get ready for your cases for wednesday. You should be happy that you got dinner. Study for whatever exam you may have on monday for what 30 minutes if you can bear it. Go to bed.

Wednesday through friday: Repeat tuesday three more times!!!

Saturday: Oh, the weekend, right? NOT!!! Kids are all jumping up and down, everyone is off and at home. Listening to music, playing, making noise. Filter all that and try and study while you need to do wash, have a meal plan for the night, and maybe even catch up with the family for 30 minutes or so... Repeat same on sunday!!! If have an exam saturday and sunday is spent studying with optional pee breaks and meal breaks. Try to convey to fellow RNs how much your life sucks.

Monday, repeat the prior week only now you are one week closer to the end...

80 hours a week? I spend I pend 13 hours a day just getting to, in clinical and coming from clinical!!! That is 52 hours a week just for clinical. 8 hours a week in class, That is 60 hours. Studying and researching on the weekends is another 20 hours. That's 80. Then you have to do daily research of your cases for the OR and study your didactic, that is another 3 hours a day. So 15 more and it equals 95! That is compounded by the exhaustion factor! The rest is just sleeping time and tiolet breaks, eating...

Hope this helps.

:bugeyes:

Compare it to medical scool, and clincials to a residency. If you work at a teaching hospital then just take a look at the haggard interns & residents. That will be you......I haven't started my program yet but have had many friends who either have graduated or are current students. There life is all consumed by the program. Between school & study they are putting in 70 to 90 hour weeks. Those in clinicals spend all their free time studying to prepare for upcoming cases & the grilling they will receive in the OR. The only diff between a medical resident & SRNA resident is that SRNA's don't get paid! The program director at TWU summed it up for me like this..."I have to teach you all the same things about anesthesia as a physician except in only 2 1/2 years." It's the same job as an MDA, same liability, same responsibility. So you must think of it more like going to medical school & residency than a masters in nursing.

It's like medical school & a medical residency. If you work at a teaching hospital just look at the haggard interns & residents....that will be you. Although I haven't started my program yet I have lots of friends that have & they typically spend between 70 & 90 hours per week in didactics, and in clinicals they spend all their free time preparing for upcoming cases that they will be grilled about in the OR. The program director at TWU summed it up for me like this: "I have to teach you all the same things about anesthesia as an MDA, but instead of having 4 years of med school & a residency to do it, I have 2 1/2 years." Think about it...same job, same liability, same responsibility as the MDA. Too bad SRNA's don't get paid like residents do!

Thanks guys. I sort of figured it would be more like a residency, especially in the front-loaded programs. Just wanted a better idea of what I was signing up for. I also just read the similar thread on the SRNA site, good info there as well. Appreciate it!

Ok, sorry about the repeat above! The first response I wrote just disappeared so I thought the ozone ate it & rewrote it!

"I have to teach you all the same things about anesthesia as an MDA, but instead of having 4 years of med school & a residency to do it, I have 2 1/2 years." Think about it...same job, same liability, same responsibility as the MDA. Too bad SRNA's don't get paid like residents do!

You don't get a paid year of residency but you start working sooner. Actually, I think there may be some merit in considering that all areas of inpatient nursing embrace some kind of residency program.

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