Is CRNA school as difficult as people said?

[SlyFoxRN]

I consider myself to have above average intelligence and did fairly well in college (a top 20 private university). Last year, I decided medical school wasn't for me due mainly to the expense (4 years medical school than 3-5 years residency at a very low salary = loan buildup!). I was going to have to pay for any schooling past undergrad on my own, so I decided I could still go into the medical field, but with a cheaper route - an advanced practice nurse.

When I was going to medical school, I planned to either be a surgeon, dermatologist, psychiatrist, or anesthesiologist. I have interest in all 4 fields and would be happy in any of them. As an advanced nurse, I can be a dermatology certified NP, a mental health NP, or a CRNA - making it possible to still follow the paths of my 3 favorite specialties.

I've been finding out what I can about all three, and when I look up CRNA information I always see the same thing: That CRNA Education is a nightmare-ish experience. That it requires 10+ hours of studying per day, etc.

So did anyone find it a bit easier than it was made out to be?

I'm not saying easy...just easier than people let on.

For example, I went to an accelerated BSN program and all I ever heard was how hard it is from current students. One guy who spoke to us during orientation (a last semester student) said "Get used to B's...B's are awesome. You're never going to see another A again."

It terrified me.

Yet, here I am at the end of the first semester and I've made straight A's with very little studying (2-3 hours before an exam total).

So I wonder if anyone can give me some insight into what to expect really if I choose this route. Did anyone go to school and realize it wasn't nearly as difficult as people made it out to be...perhaps 1-2 hours of studying per day (with extra before exams) as opposed to this 10+ I keep hearing??

[nurseman78, BSN, RN, NP]

First semester student at Western Carolina University. I find classes to be challenging, mostly because of the massive amounts of information. There is so much info that you could be tested on, but only a fraction of it appears on tests, which makes it hard to know what to focus on.

I have historically been an A to A- student. I am pulling B's so far on my tests, and I feel like I study a lot.

As far as family/guilt... I am married with a one-year-old little boy and another one on the way in August. It's doable. The biggest thing is to go into the schooling with an understanding of the expectations, but the biggest thing I can say is know when to shut the books and spend time with your family/significant other. You cannot study all day, every day, and you shouldn't need to. Treat it like a full-time job, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, and then spend the rest of time with family.

[nurseman78, BSN, RN, NP]

As far as spending 10 hours a day studying every day... that's personal preference. I don't think anyone in my group studies to that extent.

[SRNA4U, BSN, DNP, RN, CRNA]

I study only 3 to 4 hours a night but mostly I spend the weekends catching up. Every school is different. Im in an integrated program and I worked per diem through out the program as an OR nurse without any problems. I'm a senior now and it definitely is much nicer now compared to the first year. No care plans this year except for specialty rotations. We start running our own room end of this month. Last fall we started doing breaks and lunch relief. Anesthesia is the best job in the world

[Stormy8]

I'll be starting school next fall and i'm soooo excited!!! To be honest, I'm also nervous. Failure is not an option. Period. Chemistry is not my strong suit. Anyone have any advice?

[nurseman78, BSN, RN, NP]

I am in my third semester. Don't sweat it. We had one test which had some organic chem review, but it wasn't bad. Just review organic compounds, the different alkyl groups, the difference between amides, amines, carbonic acids, ketones. I found the lecture for the material to be very good at explaining it, it wasn't bad. Where are you going to school? It's a very exciting time, LOTS of work but doable and a very cool profession. I feel that the hardest part of school isn't the studying, it's the personalities of the preceptors.

Overall, just take CRNA school one bit at at time. Don't worry about boards or clinicals or finals, just take it one day, one lecture, one page at a time. Don't compare yourself to others, don't worry about what others think of you, and you will do great.

[Stormy8]

Thank you for the encouragement. I truly appreciate it!

[Guest12/09/15, BSN, RN]

I'm 25 years old and in my first year of a front loaded program. It's going just fine. It's do-able. I see my family, boyfriend, and friends on the weekend. Then, I am in class all day and study during the weekdays. I hit the gym too. It all works out.

I haven't started clinical yet, but I hear it'll consume my entire life. I'm enjoying didactics though.

You put the time and effort in, you get the results.

We have a small class of 8 people, and we all help each other make study guides.

For now, I'll just cherish my sleep while I can before clinicals start after next semester.

Btw, I'm unemployed to focus on school and took out loans for living expenses. 5 of us quit our jobs for school. 3 of us are trying to work per diem.

[Gmare]

Hi, I know this is an old post, but what school did you go to- for CRNA?

[dianearc, BSN, RN]

SRNA4U said:

I have been accepted into an integrated program and this is my preference over a front-loaded program. I have worked with students in a front-loaded program and they said when they start clinicals, it makes it hard to remember the info from didactics because in didactics, you basically study to test and then you move on to the next area of what you need to study.SOme students said you may get OB lecture in the Fall but when you start clinicals, you may not get OB clinicals unto a year or so later and by that time, many of the students had forogotten the information. They said it made the program much more harder.

In the blended program, what you get in lecture, you will start putting to practice in clinicals early on. Students in the integrated program are much more confortable in the OR early on the process compared to front-loaded program students. The thing I like about my program is students start clinicals 3 months after the program starts and it's only 1 day a week and each semester the clinical days increase by 1 additional day while the classroom portion tends to decline. While the front-loaded students could quote a lot of information early on, they didn't have the hands on experience to demonstrate what they know. So while students in both programs may voice inadequacies about where they are in their learning experience, towards the end of the program, everyone is on the same page. I'm a hands on person and I rather do an integrated program. My program does not have students going to clinicals and having lecture on the same day. Our lecture and clinicals are separated on dedicated days. I have seen some inegrated programs in Florida that have students in clinical for 8 hours during the day and then about 7pm, they come to class for their didactics until 10pm. Which is insane. Our school makes sures clinical days and lecture days are separate. We have 24 clinical sites and we have a 100% pssing rate on boards for the last 3 years, which is pretty good.

This comes late but out of curiosity. Which program did you attend? State? I'd like to consider an integrated program like that one

[guest769224]

dianearc said:

This comes late but out of curiosity. Which program did you attend? State? I'd like to consider an integrated program like that one

Drexel University. Checked out past posts.

[dianearc, BSN, RN]

ICUman said:

Drexel University. Checked out past posts.

Thank you!

[FlyMurse, BSN, RN]

SRNA4U said:

I have been accepted into an integrated program and this is my preference over a front-loaded program. I have worked with students in a front-loaded program and they said when they start clinicals, it makes it hard to remember the info from didactics because in didactics, you basically study to test and then you move on to the next area of what you need to study.SOme students said you may get OB lecture in the Fall but when you start clinicals, you may not get OB clinicals unto a year or so later and by that time, many of the students had forogotten the information. They said it made the program much more harder.

Your integrated program must have perfected the system because the students I talked to here were having difficulty. Their lectures don't at all line up with what they're doing in the OR. But they are the first class, as it's a brand new program so hopefully in time they will be better able to integrate lectures with rotations. I know clinical sites are scarce here in AZ so I could see it being difficult.