Is ICU Stepdown considered experience

skipaway · Nov 28, 2007

Does anyone know if the ICU stepdown unit is considered experience for admission into a CRNA program? All comments welcome.

No, generally not.

CCUROB · Nov 28, 2007

Kwalrn,

Most anesthesia schools I've seen want to see that you are competent with multiple vasoactive gtts, vents, Swan-Ganz catheters, hemodynamic monitoring, etc. I guess it would depend on the acuity of your step-down unit, I know our step down unit would not be adequate for most CRNA programs.

Best bet is to check with the school if you feel your experience is questionable or snag a year of high acuity ICU experience. The transition probably would be a lot smoother for you being that you already work in step down. It was rough for me as a new grad.

Hope this helps

piper_for_hire · Nov 29, 2007

Does anyone know if the ICU stepdown unit is considered experience for admission into a CRNA program? All comments welcome.

I hope not - haven't heard of anyone lowering their standards - only raising them in the direction of ICU only (although it seems to me that many inner city ERs fit the ticket perfectly and those folks have that great rapid-action experience too but that is a whole other topic)

-S

Burnt2 · Nov 29, 2007

I haven't worked a day on the floor since graduation, and I can't stand that elitism that we tend to have towards other units.

Kinda like the LPN thats worked in CCU in our hospital full time for 25 years. Some nurses are like "she's just an LPN" and completely blow her off, but she's more clinically knowledgeable than half the residents that go through the unit.

Step-down nurses are horribly disrespected/undervalued, IMO. They have a much more difficult job than mine.

A balloon pump/prisma/vented patient is way easier than 6 fresh post op knees on an ortho floor.

nurseabc123 · Nov 29, 2007

i agree. ICU is the best kept secret, IMO....really easy compared to the floor....I haven't set foot outside of the ICU since clinicals, but everything i've seen tells me that stepdown nurses work their butts off.

I agree, from what I've seen, as in when our patients become 'step-down' worthy, having 4-5 of them- must be crazy. I just said this the other day to a co-worker step-down nurses must be saints!

piper_for_hire · Nov 29, 2007

I stand by my statement: Anesthesia school should not be lowering their standards - only raising them.

-S

Editorial Team / Admin · Nov 29, 2007

Please, let's debate the topic and not each other.

Thank you.

CRNAGAL · Nov 29, 2007

Piper was not saying that an ICU nurse was better than a step down or floor nurse, she was stating the facts that critical care experience is necessary for admittance to anesthesia school and that one can't skirt past the requirements for admission.

xkred27 · Nov 30, 2007

Piper was not saying that an ICU nurse was better than a step down or floor nurse, she was stating the facts that critical care experience is necessary for admittance to anesthesia school and that one can't skirt past the requirements for admission.

Sorry if my now deleted post was a little inflammatory. It just seems like there is a better way to answer that question than the way piper did. Some people may not be trying to "skirt" anything, they are simply asking a question for which they do not know the answer. I am probably a little sensitive to the issue since I will be one of the minority entering into CRNA school without ICU expericnce.

CRNAGAL · Nov 30, 2007

I was accepted with CCU experience and have seen that looked down on as well, so I understand where your coming from.

Burnt2 · Nov 30, 2007

I am probably a little sensitive to the issue since I will be one of the minority entering into CRNA school without ICU experience.

Good for you! From everything i've heard, ICU nursing and CRNA work is apples and oranges, so they teach you what you need to know from the ground up anyways.