Advice/Guidance

Hello fellow nurses,

I'd love to pursue the path to become a CRNA. However, my only experience as an RN has been in both postpartum and antepartum. I'm trying my hardest to get transferred to the NICU. I've floated to the NICU several times, cross trained, let my superiors know my desire to go to NICU and goals, talked to head of NICU, etc. I know I need 1-2 years experience working in ICU to get in to any CRNA program. However, I feel like I cannot even contemplate taking the GRE, updating my chem and physics classes,etc if I can't even get the experience I need. Any advice/recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Most CRNA schools require adult ICU experience. Check with the schools you are interested in to see what they require as they also may or may not require chemistry, physics, GRE, etc.

Thanks for the advice burnrn85! Are you trying to get into CRNA school or are currently in school? I want to get both adult and neonatal experience in the ICU if possible.

Best chances are adult ICU. NICU is very possible but may limit your options. Working both would depend on your timeframe to becoming a CRNA.

NICU usually does not meet the criteria for experience. As mentioned, adult ICU is what counts to the majority of schools. I had a buddy who applied with PICU and that wasn't enough either. Medical, surgical, and cardiac are most common. Burn, ER, etc. typically do not meet the requirements.

You can bend over backwards during the interview trying to prove you've got the same experiences as someone from an MICU for example, but if the school is looking for certain units, the chances of you changing their mind are fairly limited.

NICU usually does not meet the criteria for experience. As mentioned, adult ICU is what counts to the majority of schools. I had a buddy who applied with PICU and that wasn't enough either. Medical, surgical, and cardiac are most common. Burn, ER, etc. typically do not meet the requirements.

You can bend over backwards during the interview trying to prove you've got the same experiences as someone from an MICU for example, but if the school is looking for certain units, the chances of you changing their mind are fairly limited.

Burn counts if it is an ICU setting with adult patients. I've not heard of schools excluding specifics like burn, trauma, neuro, or cardiac. All they care about is that the candidate is familiar with high acuity (hemodynamics, vents, etc) in an adult patient. Few will accept PICU/NICU, ER, or flight experience, but most don't. Just research the schools of interest to see what they will accept.

Consider the US Army's program.. They are pretty lax on pre-CRNA experience.

The Army's program used to be lax when they fill the seats, the high uptempo of deployments for CRNA's and huge exodus of CRNA's leaving the surface. Now the "standards" are what they were pre-war. My friend got accepted as an OR nurse then revoke and was told he need ICU experience due to more qualified applicants.

Consider the US Army's program.. They are pretty lax on pre-CRNA experience.