Agency Nursing count towards ICU requirements?

[jsoed9582]

I was curious about the requirements for CRNA school. MOST schools require a minimum of 1 year ICU experience. I have 1 year of MICU experience and 1 year ER experience. I am currently finding a new job in the ICU to prepare for school. Would contract agency count? I would sign a contract for 3 months and work full time. I want to do this primarly because I could work in an ICU for 3 months, then the next three months work in a different ICU. This way I would allow myself to be familiar with MICU, CCU, CVICU, SICU, etc. Any suggestions?

[loveanesthesia]

MOST schools require a minimum of 1 year ICU experience. I have 1 year of MICU experience and 1 year ER experience. I am currently finding a new job in the ICU to prepare for school. Would contract agency count?

All schools require at least one year acute care experience, it's an accreditation requirement. A significant number of the more competitive programs require 2 years minimum.

I'd contact the programs you're interested in, and ask about the contract position. Saving some money before school is nice and the agencies usually pay better. Consider job security though, they may not renew your contract in 3 months unless you can move to another state. Sometimes the contract people get stuck in the corner with the chronic patients so it can be a poor choice for expanding your knowledge base.