Are there any benefits to having a MSN before entering CRNA school?

Nursing Students SRNA

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I am planning on going to CRNA school in the next few years and was wondering if there is a benefit if you have a MSN before going to CRNA school? Are there some programs that have different coorifice work (or less coorificework) if you already have a MSN? Let me know what you think?

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Specializes in SRNA.

Here are my thoughts:

Pros:

* if your GPA is low, you can demonstrate that you can handle grad classes

* you can get all of your MSN classes out of the way early

Cons:

* your school may not transfer all of the classes

* it is possible that you won't have enough credits to be considered full time for financial aid purposes when you're in NA school - this is true for my school

* if you don't get a generic MSN (as in FNP, NNP, ACNP, etc.) you may look like you don't know what you want to do.

* you will be out of sync with your classmates. Personally, I enjoy commiserating.

* why bother? sit back and enjoy life because you will be too busy in NA school even with all of the MSN stuff out of the way

I'm sure I could think of more but I ate way too much BBQ today and my brain is melting ....

-S

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Specializes in MICU & SICU.

Not sure, how many years away from applying you are but I would agree with Piper for the most part.

-You may want to focus just on the MSN courses in the CRNA program, not necessary to complete the generic program. First off you don't really want to take unecessary class, save your money.

-Getting generic classes out of the way is a huge burden lifted off you during the program.

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Thanks for your replies. My situation is different than most and I will have the MSN done and am planning to enter CRNA school Fall of 2008. I was just wondering if it would decrease any of the classes or course work in the CRNA program. I was wondering if any credits transfer in as credit towards the program, but that most likely depends on the individual program. I was hoping to hear from someone who knows about a post masters CRNA program and how that works. If anyone has some info let me know!

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Pick a school, one that has a CRNA program and an MSN program (whether it be FNP, education, health care administratiion, etc). Compare the two side by side and I think you'll find that they are vastly, vastly different. CRNA programs deal more with hard sciences whereas MSN programs deal more with nursing theory. MAYBE some statistics courses of A&P classes would be similar or identical, but even that might be a stretch. Your best bet on taking a lighter load during CRNA school is to find a program that lets you, upon being accepted into the program, take online courses ahead of time before matriculation.

This is kind of a tough forum right now, Lucy, and many of the people who have been through the CRNA school process aren't on this board any more, for one reason or another. In my opinion, this sectioin of the forum is very light on experience and could be better. You might not get many responses here and may have to research on your own or find another avenue to get your questions answered.

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Specializes in ER/ICU, CCRN, SRNA (class of 2010).

I have found that most schools allow 6-9 credits from another college. Although CRNA schools are very specific in their class content, therefore the only classes they might accept would be research, ethics, professional issues, stats or some other generic core requirements. So in reality you might take maybe 2 less classes, which I am sure is helpful. Now that being said a lot will ride on where you got your MSN more specific where you took the classes and what was taught and obviosly your grades.

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