Ask a CRNA any question you want

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Hey thought it would be fun since I have some time tonight to answer any questions you all have about whatever. I've been a CRNA for 4 years and do every type of case except OB and transplants currently. Do a good amount of trauma, general, cardiac/thoracic, and ortho.

Feel free to ask any clinical questions or anything in general. Shoot!

Specializes in CVICU, CCRN.
She told me that 90% of new nurses who start out in the ICU wash out of the unit AND profession within six months of passing boards...I just couldn't believe it. I wanted to hear from nurses who did start out in ICU and DID survive and are doing phenomenal things years later!

I'm one of those nurses. I started off in a very high acuity CVICU as a new grad. I have worked here for just over a year and I'm still going strong. I know that I am improving as an RN every day. I have a lot of nurses around me that have worked here for many years and started as new grads. Ironically, some of the nurses that transferred to our unit from the medsurg/ SDU areas have really struggled with the vast difference in autonomy, critical thinking, time management, and prioritization.

I also am considering the pursuit of CRNA. Great thread!

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What is the difference between critical care and ER? I am considering swapping to nursing and love emergencies, thanks!

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.
What is the difference between critical care and ER? I am considering swapping to nursing and love emergencies, thanks!

The difference is everything. One is stabilization and the other is recovering and improvement.

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Specializes in Nurse Anesthesiology.

Huge difference. Can't even really answer your question but a very different set up in general.

What is the difference between critical care and ER? I am considering swapping to nursing and love emergencies, thanks!
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I know it is required for acceptance to CRNA schools to have a year or more experience in the ICU but is the ER accepted experience also?

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Specializes in Nurse Anesthesiology.

Short answer, NO. You may find some schools that will accept it but they are very few and far between. You will get better experience for CRNA school by working in the ICU anway.

I know it is required for acceptance to CRNA schools to have a year or more experience in the ICU but is the ER accepted experience also?
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Specializes in ER.
Short answer, NO. You may find some schools that will accept it but they are very few and far between. You will get better experience for CRNA school by working in the ICU anway.

I actually have worked with several nurses from the ER that I trained at who have gone to CRNA school and have been great. I think it depends on the ER. My facility is a level 1 trauma center. We are often managing ICU patients and regular patients at the same time for an entire shift. Our ICUs are always full. We do art lines, cvp monitoring, vents but of course there are a few things we don't do. We manage all the same drips as they do In ICU, we have no choice. It's a teaching facility so you are constantly learning and paying at attention so the residents don't harm your patients. Honestly more than half the patients we send to med/surg or tele would go to an ICU at any other hospital. I feel we get just as much exposure as a medical ICU nurse. Like I said not all ERs are created equal. My ER has 100 beds and we don't see pediatric patients. When I started traveling I realized how much I had been exposed to as a new grad in a level 1 ED compared to others.

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Hi, I became an RN a year ago, currently work on a med surge Tele unit and have 6 months experience in PACU OR. I plan to transfer to ICU next year and thinking of doing CRNA later on. Do you think the CRNA job is becoming more saturated? especially in the next 5- 10 years. Im afraid that by the time I become a CRNA, the job market will be difficult and no one would really want to hire anymore....Can anyone shed light to this dillema?

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Specializes in Nurse Anesthesiology.

Sorry but but I too worked in a large level 1 trauma center and been down to the ER and yes while they may manage some ICU patients I can guarantee they are not the sickest ones that you would see in a high acuity ICU. If they are that sick they would not remain in the ER. The ICU would downgrade a pt and get that guy up to them. Not saying you didn't take care of sick patients in the ER but it's not on a daily basis caring for chronic post op patients with a fresh open heart or IABP or that post op open belly.

I actually have worked with several nurses from the ER that I trained at who have gone to CRNA school and have been great. I think it depends on the ER. My facility is a level 1 trauma center. We are often managing ICU patients and regular patients at the same time for an entire shift. Our ICUs are always full. We do art lines, cvp monitoring, vents but of course there are a few things we don't do. We manage all the same drips as they do In ICU, we have no choice. It's a teaching facility so you are constantly learning and paying at attention so the residents don't harm your patients. Honestly more than half the patients we send to med/surg or tele would go to an ICU at any other hospital. I feel we get just as much exposure as a medical ICU nurse. Like I said not all ERs are created equal. My ER has 100 beds and we don't see pediatric patients. When I started traveling I realized how much I had been exposed to as a new grad in a level 1 ED compared to others.
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I start CRNA school in January. What's the best way to tape the eyes? (Just a joke, I think every CRNA I shadowed said they got yelled at in clinicals for taping them wrong).

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The title of your topic was ask a CRNA any question. You answered someone else's question about salary but because I haven't finished school you felt I wasn't worth it. I'm not butt hurt just calling it like I see it. I digress, I've wasted enough of my valuable time conversing with a bigot.

why the name calling? that's very inappropriate for someone who is about to enter the profession, so let's be professional here. I think you took the OP's response a little too personally because all OP was saying was basically you're still new to the world and you don't know what niche you'll fit in once you become an RN. everyone wants to become a CRNA during nursing school because high salary + autonomy is attractive to anyone, but not everyone can even make it out of nursing school. focus on school and once you start doing rotations, you can figure out which unit fits you the best. it may be critical care, it may be med/surg. one step at a time.

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Specializes in ICU, Anesthesia.

Mac or Miller?

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