paths to CRNA

Specialties CRNA

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Sorry for the long winded post but I want to got to CRNA school and I am trying to decide which is the best route for me to take to get there since I know that clinical experience is a BIG deal. Hope you guys can help me. I already have a BS in Biology and there is a program I could do that allows people who already hold a Bachelors to get a MSN through an alternate entry route. Here's how it works: you do 15 months of full time school then you get to sit for the nursing boards and can be granted a provisional BSN license.....this will allow you to go to work while you finish the MSN part of the program, which takes 2 more years....students can take a max. of 4 years to finish this part if needed. At the end of it all you are granted a Clinical Nurse Specialist degree. If you leave the program before completing the MSN portion you will lose the BSN licensure. The other choice is to go into a traditional BSN program. I am thinking that if I go with the MSN program I can be out and working more quickly than I would with a BSN program since it would take 24 months to complete the BSN program. I am hoping that I could land an ICU position while I complete the MSN portion........building up my time/experience over the 2 year period of of completing the degree. I have read on this forum that most programs want at least 2 years experience and the CRNA programs in my state say pretty much the same. NOW, does any one see any negative sides to this plan? I wonder if there are some downsides I may not be aware of. Do you guys think it will look better for the admissions committees to see that a student has done graduate level work as compared to bachelors level or does it all come down to clinical experience? I know it is getting more and more competitive to get into CRNA school and I want to be as strong a candidate as possible. Thanks for any advice you may have!

lgcv

138 Posts

Sounds like a good plan to me!

nilepoc

567 Posts

Go for the graduate school option. It will look better and you get your experience out of the way, thus shorter time frame over all.

jenn71

28 Posts

Thanks, Nilepoc! I suppose the only questions I still have are in regards to how difficult it is to work full time while completing the degree. I plan to speak to students who are currently in the program to get their "take" on things. I'll also be asking how easy it is to get an ICU job fresh out.

How's school going, by the way? Is it everything you expected??

nilepoc

567 Posts

School for me starts in aug. I am pretty anxious to get going, but am glad it is six months away, as i just dislocated my right elbow, see my avatar.

Getting into ICU is really easy nowadays. My how things change in four short years. The nursing shortage is real, and it really affects ICU's across the board. I have heard figures as high aas a 10% vacancy rate in Icu's. One thing you should keep in mind though is that your orientation to any good ICU will be about six onths, so it will be hard to go to school in that time period, but should be managable in any other time.

Good luck.

BTW pardon the typos, I cn't be bothered to fix them typing only lefty. sorry.

jenn71

28 Posts

ok, now I gotta ask.....how'd ya manage to get that lovely dislocation? Bouldering, perhaps?

nilepoc

567 Posts

You nailed it, every fall is a ground fall :) I was dynoing sideways and caught the hold, but not well enough, came off in a flat spin and my arm was the first thing to hit the ground.

I just went to th library and did some research, now I have chosen to be a non-compliant patient. I took my own spint off after seven days, so as not to losse any mobility.

cheers.

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