Chiropractor to CRNA advice

Class2011 · Mar 17, 2010

Based on the above, I think your wife has a good to excellent chance of getting accepted on her first attempt. Especially in the northeast where there are a fair number of programs. At least that was my experience. I was expecting to have to apply more than once and be willing to go anywhere I was accepted. To my surprise, I was accepted everywhere I applied and now regret not having been more discerning about where I applied. But that's me, "Je regrette tous".

I think she/you might be best off with an ICU job where you're at now and using that time to evaluate programs you might want to attend. Then you won't have all your eggs in one location or end up having to move again. The only caveat is that some programs are looking to teach and train CRNA's for their own OR's and will preferentially accept local people.

It may not make a difference employment wise what program she attends, but it could make a big difference in her personal experience and how well prepared she feels when she finishes. There is huge variability in programs. Some of the differences are obvious and will be easy to evaluate. But the most important differences are in the nature, type and number of clinical experiences. The only way to evaluate these are by contacting program directors, going to open houses, and talking with students and recent graduates.

I don't envy your debt man. Some programs will get you through relatively cheaply (because of their structure, not their quality)

loveanesthesia · Mar 17, 2010

Class 2011 really gaev you good advice. Another thing to consider is the number of students accepted at each program. A program that accepts a low number probably won't accept anyone with one year ICU experience. The one year experience will be the weak point. I would suggest getting at least 2 years and work as much OT as possible. You can often pick up a lot of hours which will give you valuable experience and allow you to either save money for the CRNA program or pay off some of your current loans.

pamchris · Mar 17, 2010

thanks for you advice! It actually brings up another question.

- At the time you apply, do you need 1 year of experience of ICU already or just by the time the program would start? Along the same line, how much time is there between when you apply and when most programs start?

- how easy is it to find an ICU job especially as a new grad? And what is the avg starting salary for that -around 50K or so?

- Provided she gets a perfect 4.0 in the BSN, is it still NOT a good idea to get ICU experience near where she wants to get her CRNA degree? So, it's a NOT a good idea to move to the area she wants to go to CRNA school?

- Any particular good state (out of NC, MA, IA) to practice CRNA and/or a good CRNA program? I am partial to Boston because i went to school at BC, but i know both programs are going to be very expensive since they are not public schools.

Thanks again! We really appreciate your help.

Chris

Class2011 · Mar 18, 2010

I would only move to an area if you've already done all your research and know for sure what your first choice of schools is and it is not an extremely competitive school. I don't think any of the schools in the northeast are off-the-charts competitive. I can't speak for other regions.

The other reason to move would be if you can't find an ICU job locally, but that will depend on local and national market conditions when she graduates.

Unfortunately, there's no substitute for doing your own research as the decisions will be personal. But I think it will be easier once she has had some ICU experience and a chance to shadow CRNA's.

Missy121 · Mar 18, 2010

The University of Iowa's program is a DNP program now. It is 36 months and very expensive to go to if you are from out of state. It's not so bad for in staters. It is a very small program (12students) and the majority of the people who were accepted this year were employees here. The ICU's here hire new grads all the time, and they also have a MNHP( for people who already have degrees) for her to get her RN it's like a year and a half I think .. You could basically move to Iowa City and complete everything here.

There are also community colleges in the area where she could get her RN pretty inexpensively. Besides, she probably wouldn't have to complete anything besides nursing classes.

loveanesthesia · Mar 18, 2010

- At the time you apply, do you need 1 year of experience of ICU already or just by the time the program would start? Along the same line, how much time is there between when you apply and when most programs start?
- how easy is it to find an ICU job especially as a new grad? And what is the avg starting salary for that -around 50K or so?
- Provided she gets a perfect 4.0 in the BSN, is it still NOT a good idea to get ICU experience near where she wants to get her CRNA degree? So, it's a NOT a good idea to move to the area she wants to go to CRNA school?
- Any particular good state (out of NC, MA, IA) to practice CRNA and/or a good CRNA program? I am partial to Boston because i went to school at BC, but i know both programs are going to be very expensive since they are not public schools.

As for experience requirement, some programs will interview you with less than a year as long as you will have a year starting the program. you will benifit from at least 2 years experience. You will just be getting off oreintation at 3-6 months, and will be moving up to the complex cases at a year. Also you think you will like anesthesia, but you don't know that-you've already been through that once-and the ICU experience will give you a feel for the type of decision making required in anesthesia. It is a completely different environment from what you have experienced.

New grad ICU job availability goes up and down with the economy. I've read that right now RNs are at one of the highest levels of employment, so that makes it harder for new grads. (If my spouse has lost income, and I can find a job, or increase my hours I probably will. Once my spouses income goes back up I might cut back. Thats how the economy affects nursing) If you can move, there is always somewhere that will hire a new grad.

I would not move for nursing school, or for ICU experience unless I had too. If you can find an surgical/trauma ICU position in a large teaching hospital, or a trauma center then stay put and save your money. Apply to 3 or 4 programs and move when you are accepted. Programs like to have people from a variety of backgrounds.

I understand you are anxious, and look into accelerated nursing programs as a way to save some time. Don't skimp on the ICU experience, get at least a couple of years. You may decide to go a different direction in nursing once you have some time in a unit. At first it's overwhelming but if you stick with it, the challenge can be very rewarding.

What's a good program? look at the clinical experience. Get as much information about that as possible, talk to current students and grads. Experience with a variety of settings is a real plus, regional techniques taught can vary widely between programs.

Good luck

RN1980 · Mar 19, 2010

my advice (comming from someone who is not a crna but will be applying to programs next yr) is to get her bsn as fast as possible, now depending on the schools available to her is a choice of programs to pick from. if she can find a excelerated bsn program that may take around 3 or so semesters that would be great. get inot a icu as soon as possible. you will hear conflicting issues about which type and how large. i work in a general medical icu of 10 beds. not really huge in comparison but we have had 5 nurses in the last 3 yrs progress onto crna programs. get her into a unit fast and work along with learning to function as a competent icu rn. i would most certainly do my best to get into a non doctrate program, screw going 36 months when i can learn to pass gass safley in 26-28 months. now that is my plan to you. of course you have to make adjustments along the way sometimes. however, just get her into a icu as fast as possible with a bsn, then the rest is just applying to programs. good luck.

chiromed0 · Mar 19, 2010

Huh...why would a chiropractor want to be a nurse? Just kidding.

Well, just so you know there are many, many of us Chiro's going into nursing at the moment. Most of us are going the RN to NP route. Short advice skip the non-sense and just get into an accelerated BSN program. Don't drag out the "normal" program route into nursing if that's a possibility. Grind out another year like the last year of chiro school and get it over with. Time will kill you especially when you start grinding out those student loan payments-they seem manageable until business slows or dies. If you've got them deferred then double step and do whatever you have to do NOW before you run out of deferment.

As far as CRNA goes the general background for a D.C. trying this route is that you're an unknown to the admissions committee and that seems to help, especially since her G.P.A. is really good. I'm not that disciplined so NP was a much better choice. CRNA's are bright, studious, experienced nurses-No B.S. DO NOT MAKE THE MISTAKE OF THINKING SINCE YOU'RE DOCTORS THAT NURSING IS GOING BACKWARDS. I've met some that think nurses are "underlings" and those doctors are FOOLS, especially chiro's who know precious little about mainstream medicine. Nurses, in general, work circles around any D.C. I know and are very knowledgeable. Going into nursing is a lateral move, not backward. It is different, not less, than medical/chiropractic education. Some overlaps but in general chiropractors are not used to protocols and the "nursing" dx. driving patient care. It takes some getting used to.

I was told by a D.C. going into Texas Weslyan's CRNA program that you need that 1 year ADULT ICU experience. That makes perfect sense given what you're trying to do here. I do not know if you NEED a BSN if she already has another BS degree or just get her ADN-RN. Since you're in NC I think you have to already have a B.S.,D.C. correct? The req's don't say BSN on TWU's site...your schools may also offer a similar exception. Never hurts to ask and admission committees can & do change their requirements. Her background as a D.C. should (can't say will) help as long as her G.P.A. stays high. I don't see any reason why it shouldn't in nursing school. Nothing is harder, it's just different and the same self discipline she had before will translate over easily. The nursing sciences, etc., will mostly just be a review. The theory and practice (we just don't use the machines, etc., that nurses use) will all be new. CRNA SCHOOL WILL BE HARDER THAN D.C. SCHOOL-NO DOUBT. Unfortunately, what one finds is that a D.C. degree is a novelty in the academic world. Sure some course have to transfer and be counted b/c it's accredited but they mostly look at undergrad GPA and last 60 hours trending in post grad.

Consider looking into AA programs also. If she has her BS degree already then she might be a shoe in for a AA program already. It is a risk b/c not all states recognize AA's but the money is the same, rights are the same except AA's can only work with Anesthesiologists, kind of like PA's with MD/DO's. CRNA's can always work as nurses, too. AA's are stuck. However, who cares if they have the same job? AA schools require (like PA programs) just a BS degree, pre-req's done and some healthcare experience (she already has that). There's fewer schools, cost is the same, time is the same but she may be out in as little as 3-4 years from now (allowing for application time) making $120K to start versus still TRYING to get into a CRNA program somewhere. Just a thought.

I wish you all luck b/c I know the mental and financial struggles that D.C.'s face and it doesn't look like it's getting any better. In school I thought chiropractic was 80% practice and 20% marketing but in real life it's backwards. I came to the conclusion if I have to be a professional salesman (again) then I know I can make much more somewhere else w/o all the risk and frustration. Of course, that's not why I became a D.C., however, I also didn't take a vow of poverty either. That's why I'm a nurse.

I'm originally from your neck of the woods and wish I was back there.:)

Missy121 · Mar 20, 2010

P.s. I wasn't saying that she should get her DNP. I was just telling them about the program in Iowa since I am

familiar with it and live here.

IV-PUSH · Mar 20, 2010

your wife has a doctorate in chiro, its not "will she get in?" it's whos spot is she going to take? there is no question she will get into any number of schools she applies to as long as she can interview competently, I worked with a CRNA who was a chiro in a previous life, the difficulty of obtaining your doctorate in chiro is no joke, and people are going to recognize that. Get through RN school, get your year of ICU and get into CRNA school...

cookderosa · Mar 22, 2010

Another option: 2 schools will take her application without her RN. Columbia and University of Cincinnati. These schools allow you to apply after you have completed the prereqs, and the RN is integrated into an accelerated 15 month-ish program. That's full time-no outside work-just school. Upon completion, you leave the school for 1 year to work in an ICU as an RN. (paid) Upon completion, you go back to campus and do the master's portion.

She would need to study for her GRE now, applications are due in October I believe.