Community Hospital for CRNA School

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Specializes in Wanna be SRNA, God willing!.

Hi everyone! I just sent in all my applications (except 1) for CRNA schools. I am going to apply to 4 schools total. I currently work at a 14 bed community hospital ICU. I have been there for 1.5 years. It’s a MICU/SICU but mostly MICU. We take sepsis, ARDS, DKA, cardiac arrests w/ hypothermia protocol, and such. We have A lines, cvp, pressors, vents. I’ve never seen a swan ganz in real life lol we ship out patients who need a cath lab. We do carotid endarterectomies and other vascular stuff, but nothing with hearts. Do you think I have a chance of getting into CRNA school? Do you think I can be successful with this type of experience? I am in a contract with this hospital for almost another year since they hired me as a new grad and I also love where I work so leaving is not an option right now.

My stats are:

CCRN, ACLS, PALS

Overall GPA 3.73

Science GPA 3.94

GRE 314, essay 4/6

Chair of the units Journal Club

thank you you so much for taking the time to read this. God bless!

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Specializes in CRNA.

You have a good background and probably have had opportunities to develop your patient assessment/decision making skills. A CV unit can be pretty cookbook and while teaching hospitals can be a great learning environment, a motivated person can learn a lot in a community hospital. It’s really up to you to take advantage of seeking to learn as much as you can.

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Specializes in Wanna be SRNA, God willing!.
1 hour ago, loveanesthesia said:

You have a good background and probably have had opportunities to develop your patient assessment/decision making skills. A CV unit can be pretty cookbook and while teaching hospitals can be a great learning environment, a motivated person can learn a lot in a community hospital. It’s really up to you to take advantage of seeking to learn as much as you can.

Ok thank you for your response! I do try to learn as much as possible!

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

Your ICU sounds fine. It really depends on the program. Some programs want level 1 or 2, other don't care as long as you can demonstrate that it was a high acuity ICU. I would call the programs you're interested in and ask. The secretary likely fields questions like these all day.

I had ONE swan in the ICU during my years at the bedside. I've done 12 hearts (CABG, valve replacements, Bentall, etc.) as a SRNA so far in my program and we didn't even use a swan for those, so I don't think that'll be a deal breaker.

If you want to try to bolster your experience without breaking contract you could always try to per diem at your local level 1 or level 2.

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Honestly, your unit sounds just fine. You are getting all the nice mix of pathology, and pharm, and vent, and acuity. Keep doing it. You will be fine. A nice mix will serve you well. You really do NOT need CVICU. They actually have less overall knowledge and pathophys because their area is so focused. Not bashing, just saying I think you are in a better place. As far as Swan Lines go, please don't worry about them. It is a dying modality. While the knowledge is "nice" to have, there are less and less and less of them every year. We do huge thoracic aneurysm repairs without them, as there are so many new and better and safer ways to assess the patients CV function.

And, btw, your overall presentation of qualifications sounds just fine. Unless you interview like a creeper, I am guessing you will have many, many schools and acceptances from which to choose. Don't jump at the first one, unless it honestly is the one you want.

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5 hours ago, BigPappaCRNA said:

Unless you interview like a creeper, I am guessing you will have many, many schools and acceptances from which to choose.

This is the best?. and so true, haha.

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Specializes in Wanna be SRNA, God willing!.
On 4/28/2019 at 5:45 PM, ProgressiveThinking said:

Your ICU sounds fine. It really depends on the program. Some programs want level 1 or 2, other don't care as long as you can demonstrate that it was a high acuity ICU. I would call the programs you're interested in and ask. The secretary likely fields questions like these all day.

I had ONE swan in the ICU during my years at the bedside. I've done 12 hearts (CABG, valve replacements, Bentall, etc.) as a SRNA so far in my program and we didn't even use a swan for those, so I don't think that'll be a deal breaker.

If you want to try to bolster your experience without breaking contract you could always try to per diem at your local level 1 or level 2.

I have emailed them and they all said it was ok. I just feel like almost everyone that I’ve read about has level 1 experiences so I just wanted to make sure I wouldn’t be totally lost if accepted to school. Thank you so much for your response!

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Specializes in Wanna be SRNA, God willing!.
On 4/29/2019 at 12:58 PM, BigPappaCRNA said:

Honestly, your unit sounds just fine. You are getting all the nice mix of pathology, and pharm, and vent, and acuity. Keep doing it. You will be fine. A nice mix will serve you well. You really do NOT need CVICU. They actually have less overall knowledge and pathophys because their area is so focused. Not bashing, just saying I think you are in a better place. As far as Swan Lines go, please don't worry about them. It is a dying modality. While the knowledge is "nice" to have, there are less and less and less of them every year. We do huge thoracic aneurysm repairs without them, as there are so many new and better and safer ways to assess the patients CV function.

And, btw, your overall presentation of qualifications sounds just fine. Unless you interview like a creeper, I am guessing you will have many, many schools and acceptances from which to choose. Don't jump at the first one, unless it honestly is the one you want.

Thank you so much for your response. Very helpful and encouraging ? haha I hope I don’t interview like that ?

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