Critical care residency for CRNA school

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I'm thinking about applying to CRNA schools but first I have to get my ICU experience. Do CRNA schools accept critical care residency to meet the ICU experience requirement? Is this a faster route towards meeting the ICU experience requirement? Thanks in advance!

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

You have to have one year acute care experience (ICU/ER). That is the requirement set forth by the council on accreditation and all accredited programs must follow the guidelines by the COA. If you obtain one year of critical care experience from a critical care residency, then you meet the requirement.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
I'm thinking about applying to CRNA schools but first I have to get my ICU experience. Do CRNA schools accept critical care residency to meet the ICU experience requirement? Is this a faster route towards meeting the ICU experience requirement? Thanks in advance!

No and No.

You need one year of acute care experience which is usually interpreted as one year minimum of solid ICU experience. Most applicants have 3-5yrs at least of ICU experience.

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

Lawdy, NO...

It's bad enough we are getting CRNAs with the minimal.....get the MOST experience that you can get.

On behalf of our patients, PLEASSSSEEEEEEE....

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Specializes in CVICU.

Agree with previous post. The nursing critical care residency will not count. Need to be a staff RN for minimum one year experience. Almost always this experience is ICU of some kind. Some will accept ER or a select other few specialties but critical care is by far the most common and the most relevant experience.

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First of all I'm not sure what you mean by ICU residency ? How long is it and what does it entail? Secondly I don't believe you would be doing yourself any favors by taking a "faster route" if such a thing does exist. My understanding from nurses I've worked with who have gone on to CRNA school is that it is very difficult to get in and the program itself is extremely demanding. (and those nurses had 5-10 years icu experience and ccrn certification) I think you will be much better off going into the program as an experienced ICU nurse. You will learn so much and hopefully enjoy it and take everything you can from it. Don't be one of the nurses who is just putting in the time so you can move on as soon as possible. Make good use of your time in the icu, people there love to teach, so ask questions and learn everthing you can. I believe you're going to need letters of recommendation for school as well so that's something to keep on mind as well.

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Specializes in ICU.
I'm thinking about applying to CRNA schools but first I have to get my ICU experience. Do CRNA schools accept critical care residency to meet the ICU experience requirement? Is this a faster route towards meeting the ICU experience requirement? Thanks in advance!

A good critical care residency or critical care fellowship program will last ~4 months (more or less), and include class work combined with 1:1 precepted patient care in a busy ICU.

At the end of the residency program you are competent at a very basic level to provide safe care for very sick patients. After a residency program, I've been told (I believe it!) that it takes a good year of working on your own to internalize the patient assessment, critical thinking, & intervention skills. I'm at the 6 month point following my fellowship program. There's still tons to learn, and lots to improve upon in my clinical knowledge & skills.

Good things take time.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
I'm thinking about applying to CRNA schools but first I have to get my ICU experience. Do CRNA schools accept critical care residency to meet the ICU experience requirement? Is this a faster route towards meeting the ICU experience requirement? Thanks in advance!

*** For sure some do. I know for a fact that Rush, U of MN, St. Mary's, Minneapolis School of Anesthesia, La Crosse WI program and the Mayo clinic program all accept critical care nurse residency programs as ICU experience. I know this because my hospital has a 7 month Critical Care Nurse Residency program and grads from it have been accepted into those programs with one year of ICU experience INCLUDING the nurse residency program.

It is also why that residency program will no longer hire new grad BSNs for those going into SICU.

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PMFB-RN, can you please let me know which 7 months program you're in (which hospital)? I am looking for internships around the nation and this looks promising!

Thanks!

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
PMFB-RN, can you please let me know which 7 months program you're in (which hospital)? I am looking for internships around the nation and this looks promising!

Thanks!

*** I am not in it, I graduated years ago. Of the 9 people in my residency class 7 went to CRNA school. The hospital is St. Joseph's in Marshfield Wisconsin. The competetion for residency spots is tough and if you are a new grad BSN they won't hire you, though it doesn't say that anywhere and they won't tell you that. The best way to get accepted is to have very strong ties to the local community so as to make going off to CRNA school unlikely.

http://ministryhealth.org/MinistryHealth/Careers/ResidenciesTrainingPrograms.nws

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