CRNA to anesthesiologist

I can only answer your first question -- no, there is no program in the US that allows you to go straight to CRNA master's without nursing experience.

I think 1 year is minimum. Most programs want not only an experienced nurse but an excellent one and that might take a few years.

I think 1 year is minimum. Most programs want not only an experienced nurse but an excellent one and that might take a few years.

Makes sense

You MUST have at least one year in a critical care unit. CRNA school is competative, so the more experience the better. Also, once you start working in said unit, you will realize how valuable that year is. No matter how great your school is, you don't learn how to be a nurse until you ARE one. And CRNAs are nurses that know their ****. They are the "right hand man" in the OR. Different states and facilities have different rules regarding the anesthesiologist part of your question. You don't necessarily have to work FOR an anesthesiologist, but you certainly have to work WITH one. In my hospital there are 5 OR suites, 5 head CRNAs, and 3 anesthesiologists. The docs hop from suite to suite, but they trust the CRNAs to do their own thing.

I'm sure the anesthesiologists are also trusted to do their own thing.

CRNA schools require a minimum of 1 or 2 years of ICU experience. I was chatting with the admissions dean of one East Coast school last week who indicated that the mean experience (statistical term) of new CRNA students in their program was 7 years.

If you are going to school in Jamaica - is that the same program as the US? No immigration visa needed, no evaluation of your program?

(And if I'm totally off-base, I apologize).

Well I'm actually jamaican, yeah the nursing programs down here are very similar to the ones in the US if not the same. Except from the fact that we don't have a CRNA program down here at the masters level , only BA ( I know very unfortunate ).

So ultimately I'm thinking of doing the CRNA program in the US but That's when I'm finished with my BSN, and have a couple years of working experience, so yeah I have a pretty long way to go.

So that's why I wanted to get some info of the CRNA program up there, and requirements by the college's or any average CRNA school.

Yes, you will need the 1 year minimum of ICU experience, and as someone else mentioned, probably more if you want to have a better chance of being accepted. Also keep in mind that you may not be hired straight into an ICU as a new grad anyways, so I don't think it would be wise to place age-markers for when you will actually be working as a CRNA.

Yea you do need experience. But if you aren't even 25 yet then you are young!!!! Time will pass by real fast. :) I've talked to a lot of RNs in my classes and they also said what another poster mentioned. You really realize how little you know once you work as an RN. So a couple of years put in before being a CRNA will not only make you a better competitor against other applicants but will also make school easier for you. Good luck

Thanks guys, I still got a lot to learn, I appreciate the posts though.