CRNA schools to avoid? Wish you would have known?

PresG33 · Nov 28, 2019

One point I will make: in my opinion the strength of your schooling is mainly attributable to you being an active learner. There are SRNAs at “weaker” programs that are very good because they take an active role in their learning and make the most out of their situation; and there are SRNAs from “top” programs that are not strong because they sit back and expect knowledge to just seep into their brains via osmosis rather than active transport (nerd alert). This is why within a class of SRNAs you will have some “rock stars” and some that are less prepared. Same schooling, but likely different aptitudes, experience, and attitudes. In my opinion, the best question to ask isn’t “which schools are good?”, it is “what can I do to make sure I am a rock star SRNA no matter where I go?” and start honing those active learning skills now while you are in the ICU. Beyond that, I would say that any CRNA school interview you go on is a two way interview, you can get an idea of the support and systems in place and that may be what drives your decision on the right school for you as opposed to what are likely biased opinions (mine included) on the internet. Good luck!!

allnurses Guide · Nov 28, 2019

There are several potential questions to ask: Attrition rates and why they left the program (sometimes the percentage can be artificially high that has nothing to do with the school), how many and types of rotation sites, how far are the sites, are any sites independent practices, average number and types of cases, skills-USG nerve blocks/how many/do you actually drive the needle or just assist (if the school tells you will learn that after graduation run away); CVLs (how many), out of the OR rotations-ICU/Block/pain etc.

You can make the best of any program but without some of these potential basics those programs will always be subpar.

ProgressiveThinking, MSN, CRNA · Nov 30, 2019

I agree with all of the statements above. As stated above, clinical sites are more important than rankings, and I would say student aptitude and attitude trumps all.

I'm graduating (in 1 week) from a program that isn't ranked very high by the US News rankings. My main clinical site is a SRNA driven site (no anesthesiology residents, county trauma) where we do our own preops, cases, and PACU orders. CRNAs or MDAs supervise us 1:2. SRNAs get their own rooms, and run their own cases. We call them to present our preops, roll the patient in the room, they come in for induction just to make sure we secure the airway, and then we never see them again unless we need them.

We take call and do traumas, cranis, epidurals, and crash C-sections in the middle of the night.

A lot of students from more well-known programs rotate through and are definitely not used to the autonomy we get, and it shows. They're used to having a CRNA in the room with them at all times. I'm very thankful for my experience, I actually feel very very prepared to practice after graduation, and I wouldn't have chosen any other program, even though it isn't a "big name school." My site takes pride in saying that by the time we graduate, "we've already been working for a year," and places that don't normally hire new grads take us all the time.

As far didactics go, at the end of the day we all study Apex now, so it's not like one school teaches something that another school doesn't. As an aside, I do wish I had a better heart and block rotation. I feel prepared for basic blocks, but our old school CRNAs just don't do some of the newer blocks. Nevertheless, go to whatever school you get into and make the best of it, but if you're lucky enough to have multiple options I would choose the school that offers the best clinical experience. You can always use other networking sites to ask CRNAs about their clinical experience.

Davida Berenz · Feb 1, 2020

On 11/30/2019 at 5:12 PM, ProgressiveThinking said:
I agree with all of the statements above. As stated above, clinical sites are more important than rankings, and I would say student aptitude and attitude trumps all.
I'm graduating (in 1 week) from a program that isn't ranked very high by the US News rankings. My main clinical site is a SRNA driven site (no anesthesiology residents, county trauma) where we do our own preops, cases, and PACU orders. CRNAs or MDAs supervise us 1:2. SRNAs get their own rooms, and run their own cases. We call them to present our preops, roll the patient in the room, they come in for induction just to make sure we secure the airway, and then we never see them again unless we need them.
We take call and do traumas, cranis, epidurals, and crash C-sections in the middle of the night.
A lot of students from more well-known programs rotate through and are definitely not used to the autonomy we get, and it shows. They're used to having a CRNA in the room with them at all times. I'm very thankful for my experience, I actually feel very very prepared to practice after graduation, and I wouldn't have chosen any other program, even though it isn't a "big name school." My site takes pride in saying that by the time we graduate, "we've already been working for a year," and places that don't normally hire new grads take us all the time.
As far didactics go, at the end of the day we all study Apex now, so it's not like one school teaches something that another school doesn't. As an aside, I do wish I had a better heart and block rotation. I feel prepared for basic blocks, but our old school CRNAs just don't do some of the newer blocks. Nevertheless, go to whatever school you get into and make the best of it, but if you're lucky enough to have multiple options I would choose the school that offers the best clinical experience. You can always use other networking sites to ask CRNAs about their clinical experience.

What school did you attend? Your experience sounds wonderful.