CRNA Schools No Experience Required

[utahskiier]

Hi-

Im in progress of completing my BSN currently, and am interested in becoming a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, and my question is whether any schools exist that require no previous work experience.

Basically it comes down to the fact that I am impatient and would like to finish all schooling at once and start my career immediately as a CRNA. I have great GPA and GRE, the only thing I lack is the experience. Any options?

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

unfortunately for the op, his/her impatience couldn't fathom the possibility of having to extend his/her time in the classroom to meet the new requirement for dnap, let alone have more than one year of acute care experience. it's just far too long. have you any other suggestions for speeding up his/her process in getting into the or to administer anesthesia? :)

seriously? do we even want someone like this passing gas?

[2bEsqtoRN]

seriously? do we even want someone like this passing gas?

it's called sarcasm. :uhoh21:

[sdlane]

No way, you have to work in the critical care unit first. Have you ever been to the ICU department just to look around? There are lots of things going on in that department to help keep patients alive. It would be way too hard to go to CRNA school blind sided. I here CRNA school is hard enough. I am sure that if you are determined, you will make into CRNA school, but first, obtain a job straight out of school in the ICU if you can. After a year in the ICU maybe you will get selected. :) I wish you the best !

[zoidberg, BSN, RN]

There is a reason the Anesthesiology Assistants programs do not require experience, AA's require MDA supervision, and they do not make as much money...

[stash11]

To the OP: I hope you have learned an important lesson, do a little digging before blinding posting questions. Five minutes of searching "CRNA" on google and you would have found that the minimum ICU experience (not just RN experience) is 1 year. Some posters have been a little harsh, and I hope you have not been too discouraged, but next time try researching the topic first.

Thank you so much for your candid advice to the OP, some were really harsh (unnecessarily so) even though they were telling the OP the truth, so thank you for your kind and wise words. :-)

[stash11]

Yeah, I agree with everyone on the board. I just graduated and have accepted a position in the ICU. I plan on working for at least 4-5yrs before trying to apply to CRNA school (if that is what I still want to do 4yrs from now). I'm a firm believer that you need time with patients to understand how to handle various critical care situations. You don't get that in nursing school, I even precepted in an ICU environment.

Trying to go into CRNA school without experience would be very dangerous, which is why national council's have set rules in place to prevent this type of thing. It's like giving a child a loaded gun (though I know you aren't a child, I mean that as an expression and not a reflection of you personally).

Do some research about schools, I don't believe you've looked through all the requirements yet. You'll soon find that your GPA and GRE aren't gold when trying to get into CRNA school. Good experience at a high level trauma ICU or CVICU and great references will complete your resume when applying. You need to be ready mentally also, my friends in CRNA school are 3 years in and have only had 12 days off the entire time. Take some time off, make a little money and get your life in order before you take on such an intensive program.

Great post, very true info for the OP to consider, not an easy program at all, I have friends who went through it.

thank you

[OCNRN63, RN]

Thank you so much for your candid advice to the OP, some were really harsh (unnecessarily so) even though they were telling the OP the truth, so thank you for your kind and wise words. :-)

I disagree. Some people really need the equivalent of a verbal dope-slap, because being nice and polite just won't get through to them.

Anybody who says he is too impatient to do the bare minimum of clinical to get into a CRNA program demonstrates a terrifying lack of maturity. I'm not even sure he should be turned loose on an ICU, let alone be responsible for safely administering anesthesia.

[zoidberg, BSN, RN]

i agree. being rude now is better than unsafe anesthesia being administered later.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

it's called sarcasm. :uhoh21:

my bad. i missed the sarcasm.

[soonershok]

I'm sorry if some find the angry comments to the original poster offensive. To be honest it ticks me off. I worked very hard for many years to become a crna. I didn't short cut anything and feel anyone who wants to do this should look for another field to work in.

[MeTheRN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Short answer: No. There is not a way to do this safely. Consider CRNA school to be the CliffNotes of anesthesiology. If you don't come in with basic knowledge and understanding of hemodynamics and vasoactive medications, you simply will not be able to follow, or worse you'll fake it until someone dies. Furthermore, the path to becoming a CRNA is getting longer with the DNAP plans in 2025 and some schools already not accepting anyone with less than 2 years of ICU experience.

Long answer: I was very impatient too when I got into college. I wanted to do my 4 years and get out and start living my life. Somewhere along the way, I matured...a lot :yelclap:. I realized that nursing was not a stepping stone to becoming a CRNA, but it was its own wonderful profession with incredible rewards for those intelligent and sensitive enough to reap them. After adopting this view point, the BSN flew by and I found myself working on a step down cardiac unit. About two weeks into it, I was offered a position in the ICU because of my due diligence and enthusiasm, as well as my good grades and etc. I was and am insanely grateful for the opportunity. In the ICU is where you really get your brain around the pathophysiology and pharmacology because you see a direct cause and effect relationship between pharmacological and nursing therapies and how the patient reacts. You also get close and person with the ventilators and learn about different settings and how to trouble shoot respiratory disorders.

Currently I am in a CRNA program and I can't tell you how many times I've referred back to my ICU experience and it has saved my butt! I got into school after only being in the ICU for a year, but again I never downplayed the importance of my ICU job and I would have gladly stayed for a few more years if the opportunity hadn't presented itself. I have friends who graduated with me and wanted to become CRNA's. Along the way, one failed out of nursing school, one is working on an orthopedic floor, and one is considering becoming a PA. You're still very new to your profession, give it a chance before you jump ship. It can be and is a fulfilling lifelong vocation for many people, and that is a big reason why people get so upset when they find out someone wants to be a CRNA.

With all that being said, I've heard that there are programs that will train you to be an RN where you get your BSN, work a year in their ICU (obviously at a teaching hospital/university) and then they directly admit you to their CRNA program after a year. Google around a little bit more for an option like this, it's probably the closest thing you can find to what you want. I don't remember any in particular (please don't PM me asking because I don't remember), just something I read on some forums when I was researching grad school options.

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

I just have to chime in. Nurse Anesthesia school is not the "Cliff Notes of Anesthesiology". CRNAs and MDAs are two different types of providers providing identical anesthesia care with equal beneficial outcomes. The training is a little different, but it isn't a shortened version of anesthesiologists residency.