CRNA wanna be wants to know: RN or BSN first???

allnurses Guide · Jul 23, 2009

hi everyone, changing careers at 35 (previous business development and marketing experience), i'm currently finishing my aa nursing pre-major (4.0 student) and can't decide to go for rn or bsn, being that crna is my final goal. i have been told by a crna that i should get the rn, get icu experience while i get my bsn and then apply for crna school. she argued that one would get more clinicals with rn and more "managerial" with bsn. and a good crna needs both. but another crna told me to just apply for a fast track to bsn and that rn school is not really needed. i need to star applications and i am very confused as the counselors at my community college keep pushing me towards rn and the counselors at the the local university push for a bsn... i want to do the right thing, please help!

first, off quit listening to either school counselor....of course both of them are going to push their own school's nursing program. next if your sole goal is to get into crna school as fast as you can (which i don't recommend) then compare the two programs to see which one would get you to your end goal the quickest. a lot of times it takes just as long to get your adn as it does your bsn d/t wait lists/pre-reqs etc. personally, i would lean towards the accelerated bsn program since you already have one degree and the time requirement would probably be about the same or less as getting your adn.

out of curiousity, why have you decided to pursue getting your crna?

Phlavyah · Jul 23, 2009

hi!! thanks for your reply!! you are so right! i did get sick of listening to school counselors and spoke directly to the head of the crna program to ensure i'm in the right track. she basically said “i don't care way, asn + bsn or just bsn if fine with me...". as of right now, i am pursuing my asn because my current school has presented me with one obstacle after another towards my aa graduation. i.e.: deadline misinformation, "computer glitches" dropping me off courses; not honoring previous credits taken (against what they had promised); making me take english test to prove i speak the language (i have a previous degree in business and marketing from the usa), now asking me to take a foreign language (i am fluent in portuguese, lived in brazil from birth to 19 years old, took 10 years for foreign language in high school and college but my foreign language choice was english), asking that i retake 12 credits of liberal arts (i'm a 4.0 student), the list goes on, and on... i pay all cash; get no grants, loans, scholarships... anyway, i digress... the plan now is to get the asn and go back to my previous university to get the rn to bsn while i work. the plan might change; i'll keep investigation different schools and options.

speed of accomplishment is not as important to me as is quality, i want great experience, instruction and direction; so that i can be very good at what i want to do and provide excellent care to my patients. i have a feeling that it might take longer than an accelerated bsn w/ 1 year of icu experience... it might work for some people, but i know the kind of learner i am and i don't think i'll feel confident enough with just that under my belt.

why crna? i have wanted to be an anesth. md from the time i was a child, heavily influenced, but discouraged by both my anesth. md parents. time passed, life happened, and many obstacles later, i find myself in the position to pursue the dream. there are no crnas in brazil, so the fact that i can pursue such field as a nurse in this country is immensely appealing, to the point i can lose sleep just imagining what it would be like.

urgh! thanks for the lending ear... sorry for the soap-box speech/rant

again, thanks for taking the time to post.

phalvyah :-)

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Jul 24, 2009

moved your thread to pre-crna inquiry forum

shandsburnRN-CRNA · Jul 26, 2009

Hi, here are my $0.02,

I had been a Paramedic for 6 years when I decided I wanted to be a CRNA. I enrolled in Paramedic to RN program, which was only 1 year instead of the normal 2 years. After graduating I worked as a staff nurse and charge nurse at a level I university based teaching hospital in the Burn ICU. While working I completed my BSN and gained my required ICU experience for CRNA school at the same time, effectively killing 2 birds with one stone. Some, for whatever reason, seem to think you need a decade of ICU experience before going to CRNA school. On the contrary, get what you need to apply and start applying, the longer you are out of school the more you will forget how to study and will find yourself out of "school mode".

The ICU is not going to teach you how to be an anesthetist, your CRNA program is. However, I reccommend getting into a Level I ICU, where you will find the sickest of the sick, learn your fundamentals, get your CCRN, and concentrate on your vasoactive drips, vent functions/settings, etc. Having a good understanding of these will help in CRNA school.

My timeline from ADN graduation to starting CRNA school: ADN in 4/2005 & started CRNA program 1/2008; graduate 5/2010.

Good Luck