CRNA willing to allow me to shadow in or near Savannah, GA

eatmysoxRN, ASN, RN · May 13, 2012

I'm not a CRNA, but I would suggest that you contact hospitals in your area and ask them. I'm sure they can help you :)

Remember how tough CRNA school is, and that you have to be a RN for a while before you can move to this advanced role.

snbell · May 13, 2012

I was worried about doing that after reading someone else's thread that hospitals were turning her down when she tried that route. I guess it varies from area to area.

I found a program for crna (pending approval this June) which doesn't require the normal one to two years ICU experience as all the other programs.

eatmysoxRN, ASN, RN · May 13, 2012

I'd be careful with that. Based on everything I've read, accredited programs require that experience. And you sound like you don't want to be a nurse? Honestly, it isn't feasible. You have to be a nurse to be a CRNA. Anyhow, a CRNA will be employed and the place of employment will have to approve you to shadow as well. Start there. Good luck in your pursuit. I hope you are in it to be a nurse. Not just for the paycheck.

snbell · May 13, 2012

I don't know how you came to those conclusions after reading my statements. o_O However, I appreciate your input.

naptime14 · May 16, 2012

I think the first step would be to shadow a critical care nurse in an ICU. I see that you have a background in chemistry, but this unfortunately is not what it takes. To be a CRNA, one must possess a good amount of critical care knowledge and you will only aquire these skills working in a high acuity ICU as a registered nurse. For example, knowing how to read monitors and knowing what to do in emergency situations, titrating vasoactive drips and inotropes in response to the patient's hemodynamics, making ventilator changes according to arterial blood gases, interpreting labs that are out of range and treating as appropriate....and the list goes on. You will not learn these skills in your first semester of CRNA school. You are accepted into a program based on the fact that you already have these critical care skills.

The interview process to get into a CRNA program is NOT easy and they will ask you several clinical questions as well as give you a critical care test. For this reason, most programs are now moving towards RN's being CCRN certified intead of taking the GRE.

In this program and career field, it is a definite must to climb the ladder. As much as it may hurt one's pride (especially if you already have a degreee), you have to start from the bottom to work your way to the top. So my advice.......

1.Shadow an ICU nurse FIRST (ask a friend if they know someone you can shadow or call a hospital)

2.Shadow a CRNA (if you enjoy your experience, go to step 3)

3.Go into an accelerated BSN program

4.Work for atleast 1 to 3 years in a high acuity ICU where you will get experience with pressors, inotropes, sedation, chemical paralytics, ventilators, swans, central lines, etc, etc.

5.Apply to several CRNA programs (they will like the fact that you have a chemistry background, but will frown upon a lack of nursing experience)

I wish you luck!!

snbell · May 17, 2012

Thank you!!

HenryH · May 18, 2012

I was worried about doing that after reading someone else's thread that hospitals were turning her down when she tried that route. I guess it varies from area to area.
I found a program for crna (pending approval this June) which doesn't require the normal one to two years ICU experience as all the other programs.

Just out of curiosity, what is the name of this program? I thought all CRNA programs had to require the min. year of ICU experience...