ER vs ICU with a CRNA focus in the future

Nursing Students General Students

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  1. Best for CRNA Focus in the Future

    • 0
      ER
    • 6
      CCU/ICU
    • 5
      Specialized ICU
    • 0
      Experience of 5 years or more in ER with Trauma level 2 pts
    • 3
      Experience of 5 years or more in ICU with Trauma level 1 pts

14 members have participated

Hello! I am a new nurse will be graduating this MAY 2016! I am lucky enough to have the problem of multiple offers. I have worked in the medical field before as a surgical tech, CNA, phlebotomist, and receptionist. My priorities when seeking out a job were teamwork, options for learning opportunities, and a boss I don't hate. I eventually want to go back to CRNA school but have decided I need to work in either the ICU or ER to strengthen my application for CRNA school and to pay off some loans. Nursing is my 2nd degree. My dilemma is that I love the ER the RNs and basically everything BUT I know most CRNA schools arrant willing to accept ER experience and prefer ICU. Any suggestions as to what to do? THANKS!

TORN :/

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ER is very exciting and diverse, and the trauma in ER is super cool. That said, you have slim chances of anesthesia school acceptance on just ER experience!

You ought to take an ICU job. It'll save you years of waiting and make you more competitive. I had the same dilemma as you when I was a new grad and I chose ICU for CRNA.

Plus, with ICU experience you could easily get an ER job on the side if you still wanted it.

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Specializes in ER.

Most CRNA schools want ICU experience. I have seen one that may consider ER experience. Your odds are greater with ICU even if it is a small ICU. I know people who were accepted to CRNA school with experience in a small ICU.

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I get my ADN this May as well. =D I also hope to pursue CRNA and I'm going to ICU. I know for a fact that the school I want to go to will ​only accept ICU experience and you have to have at least a year in it. They're not picky as to what kind of ICU you're in though. Why don't you check the qualifications for the CRNA programs in your area and see what sort of experience you have to have?

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Specializes in Pre-hospital Critical Care.

You need to decide what you want and why. Why do you want to go to CRNA School aside from the most common reason (money)? I was in the same boat as you. I went into nursing school thinking I want CRNA and that I would work ICU. ¾ through nursing school it was time to interview for jobs and so I interviewed with a few ICU's and an ER job. I was offered a CVICU job and a Trauma 1 ER job. So the decision had to be made. I knew I needed ICU for CRNA, but I loved the ER. I love the adrenaline, the ‘organized' chaos, the fact that at the start of your shift you don't know what the day has in store for you, and the overall attitude of ER nurses. It is more my style, plus I have an emergency care background. Then the CVICU job fell through and I was actually very sad, and hit a wall. I could have easily got another ICU position, but it made me really think why I wanted CRNA and I realized it was for all the wrong reasons. I didn't really like ICU, it didn't like only having two patients, and I didn't like the intense planning in the morning and the checklist style nursing. Don't get me wrong, you will learn a lot in ICU and you have to be smart, but it's a completely different animal. So if you love ER, do ER. If you know you want CRNA and you've shadowed and you are adamant, then you HAVE to do ICU and probably for quite some time as CRNA competition is stiff. You have to get the hemodynamic experience and even though some ERs do have areas where patients are essentially in an ICU bed, CRNA school wants you to have that experience daily.

Sit down and make sure you know what you want and what your passion really is, otherwise you'll be miserable.

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Thank you! I actually did accept an ER position instead of ICU even though I was offered both I'm hoping to maybe be able to float up there. Critical clinicals were our last ones and I loved ICU but when I got to ER I loved it too. The nurses were what made my decision for me you spending 36 hours a week with these people and they felt like family to me.

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Specializes in ER.

I actually have a friend that just graduated from a CRNA program in Florida and he said he did very well in the program. He only had ER experience but it was from a trauma center. He did well and graduated at the top of his class. So it still can be done.

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