FNP-CRNA

sleepwalker, MSN, NP · Mar 15, 2021

You need to present yourself as an RN with no experience. Look for any positions within an acute care setting (adult setting not pediatric) to get your foot in the door and then eventually try to obtain an ICU, CVICU, SICU, etc. position in order to obtain the minimum 2 yrs of critical care experience. Or you could obtain an ACNP certificate in order to work in a critical care setting as a NP...not sure how this would be received by CRNA programs though so I'd do some research on it.

It's a long path...good look

Hoosier_RN, MSN · Mar 15, 2021

1 hour ago, sleepwalker said:

You need to present yourself as an RN with no experience. Look for any positions within an acute care setting (adult setting not pediatric) to get your foot in the door and then eventually try to obtain an ICU, CVICU, SICU, etc. position in order to obtain the minimum 2 yrs of critical care experience. Or you could obtain an ACNP certificate in order to work in a critical care setting as a NP...not sure how this would be received by CRNA programs though so I'd do some research on it.

It's a long path...good look

I thought ACNP wanted bedside experience? Not sure, as that's not the track I took for my MSN

sleepwalker, MSN, NP · Mar 15, 2021

16 minutes ago, Hoosier_RN said:

I thought ACNP wanted bedside experience? Not sure, as that's not the track I took for my MSN

I'm not sure either...one would think so but I don't know now with some of these direct entry programs

Hoosier_RN, MSN · Mar 16, 2021

9 hours ago, sleepwalker said:

I'm not sure either...one would think so but I don't know now with some of these direct entry programs

To me, that's a little scary

subee, MSN, CRNA · Mar 17, 2021

It's not possible to get into a CRNA program without critical care experience.

Hoosier_RN, MSN · Mar 17, 2021

4 hours ago, subee said:

It's not possible to get into a CRNA program without critical care experience.

I hope you mean 100% direct bedside. That makes me feel safer. I respect what (little) that I know about the CRNA track for not allowing shortcuts

subee, MSN, CRNA · Mar 17, 2021

2 hours ago, Hoosier_RN said:

I hope you mean 100% direct bedside. That makes me feel safer. I respect what (little) that I know about the CRNA track for not allowing shortcuts

100% bedside critical care. Technically, the AANA requires a "minimum of 1 year of critical care...." but, in reality the range is about 3 to 7 years for people who are accepted. I don't understand why this model doesn't apply to every other group of advanced practitioner nurses. It's just not too much to ask of a group that wants to be identified as a profession rather than a skilled trade.

Hoosier_RN, MSN · Mar 17, 2021

I 100% agree. Some NPs are excellent, but the profession itself is being run down by the current model. As we both know, that's a topic of a few other threads on here.

subee, MSN, CRNA · Mar 18, 2021

On 3/17/2021 at 5:03 PM, Hoosier_RN said:

I 100% agree. Some NPs are excellent, but the profession itself is being run down by the current model. As we both know, that's a topic of a few other threads on here.

If they want to be identified as advanced practice nurses, well, they should have some BASIC practice. Otherwise, just keep the online models but call them something else not identified with "advanced" practice nurses. As the medical industry is asking more and more of NP's, the nursing "profession" is asking less and less education. People would be in an uproad if they knew they were being cared for by someone who got through nursing school but never actually performed as a nurse. Kind of like having a doctor who never went through an internship or residency.

londonflo · Mar 18, 2021

On 3/15/2021 at 1:12 AM, kevinm23 said:

I recently graduated from a rigorous brick/mortar school with BSN/MSN with an FNP degree with no bedside experience.

And your reason for not pursuing a position for which you were educated for? An FNP. RN

subee, MSN, CRNA · Mar 18, 2021

1 minute ago, londonflo said:

And your reason for not pursuing a position for which you were educated for? An FNP. RN

On 3/15/2021 at 2:12 AM, kevinm23 said:

Hi,

I need some advice from my fellow nurses. I am a new FNP graduate and I am thinking of becoming a CRNA. A little about myself I recently graduated from a rigorous brick/mortar school with BSN/MSN with an FNP degree with no bedside experience. Before you jump on the bandwagon and rebuke me for not having RN experience let me explain myself I always wanted to become an FNP so I forgo my bedside experience to pursue this dream. In addition, I am a HRSA scholar so I was unable to stop my MSN degree since I received a scholarship that helped fund my schooling. Towards the end of my FNP program, I started to have these thoughts of pursuing my CRNA but I knew I had to go back to being a bedside nurse. The problem is that since I don't have any bedside experience I am afraid that no hospitals will hire me. What should I do to make myself more marketable?

I would hardly call a program "rigorous" if it accepted graduate students for any NP Program who didn't have any nursing experience. EVERYBODY thinks the program they went to was rigorous. They never told you that the market is getting crowded and employers prefer people with experience before they took your tuition money?