Georgetown School of Nursing (question regarding ICU experience)

[swimmer2007]

Hi guys. I was just looking around on the Georgetown site and noticed this little tidbit.

"The Direct Entry program is an option that allows students to apply to the Accelerated Second Degree BSN program and one of our six graduate nursing programs at the same time. The Direct Entry program, still requires a student to complete the 16 month BSN program, but then allows them to directly enter into Master's work after taking the NCLEX licensing exam."

And in the link to the "one of six graduate programs link" was Nurse Anesthesia. Does that mean that you can get into the anesthesia program without have the ICU experience? Or maybe it could just mean that you are guaranteed a spot and have to go get the ICU performance before starting classes?

I'll probably call the program tomorrow to find out for sure but was wondering if anyone knew about it, or if anyone who went to Georgetown knows about it.

[Summitk2]

Definitely call the school and get the info directly.

There are a few schools that provide a pseudo-Direct Entry program for anesthesia, Georgetown being one of them. I don't know how many students are actually accepted this way, versus the traditional post-Bacc experienced ICU applicants. You cannot get around the 1 year of experience mandated by the Council on Accreditation, period (and why would you? would you want an inexperienced nurse putting you under?). As the description reads, you apply for (and hopefully accepted to) both the accelerated BSN and the anesthesia programs at the same time. You will have 1 year of critical care nursing experience before you begin the anesthesia portion of your education. Whether that experience is part of your "education," or how your critical care practice is overseen by the school, I don't know.

Let us know what you find out.

Summitk2

[swimmer2007]

You are correct. What I found out is that the ICU experience is something that you will need to complete before you begin the anesthesia program. So once you obtain the BSN, you must go gain the 1+ year(s) of ICU experience, while they hold a spot for you when you want to go and complete the CRNA schooling. Phew, would have been scary to know that some might not have had that crucial experience administering drugs that may very well save a person's life. =]