Has anyone done only 1 year of critical care out of school then CRNA School?

sandman1914 · Jun 11, 2006

I love the prospect of being a nurse. I love bedside care. Patients really make me thankful for my health and family. I am older (54) and I want to become a CRNA after my year of critical care so I can help my patients on a higher level. I already have my BSN and most prereqs.
What's the shortest time you've heard being a critical care nurse, then going into CRNA school? Can you really be in CRNA school after just one year of critical nursing? I dont know, I might miss bedside too much. Thats really a short time. thanks!
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It is not unheard of for someone to be accepted into a program meeting the minimal time for critical care nursing. It will depend upon the program you are applying to and more importantly, the INDIVIDUAL. If you are fortunate enough to meet all the requirements and get an interview, it is your job to market yourself to the institution you are applying for. I know someone who was accepted into a program with 7 months of critical care experience, but will have more than a year of experience by the time his course starts. There are many others on this board who were accepted into programs meeting the minimal experience needed also.

krzysiu · Jun 12, 2006

A friend of mine had one year experience. She was accepted as a student at large (which I hear is less common now). She was fully accepted and is doing fine....

chris

mammothsnw · Aug 2, 2006

Does anyone have a list of schools that accept only 1 year ICU experience..and I mean 1 year from first day on job till first day of CRNA program.? I'm noticing most schools say one year ICU on their website, but they want you to have it done by the time you interview which is usually 8 months before the program starts.

utahliz · Aug 2, 2006

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BEN_RN12 · Aug 3, 2006

In May 2005 I graduated with my BSN. I immediately began working full time in a 30 bed combined SICU/MICU/TICU/ Neuro unit, where I was a nurse tech my senior year of school. I also began working in at OR PRN at a local orthopedic hospital where I primarliy circulated however I did cross-train as a scrub. I took the job to become comfortable with the OR environment ie sterile field and I also wanted expose myself to the world of anesthesia. I used every down moment to assist, observe, and ask questions of all the anesthesia staff. I was literally working 60+ hours a week. I ended quiting in January 2006( hours were drastically cut and I became bored with OR nursing). I look at that time spent in surgery as months of shadowing time. In February I took another PRN job working at a physicians office performing conscience sedation(administering Versed and Fentanyl) for in office procedures. I applied to CRNA school in March of 2006, interviewed in June and was accepted in July. At that time I had about 1 full year of ICU experience. I attribute my acceptance to my well rounded application accompanied with a good gpa, great references and a average gre. So to answer you question Yes one can get accepted to school with a year of critical care experience. I believe its what you do with that year that truly separates you from the rest.

csojet · Aug 3, 2006

Yes, it is possible to be accepted with 1 year of experience but I believe you will have better luck if in this predicament at a larger program. The smaller programs tend to prefer people with 2-3 years, also CRNA admissions committees tend to favor experience in an ICU at a large teaching facility. In my program I have yet to meet a person with one year of experience, but at another nearby school there are students with only 1 year of experience and not at the time of interview, but by the time they enter the program.

Hope this helps.

nurseabc123 · Aug 3, 2006

In May 2005 I graduated with my BSN. I immediately began working full time in a 30 bed combined SICU/MICU/TICU/ Neuro unit, where I was a nurse tech my senior year of school. I also began working in at OR PRN at a local orthopedic hospital where I primarliy circulated however I did cross-train as a scrub. I took the job to become comfortable with the OR environment ie sterile field and I also wanted expose myself to the world of anesthesia. I used every down moment to assist, observe, and ask questions of all the anesthesia staff. I was literally working 60+ hours a week. I ended quiting in January 2006( hours were drastically cut and I became bored with OR nursing). I look at that time spent in surgery as months of shadowing time. In February I took another PRN job working at a physicians office performing conscience sedation(administering Versed and Fentanyl) for in office procedures. I applied to CRNA school in March of 2006, interviewed in June and was accepted in July. At that time I had about 1 full year of ICU experience. I attribute my acceptance to my well rounded application accompanied with a good gpa, great references and a average gre. So to answer you question Yes one can get accepted to school with a year of critical care experience. I believe its what you do with that year that truly separates you from the rest.

Hi, I will grad. from my BSN program in 2007 and am interested in pursuing CRNA school (I actually just shadowed a CRNA today..).. Just a quick question, if you didn't mind... Do think working in the OR PRN made a significant difference in your application? Did this come up in your interview a lot? Any other info you have to offer would be great. Thanks..

BEN_RN12 · Aug 5, 2006

Hi, I will grad. from my BSN program in 2007 and am interested in pursuing CRNA school (I actually just shadowed a CRNA today..).. Just a quick question, if you didn't mind... Do think working in the OR PRN made a significant difference in your application? Did this come up in your interview a lot? Any other info you have to offer would be great. Thanks..

I do believe that having OR experience helped my overall application to school, it certainly didnt hurt. Great ICU experience was weighed heavily also. My OR experience was brought up during the interview process and they were impressed that I had juggled one full-time and one prn job which demanded 60+ hours a week of my time and both can be mentally and physically exhausting. I assuming like CRNA school is. I would recommend to any planning on applying to school to have at the very least shadowing experience if for nothing else to become comfortable with the OR surroundings.

nurseabc123 · Aug 5, 2006

I do believe that having OR experience helped my overall application to school, it certainly didnt hurt. Great ICU experience was weighed heavily also. My OR experience was brought up during the interview process and they were impressed that I had juggled one full-time and one prn job which demanded 60+ hours a week of my time and both can be mentally and physically exhausting. I assuming like CRNA school is. I would recommend to any planning on applying to school to have at the very least shadowing experience if for nothing else to become comfortable with the OR surroundings.

Thanks you for your prompt response. I have been reading these boards for sometime now as well as talking to various anesthesia applicants in the hospital that I work in -- and I just thought that your experience seemed unique and impressive. Thanks again.

srna2008 · Sep 20, 2006

Do you think the time teching in ICU helped. I have been a tech in a SICU/Trauma ICU throughout nursing school. I have learned far more in there than I have in nursing school. We recover hearts, so I am familiar with recovering these patients (vents, swans, drips). I graduate this december and plan to work at a larger hospital (level 1 trauma) in either the CVICU or the Trauma ICU. I hope all those hours I spent working while my fellow students were going out or studying pay-off by getting into CRNA school as quickly as I can.

louloubell1 · Sep 21, 2006

Do you think the time teching in ICU helped. I have been a tech in a SICU/Trauma ICU throughout nursing school. I have learned far more in there than I have in nursing school. We recover hearts, so I am familiar with recovering these patients (vents, swans, drips). I graduate this december and plan to work at a larger hospital (level 1 trauma) in either the CVICU or the Trauma ICU. I hope all those hours I spent working while my fellow students were going out or studying pay-off by getting into CRNA school as quickly as I can.

Being a tech on the unit isn't going to help you get into anesthesia school any more quickly because it is experience as an RN that is necessary for admission. Not to say that the experience isn't valuable. It is, and it will help you when you start as a new nurse on the unit, but it won't fill any part of the pre-anesthesia school requirements.