How useful is ICU exp when you are finally a CRNA

[icu2crna]

I read in multiple posts that first thing SRNA's are told is to forget what they did in ICU becoz it is OR. It is different than ICU. I was wondering how far it is true? Do you still utilize the knowledge u gained in ICU. Or it is totally different.

Thanks

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

ICU is part of your foundation for anesthesia school. You will utilize your knowledge of drips, ventilators, pathophysiology, and sedations that you used in ICU. Anesthesia and ICU are still vastly different.

[goodgrief]

that's similar to asking, "how useful is GRE for anesthesia school?" not very! there are some basic nursing skills you develop in the ICU (assessing rhythms, listening to breath sounds, assessing vital signs, etc) & some meds you give that are similar to anesthesia. in the military there are many many CRNA's that were OR nurses before going to CRNA school and most of them are excellent providers. I feel that ICU, like GRE, is just another stepping stone you have to take to get into the program, it's a way to weed people out.....sure there are a few things that will help you, but for the most part, those people are right who have told you to throw out everything you learned in ICU

[loveanesthesia]

I am very thankful for my 4 years of ICU experience whenever I care for an ICU patient in the OR. Granted most anesthetics aren't on ICU patients, but when the patient is an ICU patient, I don't know how I'd do it without my ICU background. We just don't consistently take care of those types of patients in the OR to get comfortable with the drips, invasive monitoring, and technology such as IABP. My ICU experience continues to be very important after 20+ years in anesthesia.

[JimBeam]

There are people who do their time in the ICU until they can apply to anesthesia school and there are those who are serious about knowing how to take care of sick people.

Which one do you want taking care of you in the OR?

Which one do you want to be?