I'm in... with one year experience

armynse · Feb 14, 2008

I strongly agree with Neurogeek on this one. As a new CRNA, it is disappointing to me that any school would even consider interviewing a new grad RN with less than 1 year of ICU experience (at the time of the interview). Through admitting individuals with minimal nursing experience, the CRNA profession as a whole becomes weaker. Assuming you had a proper ICU orientation (~3 months), Forrest Forrest Gump, you will have barely 1 year of independent practice as an ICU nurse before you become an SRNA. Anesthesia school assumes you have mastered the role of ICU nurse and goes from there. While 1 year of experience is enough to master the technical aspects of being an ICU nurse, it is inadequate to master the higher level perspective that every pt deserves when being cared for in such a vulnerable state. Anything less short changes both the individual pursuing the education and their patients. I went to anesthesia school with a very intelligent, highly motivated, hard-working nurse who had less than 2 years of ICU experience before starting school. I was frequently shocked by the things she didn't know, not directly related to anesthesia, but medical things she would have known if she would have spent more time as an ICU nurse. I know that the 5+ years I spent working in various ICUs before I went to school served me extremely well.

Ditto for me. I was somewhat concerned, when I read this thread, due to the fact that Gump will be attending school with very little (nursing) experience. No matter the confidence expressed, the lack of clinical knowledge that can only be gained from bedside experience will likely be revealed in the OR. Knowing what's in the textbooks and knowing there's something acutely wrong with your patients just by looking at them are two different animals!! As a new grad in the ICU, I can remember thinking I'd never develop that sixth sense that the experienced nurses had. However, it will come to you after you've experienced it over the years. Due to the differing lengths of ICU orientations for new grads, many schools are now requiring 2 yrs ICU experience prior to entry into anesthesia school. Gump will only have about 9 months of experience upon matriculation. I have 5 yrs of ICU experience and I've worked in a variety of critical care settings...there's so much to see and learn. In fact, I'm still learning in these final months before my program begins.

For those nurses looking to get into anesthesia school with only one year of ICU experience, please stop to consider what you don't know about the critically ill patient. As a new nurse you will probably not be given the sickest patients because you have yet to master the technical skills or time management. My plan was to go to CRNA school as soon as I got that one year of experience, but I was wise enough to recognize my own limitations. Your lack of experience and critical thinking skills WILL surface in the OR. By then, it's too late, you will find out exactly what you don't know and it will probably be a painful learning experience.

There's a reason seasoned ICU nurses feel this way and it's because we all have worked with new grads. Take the time to learn how to manage patients with multiple co-morbidities before you attempt to learn the art of anesthesia.

Army :twocents:

californianurse · Feb 14, 2008

Hey Just,

Sorry if I offended you. I had a few moments during my night shift and wrote that at 2:30 am my time. I realize that AANA requires critical care experience, vs. my comment of ICU experience. I am not an elitist, as I hope my previous post and other postings on this forum have shown. I fully agree that critical thinking and therefore critical care is gained in many different settings; PACU, ED, etc. As a student, I worked in an inner-city ED with level I trauma, saw more **** go down, more codes and just crazy stuff than I've seen in ICU. I've never seen cardiac massage in the ICU, but I did in the ED. Anyway, thanks for reminding me of the requirement for critical care experience vs. ICU. Sometimes I forget that because quite simply (no elitist thoughts here), my first job as an RN is in an ICU, two other co-workers of mine got into school, my BSN grad-mates work in an ICU and will be applying for CRNA school next year and most posters on this forum tout their ICU experience. My point is that I'm surrounded by ICU nurses trying to get into CRNA school. I really and truly enjoy hearing of RNs from other backgrounds, especially since I am still a new nurse. Personally, I will stop considering myself "new" at something once I've been doing it for a minimum of 5 years, but that's just me. Other people may have varying opinions and that's okay. Alright, it's 8:15 am--time to go to bed.

If I offended anyone, I didn't mean to. Happy Valentine's Day!!! :redbeathe

one_crna · Feb 14, 2008

BTW...when I was an SRNA, one of the first questions many CRNAs asked me was what type of critical care experience I had and how long I worked before school. I don't know any CRNAs who would be impressed by someone doing the minimum to get into school - it is likely they will be much harder on you.

one_crna · Feb 14, 2008

Just curious One_CRNA, why do you think that CRNA school requires only one year of ICU experience in order to gain admission, if it's so much more beneficial to have 3-5 years of practice? I wondered this myself as I applied to schools, with over 2 years of experience by next fall (1 yr 8 mo experience by time of interviews). Anyway, I applied, and was accepted to multiple programs. I'm trying not to let other people's more extensive experience get into my head and just focus on myself, my own merits and my own potential. But still, that question tends to pop up in my head every now and then.
My boyfriend, who's an emergency medicine physician resident tells me that "CRNA school will be 'the leveler' just like medical school is". He had a BS in biochem from Berkeley, GPA 3.98, and said that his first quarter was a breeze for him, because it was all a repeat of biochem, and other students were struggling a bit. But once the year(s) progressed, everyone was in the same boat; everything was new to everybody.
I wonder if the AANA will ever suggest to increase the minimum ICU experience, if it is found to be that much more beneficial. I'm curious to hear of the grad school experience of other RNs out there who have 1-2 years ICU experience by the time they enter CRNA school. Please note that I'm writing this with a light heart.

I think the AANA wants to give schools some discretion on determining the appropriate experience for their applicants thus the 1 year critical care minimum. That said, I personally believe that the AANA should change it to a 2 year minimum - approximately 1 year experience prior to interview, 2 years by the start of the program.

In some ways, anesthesia school is a leveler but only in regards to what they teach you in school and the OR. The experienced student (3-5 yrs critical care) who takes full advantage of the educational opportunities given to them will come out much farther ahead in the end than someone who barely had enough experience to get into school. Like I said...I can't believe that anesthesia schools would even consider interviewing someone in this category (

one_crna · Feb 14, 2008

This route is not for everybody, but I am proof that you can do it. And I feel like I am very well prepared for the program. I just want other potential candidates to know that it can be done.

There is no real way of knowing how prepared you are until you actually get into the OR and do it yourself. Shadowing a CRNA for 40 hours will not tell you how prepared you are because the great ones make anesthesia look easy.

Forrest Forrest Gump · Feb 15, 2008

Thanks to some for the congrats and well wishes.

The reason I posted here is to encourage others not to be bothered by the experienced ICU nurses telling others you should have the same years of experience that they have. I would not be going into a CRNA program right now if both I and the admissions committee didnt think I were ready.

I think it is great if you were well served by your years of experience. However it is very presumptive to think everyone should have your experience. Even that great CRNA which I shadowed (which he was great) thought that anything more than 1 year ICU experience was overkill. Additionally, he did not have ICU experience (similar to "Just a CRNA") prior to becoming a CRNA.

All the very experienced ICU nurses I work with readily accept me as a very capable cohort, and all think I will be a great CRNA.

To make blanket statements about how disturbing it is that programs would accept someone with my experience is not responsible. It can be discouraging to other highly competent and qualified, albeit lesser experienced, candidates.

CaslaRN · Feb 15, 2008

:yeah:

Thanks to some for the congrats and well wishes.
The reason I posted here is to encourage others not to be bothered by the experienced ICU nurses telling others you should have the same years of experience that they have. I would not be going into a CRNA program right now if both I and the admissions committee didnt think I were ready.
I think it is great if you were well served by your years of experience. However it is very presumptive to think everyone should have your experience. Even that great CRNA which I shadowed (which he was great) thought that anything more than 1 year ICU experience was overkill. Additionally, he did not have ICU experience (similar to "Just a CRNA") prior to becoming a CRNA.
All the very experienced ICU nurses I work with readily accept me as a very capable cohort, and all think I will be a great CRNA.
To make blanket statements about how disturbing it is that programs would accept someone with my experience is not responsible. It can be discouraging to other highly competent and qualified, albeit lesser experienced, candidates.

Hold'emRN · Feb 15, 2008

Gump,

You will do just fine! Do not let others discourage you. You will be taught what you need to know in school. You will not have to be retrained like some of these people with 5 years experience. That is why some of these people with so much experience get turned down for admission every year.

californianurse · Feb 15, 2008

Well said Forest Forest :)

KaeRN · Feb 15, 2008

Thanks to some for the congrats and well wishes.
The reason I posted here is to encourage others not to be bothered by the experienced ICU nurses telling others you should have the same years of experience that they have. I would not be going into a CRNA program right now if both I and the admissions committee didnt think I were ready.
I think it is great if you were well served by your years of experience. However it is very presumptive to think everyone should have your experience. Even that great CRNA which I shadowed (which he was great) thought that anything more than 1 year ICU experience was overkill. Additionally, he did not have ICU experience (similar to "Just a CRNA") prior to becoming a CRNA.
All the very experienced ICU nurses I work with readily accept me as a very capable cohort, and all think I will be a great CRNA.
To make blanket statements about how disturbing it is that programs would accept someone with my experience is not responsible. It can be discouraging to other highly competent and qualified, albeit lesser experienced, candidates.

Well said!

You will do great. I had a very smart and determined friend interview after only 6 months and he also got in. They would have been crazy not to accept him. I think it is very bold to apply so early... and I want a bold person taking care of my family member when they go to surgery!

Some people will be assigned challenging patients after only 6 months because they just get it and are eager to learn, and to the other extreme some people who have been critical care nurses for 5+ years still aren't the person anyone would choose to take care of them. I would say most of us probably fall in the middle somewhere, where we are having to work our butts off (on and off the clock) to shoot for our dream. Thank god when we do go to school we will be around a diverse group of people with different experience levels.

Nacki, MSN, NP · Feb 18, 2008

So what school are you going to again?

manavi · Feb 18, 2008

Gump,
You will do just fine! Do not let others discourage you. You will be taught what you need to know in school. You will not have to be retrained like some of these people with 5 years experience. That is why some of these people with so much experience get turned down for admission every year.

For which school do you serve on the admission committee? Do you have any more advice for prospective CRNA school applicants regarding why they may be turned down for admission?