I'm in... with one year experience

Nursing Students SRNA

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I know there has been some speculation on this board in the past about if a nurse with the bare minimum experience should (or could) go to CRNA school. Well, I just got accepted.

I graduated in July 07 with my BSN. I was in a non-health care field prior to my BSN. I immediately went to work at a large teaching hospital in a med surg ICU. I worked very hard to learn everything I could, and I feel like I am currently a very competent ICU nurse.

I have been accepted to my program of choice for fall 08, when I will have one year experience as a nurse.

Understand I am not trying to shortcut anything. I worked very hard on my school studies and my clinical experience to be well prepared. I scored very well on the GRE. I shadowed a CRNA for ~ 40 hours. I have a 3.7~3.8 GPA. I spent my own time understanding the hemodynamics of the cardiopulmonary system, the MOA/effects of different vasopressors. I work with (and understand) vents, settings, therapies.

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.

I personally would rather invest time in trying to become an experienced CRNA rather than an experienced nurse. They are two different things.

A

Please don't forget that CRNA stands for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. Also, you can never go wrong in becoming an experienced nurse - especially if your goal is to have a successful career in healthcare.

I think AACN is on to something with the fact that you can't sit for the CCRN exam without ~2000 hours of critical care experience. If they didn't value experience, then they would let anyone who could pass the exam and pay them money use those credentials. Instead, the organization has decided that they want CCRN to actually mean something and that means that someone who's been an ICU nurse for 1 minute can't be a CCRN - no matter how brilliant they are. I stand by the argument that someone who doesn't even have enough clinical hours to sit for the CCRN has no business starting anesthesia school. Good grief...

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Specializes in ER, SICU.

congrats FFGump, I did it too with minimal experience, am a current student, and am finding that I am doing just fine.

I am wondering where everyone gets their "sixth sense" halos that you seem to have. Who decides how many years gives you good judgement? When I was in the ICU I was constantly told that my biggest weakness was that I was not quite proficient at bed making! (and this was in a trauma ICU level one) I wish I was joking. Do you think I should have stuck around for another year or two to perfect this skill before going to anesthesia school? The road to SRNA is not necessarily 2-5 years of ICU. Please consider that this is a guideline not an absolute.

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Forrest, congrats on getting into CRNA school, that is awesome! I am starting an accelerated BSN this May and I plan on going to nurse anesthetist school soon after that, hopefully. My question is how did you get your manager to write you a letter of rec even though you had only worked in the ICU for 3 months or so at that point. That is the problem that I think I will run into if I try to apply after a year. By the way, did you go to the "W"? I think there was a Forrest in one of my classes and you are in MS. Not too many Forrests' out there. Congrats again!

SC

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Specializes in ICU.

The CRNA I shadowed, and the one who wrote me an excellent recommendation, said he only had about 6 months of nursing experience when he was accepted into CRNA school about 30 years ago. Now he is one of the best in his group. He had no reservations of recommending me (in ICU for 8 months now). My interview is scheduled for Friday. I don't know if I'll get in but I'm sure the admissions committee are seasoned enough to determine if I'm truly ready. And FYI - I have taken some of the sickest patients/ most critical patients (1:1 care) and been congratulated by my charge nurses and others in my ability to get them stabilized.

So I will agree that having many more years is a huge advantage, just as it would for someone to enter BSN school after CNA/ LPN/ MA experience, but it doesn't meant that it should have to be the standard. Let's leave that to the admissions committee!

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These percentages are the number of admitted students with various years ICU experience? If so that's great for us "seasoned" ICU nurses still applying to CRNA school!

No, these numbers were number of years experience in ICU before school of actual practicing CRNA's, not students.

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:heartbeatThis has been a very interesting topic. When I read the first few threads the first thing which came to my mind were the words of my one "seasoned" nurse on my floor. When I started she criticized the management for accepting new grads directly into ICU. To keep it short.. .six months laters, I was elected into the performance improvement committee, again she wasn't happy claiming what do new grads know. In a couple of instances I have had family members send her out of the room on my days off, and upon my return recieve letters of praise for a job well done from the same family. Some cardiologist will specifically recommend I take their IABP patients; WHY, they trust my judgment.

If we were MD's, it will be a requirement that, every Anesthesiologist first become an Intensivist. I think the one year experience is good, just as having High GPA/GRE scores are good but remember none of these can determine with certainty ones abilities as CRNA. I have meet some excellent CRNA's who had very little ICU experience and some very bad CRNA's with >10years ICU experience.

I will advice any potential candidate to apply when he/she feels ready to begin.:up::heartbeat

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Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency.

So, I just received my welcome packet and student handbook that contained a laundry-list of assigned readings to be completed prior to the start of my class on 16 June 2008...

Here's an excerpt from my student handbook that I'd like to share, it falls under self-motivation:

"Nurse anesthetists have a long and respected history of providing quality anesthesia care. You will be expected to continue that tradition. Merely striving for minimum standards, academically, physically, or clinically, jeopardizes your standing as a professional. It will be expected that you strive for excellence throughout the entire course."

One year of critical care experience is a minimum standard. I rest my case!!!

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"Nurse anesthetists have a long and respected history of providing quality anesthesia care. You will be expected to continue that tradition. Merely striving for minimum standards, academically, physically, or clinically, jeopardizes your standing as a professional. It will be expected that you strive for excellence throughout the entire course." One year of critical care experience is a minimum standard. I rest my case!!!

You are quoting from an anesthesia student handbook. The statement suggests that merely striving for minimum clinical standards as an anesthesia student breaks with the tradition of nurse anesthesia. No one will deny that as a clinical student you should strive to get well more than the minimum 450 anesthestics. There are dozens of clinical "minimums" that one should try to exceed.

The OP, however, was talking about standards to be accepted into a program. If the Council feels that 1 year of experience prior to entry into a program is satisfactory, then that's the rule. If it wasn't satisfactory, then they would require more.

I've been a member of several boards of admission, and can tell you that many applicants with 1-2 years of experience make dandy anesthetists, while some with 10-20 years of experience are so hide-bound that they can't function without rules. Making final determinations are left up to committees for this very reason. One must review a lot of variables before deciding for or against a candidate...and his committee saw things that impressed them in a favorable way. I suggest everyone let this go and find some bigger fish to fry.

Just

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Specializes in Surgical/Trauma ICU.

Armynse,

You have very quickly become quit the expert on the CRNA profession. Per your profile, you have 4.5 years of experience under your belt yet you write like so many of the old, should not be working any more, nurses that lumber through the ICU. Attempting to limit a potentially very successful (and must be threating) young nurse. I believe that this forum was intended to motivate and even praise our accomplishments. Who are you to tell someone they are not qualified to attend a CRNA program? The answer: NO ONE. The bottom line is that someone thought Forest capable and competent enough to give him a very highly sought after spot in a program. While it is your opinion, and your right, you should try taking a more supportive stance. When you yourself are a CRNA, and you have a better understanding of what it takes to be successful (not knowing at this point in your career) then you can voice your opinion, and it will be valid. Until that time, you should work to motivate and not cast judgment on someone you have never meet and have no understanding of the clinical competence.

Magno79

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Thanks to "Just" and "Mango" and all the others showing their support.

Trust me. I have complete faith in my abilities to become a great CRNA. No doubts.

I would just like encourage others to work hard towards their goals and not be discouraged by those on this board trying to change the standards for the admissions committees and the AANA.

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Specializes in SICU.
Armynse,

You have very quickly become quit the expert on the CRNA profession. Per your profile, you have 4.5 years of experience under your belt yet you write like so many of the old, should not be working any more, nurses that lumber through the ICU. Attempting to limit a potentially very successful (and must be threating) young nurse. I believe that this forum was intended to motivate and even praise our accomplishments. Who are you to tell someone they are not qualified to attend a CRNA program? The answer: NO ONE. The bottom line is that someone thought Forest capable and competent enough to give him a very highly sought after spot in a program. While it is your opinion, and your right, you should try taking a more supportive stance. When you yourself are a CRNA, and you have a better understanding of what it takes to be successful (not knowing at this point in your career) then you can voice your opinion, and it will be valid. Until that time, you should work to motivate and not cast judgment on someone you have never meet and have no understanding of the clinical competence.

:yeahthat::yeah:

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Dear Mr Gump:

We regret to inform you that at this time you have been declined for acceptance into our anesthesia program due to your lack of 6th sense. This requirement is clearly listed in our pre-requisites. Without this mandatory skill you will fail. Please feel free to apply again, 3 years 2 months 17 days and 16 hours from now, when you have aquired your 6th sense.

-Sincerely

Board of Admissions concerned only with years of experience

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