In a recent post someone mentioned that it is not unusual to spend 5 years in an ICU prior to being accepted into a program.
Here is my question - How many years of ICU nursing experience did each of you have when you were accepted to a program? Also - are there people who were denied acceptance for the sole reason of lack of ICU experience who were then accepted at the same school after a year or more experience?
I realize that people may have 3-5 or more years when being accepted to CRNA school, but was this because they didn't apply until they had that much experience? It seems to me I have seen many posts from those who applied after one or two years... Thanks in advance for any replies.
Hi everyone!! I've been a phantom on this board for several weeks and I thoroughly enjoy it. I recently found out that I have been accepted into the program at The University of Cincinnati. I was an alternate last year. Thanks so much for the many insights into this process.
I have been an ICU nurse for almost ten years. Personally, I never considered CRNA until the past 4 years. From my perspective it is wise to get a few years under your belt. Anesthesia is serious business and you are totally responsible!! The level of trust placed in the hands of CRNA's is enormous and this should humble even the most experienced ICU RN.
In addition, nursing has many options besides anesthesia. I'm very satisfied with my career choice because I've been a nurse long enough to explore other choices. Regarding ICU experience- I work with many nurses with less than two years of ICUexp. Most of them are highly intelligent and skilled nurses however, it takes most people more than a couple years to fully grasp ICU nursing and understand the "whats" and "why" of critical care nursing. I encourage all CRNA hopefuls to research this profession along with other graduate programs before committing to anesthesia. Good Luck to all- Gasmama
3 years ER (level-0ne trauma) 2 years ICU SICu/micu. Applied as soon as I finished my RN/BSN. Good grades, average MAT score. However, it seems there are many in my class with 2-3 years experience, but usually high grades and GRE scores. Although, there is no substitue for experience, it is not the end all be all that many think, for one reason, anesthesia is totally different than bedside nursing, and your academic ability is very important if you can't pass the test they don't care how long you were a bedside nurse. Bottem line, if you think you are ready go for it and just try to learn as much as you can at the bedside, but remember it is different and you are going to be a novice again when you get to the next level. Good luck!!
Thanks, that was great feedback - congratulations to everyone! It just goes to show how far determination can get a person. Maybe it is just me, but I felt so proud reading over all of the posts, especially those that did not give up on their dreams!! Good luck to all.
Hi All! I am a new user to the board and have found the posts interesting and informative. The question I have is that I have one year of CCU experience that I did right out of Nursing school. I opted to work for a small 16 bed rural hospital in Idaho, and am concerned that I will not have the clinical experience needed to be accepted in a CRNA program. Has anyone been accepted with a rural nursing background? Or should I quit the wonderful job that I am now in and go work for a larger hospital with an ICU?
I had 15 months of ICU experience, which is how long I had been a RN as well. In the interview, they actually called me on this (the fact that I was a "fairly new nurse") and I had to be prepared to answer them. Overall, it is the whole entire package you present to them and years of ICU experience is one component.
IBorg
32 Posts
had many yrs of icu experience,