Military CRNA Programs

olderthandirt2 · Jun 27, 2009

Can you join Army as an CCU nurse without CCU experience? I have 2 year of experience of Med/Surg Med/Tele experience.

Direct accessions to the USAGPAN program need at least one year of critical care. You can call the program directer at FT SAM Houston (on the USAGPAN website) and ask about CCU experience for admission.

Being in the program now, I would HIGHLY recommend at least a few years of ICU care. You will have a huge learning curve.

And remember, the first year is didactic, so you won't be getting your clinical experience for awhile, which if you have been an rn for sometime......this break will seem like nothing. If you are just learning critical care skills.....having a yr off is alot.

good luck

c.

Kosmonavt · Jun 27, 2009

Correct me if I'm wrong, but on the Army website it says that one needs to serve 2 years as an active duty officer before being eligible to apply for CRNA program. So I was wondering if it's possible to get 1-2 years of ICU experience in the Army and how it's different from ICU experience in the civilian hospital?

olderthandirt2 · Jun 27, 2009

Correct me if I'm wrong, but on the Army website it says that one needs to serve 2 years as an active duty officer before being eligible to apply for CRNA program. So I was wondering if it's possible to get 1-2 years of ICU experience in the Army and how it's different from ICU experience in the civilian hospital?

Below is the link for the USAGPAN program for DIRECT ACCESIONs (ie civilians or reservist).

If you are active duty, depending on the needs of the army.....you can have the "required time-in station" waived (i.e. USAGPAN needs to fill seats for the upcoming class...). However, if you are not in the Military (active duty) this does not apply to you.

The requirements are listed below.

If you are wanting ICU experience, at this point you would be better off getting civilian experience, because it is may take longer to transition to critical care as an Active duty rn. Once again, "the needs of the military" come first.

http://www.dns.amedd.army.mil/crna/Application_Information/Direct%20Accession%20Reserve%20Officer%20applicants%20for%20Class%202009.htm

Some key eligibility requirements for accessing onto active duty to complete long term health education and training in anesthesia nursing are:

a. Age. To be eligible for appointment as an Army Nurse Corps officer you meet current maximum age restrictions. Please ask your Health Care Recruiter about any age restrictions. Applicants that currently hold an Army Nurse Corps Appointment (Army Reserve/ARNG) should also ask their Health Care Recruiter about any possible age or age-ingrade restrictions.

b. Grade. USAR/ARNG field grade officers should discuss the process of obtaining a waiver for entry onto active duty with their healthcare recruiter early in the application process.

c. BSN from an accredited nursing program. Applicants must have earned a BSN from an accredited nursing program recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and acceptable to the Department of the Army (DA). Programs that were accredited either by the National League of Nursing (NLN) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) at the time of graduation are considered acceptable programs.

d. Current License. Evidence of current, unrestricted licensure as a registered nurse is required with the application and prior to accessing.

e. Clinical Experience.

1) Applicants must demonstrate that they have had or will have at least one year of experience as a Registered Nurse in a critical care setting prior to the start of class, this includes emergency department and PACU experience. During that time, the applicant should have had an opportunity to: 1) develop as an independent decision maker, 2) demonstrate psychomotor skills, and 3) display the ability to interpret and use advanced monitoring techniques based on a knowledge of physiological and pharmacological principles. Preference for this Critical Care requirement is within 12 months of application.

2) Critical Care experience is defined as: critically ill adult or pediatric clientele requiring continual 24-hour care in specialized care units designed for extended care (ICUs, Emergency Room Departments, and progressive PACUs). Furthermore, the clientele must require the use of invasive hemodynamic and respiratory monitoring. Highly-qualified applicants should have experience in selected critical care competencies including electrocardiograph monitoring; bedside dynamic dysrhythmia recognition; hemodynamic monitoring; and arterial blood gas interpretation. Advanced Cardiac Life Support Provider certification is highly encouraged but does not substitute for bedside clinical experience in critical care.

3) Direct accession applicants who are not applying as Critical Care Nurses (AOC/ASI 66H8A) will need a letter from their critical care supervisor attesting to the applicant's competency in the above described clinical skills or plan for attaining future competency within the next year. Additionally, applicants not applying for the 66H8A identifier must demonstrate evidence of competency in critical care skills by presenting a completed Pre-Enrollment Verification of Clinical Competencies checklist to the Army health Care Recruiter before entry onto active duty.

Kosmonavt · Jun 27, 2009

I understand the importance of the critical care/PACU experience. But at this time there are no open positions in my area. Therefore I'd like to know if it's possible to get the initial CCU exprerience in the Army and how it's different from civilian exprerience? Do they mostly take care of the seriously wounded solders? Or what kind of patients the Army CCRNs take care of?

olderthandirt2 · Jun 27, 2009

I don't know. all my critical care experience was civilian or volunteering with the military on medical missions.

I do know that you might not get assigned to a ccu or icu directly after you commision. They generally like to see you do a year of med-surg before you can ask for an icu assignment. And you might have to take the Army critical care course (3 mons I think) before you can go into an ICU. Unless you are coming in with a 8A identifier (ICU) which requires documented proof of ICU hours.

check out the military forum on this site.....someone on that site can probably answer your question.

good luck

c.

firefiter61 · Jun 29, 2009

Hi. I am doing some research for my husband who is considering CRNA school. He has been enlisted ANG for 12 years and is now wanting to get his commission for active duty air force. My husband's nursing experience is in the ICU and he told the recruiter he wants to be an ICU nurse and then wants to pursue CRNA. She said he had to do time on station for 2-3 years before he was able to go to school. I was thinking why not go ahead and start applying to schools. He could get accepted and be finished with the program before he would be eligible being active duty. My question is.....If he got accepted into a program, would the military, or even the VA for that matter, pick him up then and pay for his school and offer a stipend with obligatory years of service? We were considering Air Force only because it is "family friendly", but I just read that the army program accepts civilians. I appreciate any and all of your input.

boynurse2 · Jul 16, 2009

My friend's income was similar to mine and I was making around 75000 at an Army hospital. He was a Captain at the time. As a CRNA in the Army he is making low 110000-115000, and the army paid him while he went to school + no tuition. But he owes 4yrs of service. Keep in mind that the military program is the hardest one around with an attrition rate of 20%!! If you finish the didactic portion in the first year and then step into clinical hell and quit the first week then you still owe the Army 4yrs. They will put you in the unit and an overseas tour as well. You will receive an excellent education though.

The VA offers a softer program that has the didactic portion with the military and then clinical mostly in Augsta, Ga with some on the Army base. You get your salary while you go to school and owe the VA 3yrs at which ever VA sponsored you. But you have to be working at the VA for a year when you apply. Not many people apply. I talked to the asst chief, Star, and she told me (a couple years now) less than 10 people apply for 3-4 slots.

olderthandirt2 · Jul 17, 2009

My friend's income was similar to mine and I was making around 75000 at an Army hospital. He was a Captain at the time. As a CRNA in the Army he is making low 110000-115000, and the army paid him while he went to school + no tuition. But he owes 4yrs of service. Keep in mind that the military program is the hardest one around with an attrition rate of 20%!! If you finish the didactic portion in the first year and then step into clinical hell and quit the first week then you still owe the Army 4yrs. They will put you in the unit and an overseas tour as well. You will receive an excellent education though.
This is not all together accurate. You pay back time, according to how much you have "taken".......So, if you decide to "drop out" from the program, it depends when.....as to "how much time you owe the army". The Attrition rate varies with each class. Alot of the attrition is do to "family situations....." so, please take the attrition rate with a grain of salt....
I am in this program right now.....it is going GREAT. Not nearly as difficult as I imagined. I know phase II will be more rigorous, but not insurpassable.
The VA offers a softer program that has the didactic portion with the military and then clinical mostly in Augsta, Ga with some on the Army base. You get your salary while you go to school and owe the VA 3yrs at which ever VA sponsored you. But you have to be working at the VA for a year when you apply. Not many people apply. I talked to the asst chief, Star, and she told me (a couple years now) less than 10 people apply for 3-4 slots.

This is accurate.

If you have questions let me know, I am in the phase I right now,

c.

milkman · Jul 18, 2009

I heard the VA was going to increase the number of spots at Ft. Sam to 10. Is that true? Or is it still 3-4.

olderthandirt2 · Jul 18, 2009

I heard the VA was going to increase the number of spots at Ft. Sam to 10. Is that true? Or is it still 3-4.

I don't know. You might want to ask your VA rep.

Also "a prior poster" stated the VA program had a "softer" clinical rotation.......I am not sure of that info either. I do know they go to Augusta GA and that Augusta is also a Phase II site for Army SRNA (different hospitals though, I think). And we all do the same didactic.

good luck

c.

lweatherby · Jul 21, 2009

Does anyone know if the VA and/or military consider pediatric ICU as countable toward ICU time?

olderthandirt2 · Jul 22, 2009

Does anyone know if the VA and/or military consider pediatric ICU as countable toward ICU time?

Military does accept Peds ICU as "ICU experience". However, they won't give you an "ICU identifier" when you access into Active duty.....the "8A" is only for Adult ICU......

LTC, our program director told us that over 100 people have applied for next years class so far......

good luck,

c.