More than one way to get acute care experience?

[Inspired By Silence]

I'm interesting in becoming CNOR and CRNFA certified. Both require two years of operating room experience documented. The ACPNP program I'd like to go to after I get my RN license requires one year of acute care experience.

Because I'm trying to plan out my education and experience, don't start with the "you're way ahead of yourself" stuff. It is NEVER too early to plan out your life goals.

Now, is there any way I can combine perioperative and acute care experience into one role? Would a trauma surgery RN achieve both perioperative and acute care experience requirements? What about critical care surgery? Can critical care substitute for acute care?

[PAERRN20]

Yes OR is considered acute care. Especially if you are in a trauma or open heart OR. Generally any department (except maybe rehab) in a hospital is considered acute care.

[SteffersRN87, BSN, RN]

I am not an OR nurse, but...

If you want to be a CRNP, I would suggest working in ICU for at least a year before heading off to the OR. Your assessment skills and awareness of clinical management will become stonger. Actually, working in a cardiothoracic ICU might be a good fit. They are trained to scrub in case of an emergency so that an open heart procedure can be done at the bedside. Then go and get your OR experience!

It is never too early to start planning and thinking about what you want to do and your goals. However, do not let that blind-side you. I wanted ER, ER, ER, and nothing but. I started in ICU for 9 months and now work in oncology and couldn't imagine anything else.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Congrats on thinking ahead with career planning - a very smart move.

There is a purpose for the pre-requisites needed to get into Advanced educational programs like those you have mentioned. Their curricula are based on the premise that you have a the baseline skills/knowledge that are gained through those clinical requirements. These programs are not geared for 'newbies'. If you try to short cut the experience requirement, you are not likely to be successful.

When you go through the interview process, be sure to mention your long-term career plan. It may make all the difference on being hired into a specialty unit without prior experience because it lets the hiring manager know that you are highly motivated!

Best of luck!