do you need to go to a nursing school to become a CRNA?

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I am currently finishing my 4 year degree in respiratory therapy. I have taken calculus, Biology 150 and 151, 2 semesters of College Physics, 2 semesters of General Chemistry, a semester of microbiology and 2 semesters of Organic Chemistry as well as 2 semesters of Anatomy. I am having second thoughts about going to Medical school, with my gpa of 3.7 i still feel that i might want to go and keep my ming open to other work, i have been influenced on a few people that tell me how great being a CRNA is.

I really have statred thinking about a CRNA but with all this i feel as if i would have to start all over and go to nursing school....

With my degree I am able to work full time in a hospital setting and do lots of work with patients. the demand is increasing because the courses you need to take are pretty much the same as a pre med work.

IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO? COULD I GET ACCEPTED INTO A SCHOOL FOR CRNA WITHOUT BEING A RN? KEEP IN MIND I WOULD BE WORKING AS A REGISTERED RESPIRATORY THERAPIST, WOULD THIS EVEN DO ANY GOOD?

THANK YOU!!

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Hello and welcome to allnurses.com

Good to have you with us.

No, you cannot become CRNA w/o being an RN.

The RN in CRNA means registered nurse. A CRNA is a registered nurse who advances their practice in anesthesia.

To become CRNA, you will first graduate from an RN program, sit for and pass RN NCLEX and work for at least 1 year in a critical care setting such as the ICU. Then, go to a nurse anesthesia program and graduate with a masters degree (MSN) in nursing. After graduation, you will sit for and pass the nurse anesthesia certification boards. Then, you will be a CRNA.

Please check out this sticky thread about FAQ regarding the CRNA career path:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f227/read-first-how-become-crna-faq-123275.html

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It sounds to me like maybe you should think about being an AA (anesthesia assistant). They do the same sort of job with the same sort of pay. I don't think that you need a nursing degree to go into that. However, they can not practice in all states and I don't know how stable their job situation will be someday. Also, you could look at being a PA (physician's assistant).

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You do need to go to nursing school but one option is a second-degree bachelor's program. You probably have all or most of the prerequisites. Programs are as short as 12 months. You wouldn't be the first respiratory therapist to go back to nursing school in order to become a CRNA. Do some career investigation--both medical school and CRNA school are commitments too big to make without being sure of your career path.

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Specializes in LPN school.

Take a shot at med school. you've got all the prerequisites, might as well study for a month or so and give a go at the MCAT.

You could do the CRNA thing. A guy I work with is a RRT, but he got his nursing ADN, and is now currently getting his acute care nurse practitioner license. So it's definitely feasible - you'd just have to do a bachelors-MSN bridge course, which MANY schools offer.

3 years to get a BSN, i'm guessing. 1 year of ICU experience. Then CRNA school.

I can't speak about AA's because I know nothing about them.

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An AA program requires prerequisites very very similar to medical school. All you need is those prerequisites, MCAT or GRE (varies by program), and a bachelors degree.

In practice, CRNA = AA. However, a CRNA can practice in all 50 states while an AA cannot. The AA thing is growing though.

There are accelerated second degree BSN programs all over the place. I am entering one myself. They require a bachelors degree in a non-nursing field and some prerequisite courses. The programs are usually 1 full year in length (3 semesters). You then have a BSN and are an RN and can head on to any graduate nursing program (except the ones that require critical care experience, NNP, ACNP, and CRNA off the top of my head).

Physician Assistant is also something you can look at. They are similar to nurse practitioners but do not require a nursing background. They are taught more off the medical model while CRNA/NP is taught more off the nursing model.

AA is to CRNA as NP is to PA in my opinion.

PM me if you'd like any other info. I thought seriously about all 5 paths (med school, AA, CRNA, PA, and NP) and I have done extensive research on them all.

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In practice, CRNA = AA. .

Except for the fact that AA's don't practice independently, anywhere.

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Except for the fact that AA's don't practice independently, anywhere.

Legally, both are required to work under a doctor. However, sometimes a CRNA can get away with working under any doctor, not necessarily an anesthesiologist. An AA is legally required to work under an anesthesiologist.

However, the job descriptions and pay are pretty much identical.

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Legally, both are required to work under a doctor. However, sometimes a CRNA can get away with working under any doctor, not necessarily an anesthesiologist. An AA is legally required to work under an anesthesiologist.

However, the job descriptions and pay are pretty much identical.

I'm not sure if you're intentionally trying to be misleading or have just been misinformed but, for clarification, there are no laws that require a CRNA to be supervised by an anesthesiologist anywhere in the US, even for medicare reimbursement in the non-opted out states. There is no "getting away with" anything, which suggests we have found a loop hole and are circumventing the law. An anesthesiologist supervising a CRNA is a group or hospital policy/practice, not law. CRNA's do not need an anesthesiologist to practice. CRNA's need a physician to request anesthesia services, and if you want to label that as "working under", well, it's your label, but it's inaccurate at best.

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Specializes in ICU, currently in Anesthesia School.
Legally, both are required to work under a doctor. However, sometimes a CRNA can get away with working under any doctor, not necessarily an anesthesiologist. An AA is legally required to work under an anesthesiologist.

However, the job descriptions and pay are pretty much identical.

WRONG.

When an anesthetic is given by a CRNA, it is under the discretion of the CRNA what technique/method/interventions. There is no LEGAL REQUIREMENT that places the CRNA "under" a physician as it has been firmly established (Frank v. South, Chalmers-Francis v. Nelson) that anesthesia is the practice of nursing when performed by a CRNA. Most states have collaboration language in the Nurse practice acts, as NO provider (MD/CRNA) would give an anesthetetic without a surgeon/dentist/podiatrist in the room (uh...surgery anyone?). As you can read elsewhere on this board the "supervision/medical direction" language you refer to is found only in CMS reimbursement language and it only affects payment methods for different practice situations, NOT the CRNA's scope of practice, or their independant practice ability.

In the OR, CRNA's can/do make independent decisions and those decisions are owned by the individual CRNA's that make them- Regardless of the billing set up.

AA's are bound to follow anesthesiologists BY STATUTE. They cannot practice independantly, and must perform the prescibed anesthetic as set forth by the anesthesiologist. Variations/Deviations from the anesthetic are therefore the responsibility of the anesthesiologist.

Forever- Please, for the sake of all on this board, and my poor fingers- Refrain from making supremely incorrect statements about a profession that you apparently are ill-informed on.

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My information comes from Case Western Reserve University. I'll be sure to call them and University Hospitals up and let them know they are providing false information.

Is the job description for the Anesthesiologist Assistant (AA) profession equivalent to that for a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)? Yes. When AAs are employed within the same organizations as CRNAs, the job description is usually identical. One fundamental difference is that AAs must work under the medical supervision of a licensed anesthesiologist. Conversely, in some unique clinical settings (usually not at tertiary care centers), a CRNA can practice under the medical supervision of any physician (not necessarily an anesthesiologist).

Maybe I misunderstood what Case Western is saying in their FAQ, but that is how I interpreted that statement.

If I interpreted that statement correctly, please let me know so that I can call CWRU and tell them they are lying to students!

Oh and my apologies for thinking that Case Western Reserve University knew what it was talking about. I'll let them know they are "ill informing" their prospective students.

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Specializes in ICU, currently in Anesthesia School.
My information comes from Case Western Reserve University. I'll be sure to call them and University Hospitals up and let them know they are providing false information.

Is the job description for the Anesthesiologist Assistant (AA) profession equivalent to that for a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)? Yes. When AAs are employed within the same organizations as CRNAs, the job description is usually identical. One fundamental difference is that AAs must work under the medical supervision of a licensed anesthesiologist. Conversely, in some unique clinical settings (usually not at tertiary care centers), a CRNA can practice under the medical supervision of any physician (not necessarily an anesthesiologist).

Maybe I misunderstood what Case Western is saying in their FAQ, but that is how I interpreted that statement.

If I interpreted that statement correctly, please let me know so that I can call CWRU and tell them they are lying to students!

Oh and my apologies for thinking that Case Western Reserve University knew what it was talking about. I'll let them know they are "ill informing" their prospective students.

I can take care of the notification for you, please provide me with the link to the above quote out of case (my searches have proven fruitless for the above faq.) and I am sure Mr.Kless will be happy to correct erroneous information that, if truly posted, was placed by someone unfamiliar with the profession.

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