Neuro ICU and Interventional Radiology experience

[Tonithetiger]

I recently interviewed for a Neuro ICU RN position in a level I trauma center in pittsburgh. I am really excited about the position, but I hope to eventually go to CRNA school and I am worried about if schools will consider NICU as good enough experience. I have seen threads where some people say NICU is good experience and others saying that it isn't. The unit that I interviewed on has an Interventional radiology OR on the floor and nurses are trained to take their patients to the OR and assist there if needed. The nursing manager that I interviewed with said that I will need to get comfortable with conscious sedation in that role. Do you think that this will make my NICU experience more competitive? Thanks in advance to anyone who responds!

[BigPappaCRNA]

IF it is a big, busy unit, your Neuro-ICU will be just fine. Not sure the sedation and helping in the radiology OR will help you all that much. But neuro ICU will be fine. There is this continued myth that CVICU is the best, and this is just patently not true. They generally deal with one system only, same as you. If you do feel you must switch units, try to get into a busy Surgical/Trauma ICU. This will round out your experience and give you a multi-system perspective.

Good Luck.