Neuro ICU vs. Transplant ICU for CRNA School

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I recently was offered both positions within a large level 1 trauma hospital. Both intrigue me but I'd like the best experience for CRNA School. Any advice? Thanks!!

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Specializes in ICU, trauma.

hmm im not sure if it will make that much of a difference considering they are both ICU.

As a neuro ICU nurse though i probably make use of more sedative agents than a transplant ICU would. Which may be better than a transplant ICU? However, more surgical experience with transplant. I think either or would be good for CRNA school

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I'd say go for whichever has the best money/lifestyle/etc. We have nurses from all types of ICU in each class for my program. 25% of my class has a neuro background. My personal opinion would be the transplant ICU just because it sounds more fun with sicker patients and I love anything SICU related.

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If by transplant, you mean heart/lung and liver, then definitely that. If not, toss up.

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Its abdominal transplants so liver and kidneys..

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Its abdominal transplants so liver and kidneys..

Do the transplant over neuro. Liver transplants are some of the most unstable and difficult patients you will encounter, especially in the OR. It will serve you very well I think.

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Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

Wouldn't a neuro ICU be pretty lite on the sedation and pain meds so that patient's mental state could be realistically assessed? I've never worked in a neuro ICU, but it seems that a surgical ICU would be a better fit.

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Specializes in ICU, trauma.
Wouldn't a neuro ICU be pretty lite on the sedation and pain meds so that patient's mental state could be realistically assessed? I've never worked in a neuro ICU, but it seems that a surgical ICU would be a better fit.
It depends. Yes, maybe a fresh moderate head bleed that i'm observing i dont want to sedate him to assess his mental status. That being said the patient next door who is intubated with an EVD and an ICP in the 30's, sedate...sedate...sedate!
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Specializes in ICU.
It depends. Yes, maybe a fresh moderate head bleed that i'm observing i dont want to sedate him to assess his mental status. That being said the patient next door who is intubated with an EVD and an ICP in the 30's, sedate...sedate...sedate!

I understand what you are saying. I was floated to a Neuro ICU a few months ago. I had a patient on various sedative medications such as Ketamine, which I never used or seen in other ICUs such as Cardiac and Trauma. Those drips are at a set rate and usually not missed with. Not good for CRNA school in my opinion. Neuro patients are hard for me to deal with on a daily basis. I personally would not pick that.

To the OP...Pick Transplant. You will have more familiarity with titrating drips, Swans, Art line, etc. Patients getting weaned and extubated quickly. I would also advise trying to get a year of Heart Transplant in before CRNA school.

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Specializes in TSICU.

Neuro is a pretty pigeonholed specialty with very minimal conditions and comorbidites. Sure you get to see lots of cool stuff, but overall exposure to other aspects of medicine are limited compared to many other ICU's.... but for application purposes as long as its adult ICU most programs dont care (as long as you tell them you deal with all the different drugs and invasive monitoring).

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Specializes in ICU, trauma.
I understand what you are saying. I was floated to a Neuro ICU a few months ago. I had a patient on various sedative medications such as Ketamine, which I never used or seen in other ICUs such as Cardiac and Trauma. Those drips are at a set rate and usually not missed with. Not good for CRNA school in my opinion. Neuro patients are hard for me to deal with on a daily basis. I personally would not pick that.

To the OP...Pick Transplant. You will have more familiarity with titrating drips, Swans, Art line, etc. Patients getting weaned and extubated quickly. I would also advise trying to get a year of Heart Transplant in before CRNA school.

Depends on the facility i guess, we dont use ketamine. We use vec which is a titratable drug with TOF
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Specializes in Cardiac/Transplant ICU, Critical Care.

I am a Cardiac/Transplant ICU and having worked dozens of shifts in other ICUs (SICU, MICU, CCU, NICU). My advice is go with the Transplant ICU. It will give you more experiences with SWANs, vasoactive drips, fluid resuscitation, aggressive extubation protocols, titrating sedation, and hemodynamics. :yes:

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