New grad ICU RN - advice about CRNA ?

sokouture · Sep 30, 2013

My GPA is 3.17 and science GPA is 2.90. GRE score is 297. I have 1 year STICU experience in a level 1 trauma center and I have my CCRN. Applied to 4 schools and I already got 2 interviews. Waiting to hear from the other schools. You have a great GPA. Do well on the GRE. Take it soon so that you can take it again if you need to. CRNA schools aren't nearly as competitive as it used to be because so many schools are opening up, and many schools like TWU accept a lot of students (150/year). This worries me a little out of fear of over saturation, which will drive salaries down. Don't let anyone discourage you from following your dreams. Again, your GPA is pretty competitive especially compared to mine. :) I'm applying with one year experience but you will be more competitive with more ICU experience. I worked Med-Surg for 2 years prior. After one year, I feel like I've only gained the basics of ICU nursing and I'm just now putting it together. I'm applying anyway. :) Good luck!

Da_Milk_of_Amnesia, MSN · Sep 30, 2013

1. How important is your undergraduate GPA? Someone in my nursing class said that without a 4.0 I shouldn't bother applying. I'm somewhere between a 3.4-3.7.
2. Would it be advisable to go ahead and take the GRE now since I'm pretty fresh out of school? and
3. How many years ICU experience is preferable? I love my job and am obviously going to stick with it another year at least before applying so that I have a good handle on it.
Will CCRN help my application?

1. Undergraduate GPA is very important. However whoever told you without a 4.0 you shouldn't bother applying is severely misinformed. I had a 3.17 and got into CRNA school. If you have good grades in your sciences and a good GPA you should not have a problem.

2. GREs - PErsonally I looked at schools that did not require the GREs. The GREs are NOT a good indicator of someones potential success in graduate level education. A lot of schools are doing away with them. Some school still require them. Do some research and look around. If you are not afraid to move away from home then your options increase a lot.

3. Honestly, most of the people you are going up again have an average of 3-5 years and more. I'm sorry but only being an ICU nurse for 1 is not enough. At 1 year you have only touched the iceberg of things to learn. 2 years is Ideal, 3 is even better. It's not really about how much experience you have but the quality of the experience. Working in a small catch-all ICU where you've never seen a IABP/ CRRT/ ECMO or iNO or anything else super complex, it not going to help you. You need to know every single drug inside, out and upside down. I'm in CRNA school right now and to be honest, you need to be able to multitask and do it EXCEPTIONALLY well. You are literally doing a million different things when you are intubating someone and then subsequently stabilizing them. One mistake, depending on what it is could kill someone very, very easily.

4 CCRN - Everyone in my class has it, and most people who you are competing with will have it. Once school I know for sure, UMDNJ requires it, but there maybe others that do also, I do not know exactly. You need 1 full calendar year of ICU experience before you can apply to sit for the test. It comes to be like 1800 hrs of ICU time or something like that. Which usually comes out to a full year.

- You should really research what it is they do. Not only that but you need to go shadow a CRNA for a couple days. Depending on what state you are in, depends on how much or how little you will actually get to do. It's not exactly what you may think it is. And while you're at that, ask yourself why you want to be a CRNA. A lot of people come right out nursing school and want to be a CRNA for all the wrong reasons.

icunurse1987 · Sep 30, 2013

You CAN apply with only one year experience and you can definitely get into school, but you probably have to work in a large or high acuity ICU.

Regarding how much experience is best, there are two questions: (1)how much experience is ideal, and (2) how much is minimally necessary to get into school.

(1) Yes, staying longer in the ICU will allow you to learn more and be better prepared for school, but you don't need 2, 3, or 4 years before you are truly ready. Staying longer will make you a better ICU nurse, but once you really understand your vasoactive medication and hemodynamic monitoring and ventilator settings, you are ready. You are going back to school for a different profession than ICU nursing, so more and more ICU experience can be overkill. My friends have said that the first thing they tell you in CRNA school is to forget what you learned in the ICU. The OR is a different setting, and things are done very differently there. They want you in the ICU to learn basic hemodynamic monitoring skills, and to learn to perform under stress.

(2) Regarding how much time is minimally necessary to get accepted, like I said, you can apply with less than 2 years experience in the ICU. There really are schools that will take you if your grades and GREs are good. But like I said, being in a large surgical ICU will help you if you are trying to get to CRNA with just minimal experience.

I have heard the CCRN really helps. It demonstrates a certain level of experience and professionalism. I would take it. Take the GRE. Just set a time, study hard for 3 weeks, and do it.

HenryH · Sep 30, 2013

You CAN apply with only one year experience and you can definitely get into school, but you probably have to work in a large or high acuity ICU.
Regarding how much experience is best, there are two questions: (1)how much experience is ideal, and (2) how much is minimally necessary to get into school.
(1) Yes, staying longer in the ICU will allow you to learn more and be better prepared for school, but you don't need 2, 3, or 4 years before you are truly ready. Staying longer will make you a better ICU nurse, but once you really understand your vasoactive medication and hemodynamic monitoring and ventilator settings, you are ready. You are going back to school for a different profession than ICU nursing, so more and more ICU experience can be overkill. My friends have said that the first thing they tell you in CRNA school is to forget what you learned in the ICU. The OR is a different setting, and things are done very differently there. They want you in the ICU to learn basic hemodynamic monitoring skills, and to learn to perform under stress.
(2) Regarding how much time is minimally necessary to get accepted, like I said, you can apply with less than 2 years experience in the ICU. There really are schools that will take you if your grades and GREs are good. But like I said, being in a large surgical ICU will help you if you are trying to get to CRNA with just minimal experience.
I have heard the CCRN really helps. It demonstrates a certain level of experience and professionalism. I would take it. Take the GRE. Just set a time, study hard for 3 weeks, and do it.

Could you name some of these programs? Thanks...

Da_Milk_of_Amnesia, MSN · Sep 30, 2013

Go look at CRNA Schools. It has a lot of information and breaks it down by different categories. While there is a lot of information, I suggest you verify some of the information.

icunurse1987 · Oct 1, 2013

I would say most schools in north carolina. Duke is going to Be most difficult of this batch. Also check out wolford in florida

tigerita · Oct 1, 2013

Thanks for all the insight, it's a huge help. I'm really just beginning to seriously consider the idea so I still have a ton of research to do before making a decision but it seems like I'm (hopefully!) on the right track. Like I said, I would definitely wait at least another 1-1.5 years before applying so that would put me at the 2 year mark. And although the ICU I work in is a bit of a catch-all I've already gotten experience with IABPs and crrt. We don't do ECMO at our facility but it's likely I'll be moving to work in a higher acuity hospital within the next year. Thanks again!

Spoiled1, MSN, RN · Oct 1, 2013

Just out of curiosity, what schools have you applied to? I've only applied to one school so far and will be applying to a few more in January.

My GPA is 3.17 and science GPA is 2.90. GRE score is 297. I have 1 year STICU experience in a level 1 trauma center and I have my CCRN. Applied to 4 schools and I already got 2 interviews. Waiting to hear from the other schools. You have a great GPA. Do well on the GRE. Take it soon so that you can take it again if you need to. CRNA schools aren't nearly as competitive as it used to be because so many schools are opening up, and many schools like TWU accept a lot of students (150/year). This worries me a little out of fear of over saturation, which will drive salaries down. Don't let anyone discourage you from following your dreams. Again, your GPA is pretty competitive especially compared to mine. :) I'm applying with one year experience but you will be more competitive with more ICU experience. I worked Med-Surg for 2 years prior. After one year, I feel like I've only gained the basics of ICU nursing and I'm just now putting it together. I'm applying anyway. :) Good luck!

sokouture · Oct 2, 2013

I got an interview at LSU and TWU. I've also applied to Our Lady of Lake, MTSA, University of North FL and FIU. I've applied to six schools because I'm not very "competitive." It's been an extremely tedious and expensive process. Your GPA is great, so you shouldn't have any problem getting accepted. Are you applying for fall 2014? I would suggest getting your CCRN since you do not have much experience.

sokouture · Oct 2, 2013

Sorry @Spoiled1. I thought I was responding to @tigerita.

tigerita · Oct 5, 2013

I haven't applied anywhere yet as I am still researching everything and don't feel like I have enough ICU experience to feel comfortable yet. LSUHSC might be my first choice though.