New Graduate Nurse: Which offer to accept?

BigPappaCRNA · May 2, 2019

Neither is ideal for CRNA school, so take the job that fits your needs the best. Work it 2 years. Master it. Then get a job in a BUSY ICU, regardless of what type, and apply 2 years later. You will do great.

guest769224 · May 2, 2019

If you want to go to CRNA school, the obvious choice is the CICU position.

Little River · May 3, 2019

Thanks for responding. Is level-II CICU experience not sufficient for CRNA program application?

ptier_MNMurse, BSN, RN · May 3, 2019

level-2 vs level-1 doesn't really matter for CICU experience. If you are going to emphasize the "big level-1" status it really only matters for ED and SICU (ED stabilizes, SICU takes post-op trauma surgery). Otherwise, the CICU is going to generally get cardiac medical patients (meaning medically managed, with medication rather than surgical intervention) so it really has nothing to do with the level-1/2 status (and neither does cardiac step-down for that matter).

If you want to go to CRNA school, you have to get ICU experience. They generally require a minimum of 1 year ICU experience for admission, however most accepted applicants have 3-5 years of experience in ICU.

CICU is great, but sometimes it seems that a surgical background is preferred for CRNA school. But overall it depends on the applicant all around (grades, experience, extracurriculars, etc.). CTICU (cardiothoracic ICU) or CVICU (cardiovascular ICU) generally have surgical intervention, so you will see and manage patients on the other end of surgery, which is an added bonus for CRNA school it seems. SICU also has this surgical aspect (in the name...haha). If a place has a CTICU (surgical) they generally also have a CICU (medical), whereas other places may have one consolidated CVICU that takes everything (surgical and medical).

CICU is sufficient for CRNA school, as is Neuro ICU, PICU, MICU, NICU, SICU, CVICU, CTICU. They all have their pluses and minuses with specialties and not all are created equally regarding acuity between types and within types between different hospitals. Try to find a place that does a lot of vasoactive drips, lots of intubated patients, art lines, central lines, and all the devices (Impella, IABP, CRRT, VADs, ECMO, ventriculostomies, crani/bone flaps, etc) and you will be in good shape.

For either NP school or CRNA school, I think ICU is a great option as you learn a lot and you get a lot of autonomy. Cardiac step-down nurses are also great, not bashing them AT ALL, they get you tuned up to get home and intervene in tough situations with less resources and stuff can still go crazy often. But the ICU is where you manage more of the lines and devices that you would also managed as a CRNA and is a good background to have with managing critically ill patients as an NP.

Hope this helps! Sorry for the prolonged response!

Good luck!

Little River · May 3, 2019

Thank you so much, ptier_MNMurse. Your explanation is in detail and so helpful. It definitely gives me more information about my choices. I really appreciate you taking the time to do this.

Best wishes to you!

And good luck to you as well!

ptier_MNMurse, BSN, RN · May 3, 2019

No problem Little River! Here's a good website if you are looking at CRNA school. Good luck!

http://www.all-crna-schools.com/what-are-my-chances/

Liberation · May 4, 2019

you will never go wrong with SICU, CTICU in level 1 Trauma (if you are planning to apply to CRNA Schools (for ex: USC in Cali, Duke, Georgetown in Washignton DC..).

If you decide to do NP, any ICU experience at any hospital is great !

Little River · May 5, 2019

Thank you all for responding. I think I know where I am going now.

Best wishes to you all.