nicu?

javajunkie · Nov 29, 2003

NICU is babies, baby. :)

dianacs · Nov 29, 2003

But occasionally, NICU = Neuro ICU

CRNA, DNSc · Nov 29, 2003

Yes some schools do accept NICU as appropriate experience but it may not rank as high because of the limited use of vasopressors and lack of swan ganz catheter experience. Schools will expect you to be experienced in both so you will still need to find a way to get that experience.

loisane · Dec 1, 2003

CRNA, DNSc- I know at one time that former NICU nurses had very high scores on the certification exam. If that is still true, wouldn't that make NICU good experience in the eyes of an admissions committee? What do you think?

Gotta agree about the relative lack of hemodynamic experience opportunities, though.

loisane crna

CRNA, DNSc · Dec 1, 2003

I have seen the high average scores but if I remember correctly the number was based on a small number of candidates. Candidates need the swan experience since the critically ill adults will have them and there is no time to get the experience when in school.

akijitsu · Dec 2, 2003

what do you mean by experience? i am familiar with the swan, all the reasons and ways by which it operates, and what it is designed to do, however, i don't feel as if i could do much to them except to pull them back a little.

should one enter a crna program with more experience than this?

loisane · Dec 2, 2003

Swan experience = practice taking care of patients with PA catheters, obtaining hemodynamic data, relating it to the pathophysiology, and interpreting it to make clinical decisions including titratation of vasoactive drips.

loisane crna