One year CRNA program?

[MsHazel]

I had someone tell me in passing that it was crazy to take the long route to become a CRNA, that her sister did it in one year or a maybe a little more by taking all the prerequisites for the program first (after working in critical care for the required time, of course). She said that she may have gotten her masters first. I am having a very difficult time finding information on this, prerequisites or a masters degree to make the program shorter. I am not looking for the schooling to be easy, so please don't assume, but why not take this opportunity if I can? I have not seen this person again and hope that someone can help by giving some information or just a link. I live in Houston, Texas, but would travel if it would make the program quicker, thank you.

[Abundant]

Great perspective. It has been said before, but I think it is worth saying again. AAs and CRNAs are interchangeable in some jobs, but not all. There are many practice's available to CRNAs that are not available to AAs. An AA can always be replaced by a CRNA, but many CRNAs can never be replaced by an AA. AAs must work in the ACT in a minority of states (they are fully licensed in less than 18 states, several of the states they count AAs either are practicing without official recognition which can go either way once the state gets around to dealing with them, or they are limited to specific facilities), while CRNAs can work independently in every state. Huge differences that will become more important as health care reform progresses.

Thanks, I know the extra time to learn the healthcare profession will be well worth it. I want to provide the best care I can to my patients so if that means me spending extra years to learn healthcare fully then so be it. I also think its important to be able to work anywhere in the states after schooling, not just selective states. I've been accepted to the Univ of Miami Accelerated Nursing Program - BSN and then onward to become a CRNA.

[studyingcrna]

No way, your friend was misinformed. CRNA is a masters level program. I am not even aware of anything you can get a Masters degree in, in one year, let alone something as technical and specialized as CRNA. Hope this helps!

[Spode]

Anyone who finished a crna program in one year, even if one existed would not even get close to touching me. Didactic course alone are over a year. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is........

[canchaser, BSN, RN]

Siue in Illinois. It is a nursing program. Here u can take up to 24 credits before declaring a major. This had letme continue working. It is a 30 month program. . I will only be out of work for 18 months cause of this. If u find a program that allows classes to be taken prior to acceptance then take them. It shows dedication and makes school easier letting u focus on the crna classes

[paindoc]

Interesting! So some CRNA programs are not 24-33 month continuums but may be broken up. This is different than AA and MDA programs that require a continuous involvement. As for AAs, they demonstrate the amount of training that is necessary is much less than that acquired by CRNAs or MDAs, and given their malpractice occurrences are no higher than CRNAs, suggest CRNAs are overtrained. Anesthesia is largely a technicians job 99% of the time, and it is likely competition between CRNAs and AAs will eventually begin to cause a much needed reduction of the incomes of both groups. For virtually everything most CRNAs do, a 2 year RN followed by a year of anesthesia training would suffice. Just like it was in the old days before the MS CRNA degree was required. If the CRNAs really believed the current training level is absolutely necessary (BS, MS, one year experience inbetween), then they would not permit CRNAs without earned MS degrees or having completed a 24 month program (the minimum required in the US at this time in CRNA schools) to continue to be grandfathered in at the same level as current graduates. If a CRNA with a 2 year RN and a year certificate or 18 month certificate is less adept or demonstrably less capable than a CRNA with a MS or doctorate degree, why do CRNAs grandfather these inferior CRNAs at the same level as current graduates? If they are equally capable, then the current CRNAs are receiving excess training than what is needed for the job at great cost to the health care education, and thereby inflating the incomes of all CRNAs.

[loveanesthesia]

CRNAs are not unique in "grandfathering" when educational standards are increased. I've worked with anesthesiologists who never attending a residency in anesthesia. Would they be credentialed to practice anesthesia if they started now? no, but they were 'grandfathered' and there are numereous other examples in other professions. We've been over the 3 year RN and 18 month CRNA issue before. There are very few CRNAs with this type of education because the assocaite degree RN programs didn't start in most areas until after the requirement that all students entering a CRNA program must have a baccualaureate degree. The "CRNAs are over educated" claim is new, I don't agree. I don't think a program only enrolling a CRNA student full time for 18 months is a move in the right direction, it reflects the impulse to treat the student as a consumer rather than providing an optimal educational process. Far from common.

[stanman1968]

I guess a 4 year residency really is not needed I mean how many anesthesiologists are practicing with a three year residency, or without board certification. If a CRNA is overqualified then that means an anesthesiologist is hugely overqualified to deliver an anesthetic, you know that technical thing.... but wait do you not here numerous claims in the superiority of MD delivered anesthesia? If there are any pay cuts needed anesthesiologists really are hanging in the wind.

[paindoc]

You are incorrect. Anesthesiologists at least in the last half of the last century, had to attend a residency program. You could not be "grandfathered" in as an anesthesiologist any more than a FP could be grandfathered in as a surgeon. CRNAs use that as their designation in acquiring jobs, credentialing, etc. It is ridiculous that inferior trained nurses should be permitted to brandish the same certification as those with vastly more training.

[loveanesthesia]

You are incorrect. Anesthesiologists at least in the last half of the last century, had to attend a residency program. You could not be "grandfathered" in as an anesthesiologist any more than a FP could be grandfathered in as a surgeon. CRNAs use that as their designation in acquiring jobs, credentialing, etc. It is ridiculous that inferior trained nurses should be permitted to brandish the same certification as those with vastly more training.

FP's have done surgery well into 1980's, (C/S, hernia's, T &As)and physicians have been credentialed to deliver anesthesia at least into the 1990's who have not completed a residency in anesthesia. Physicians practice on their MD license so it is up to the individual hospitals to grant them credentials, and it was not unusual for a FP to move into anesthesia in the 1960-70's and remain in practice for 30 years. For CRNAs certification indicates you met the certification standards, BS vs MS is an educational degree, and it would not be appropriate for a CRNA, BS to identify themselves as a CRNA, MS but they are still a CRNA.

[paindoc]

My point exactly...CRNAs have the blessing of the entire nursing field and nationwide credentialing to be able to practice. FPs doing surgery had no certification at all by anyone to do surgery...they just did it. This is still happening at some small hospitals after the year 2000. So a nationwide certification of widely varying levels of skill and training of nurse anesthetists would be the equivalent of the American College of Surgery granting fellowship status to a family doc doing tonsils....not gonna happen now or ever did in the past. CRNAs are denigrating their profession by having such enormous differences in training ranging all the way from a 2 year RN plus minimal certificate program being granted the same certification as those with a 4 year or more BSN plus MSN with up to 33 month training in NA school. The American College of Surgeons would never consider certifying the inferior...why would CRNAs as a national entity do so?

Yes, anesthesiologists are vastly overpaid for what they do.

[stanman1968]

You are incorrect. Anesthesiologists at least in the last half of the last century, had to attend a residency program. You could not be "grandfathered" in as an anesthesiologist any more than a FP could be grandfathered in as a surgeon. CRNAs use that as their designation in acquiring jobs, credentialing, etc. It is ridiculous that inferior trained nurses should be permitted to brandish the same certification as those with vastly more training.

My point is that ANESTHESIA RESIDENCY "note the word residency was only 3 count them 3 years at one point now it is 4, the change is relatively recent, any of those three year MD's practicing? any go back for one more year? no well I guess that 4th year is just not needed, same with boards you know there are anesthesiologists who have NEVER taken boards well guess they are not that important I mean most practice at least one year before taking the written portion if they were so important don't you think they should be taken BEFORE they practice. Really anybody jumping through unneeded hoops (at least by your logic) would be the anesthesiologist.

It is ridiculous that inferior trained MD's should be permitted to brandish the same certification as those with vastly more training.[/

[loveanesthesia]

nationwide credentialing to be able to practice....

CRNAs are denigrating their profession by having such enormous differences in training ranging all the way from a 2 year RN plus minimal certificate program being granted the same certification as those with a 4 year or more BSN plus MSN with up to 33 month training in NA school.

#1. The fact that I am certified by the National Board does not grant me "nationwide credentialing". Each individual hospital/surgi center has the authority to credential me for a scope of practice as a CRNA. For example, I have had to document for a hospital my experience in epidural placement in order to be credentialed by that hospital to place epidurals. The hospital did not automatically grant me the credential based upon my certification, and not all CRNAs practicing at the hospital had the same credentials.

#2. As a profession dating to the 1880's it is inevitable that educational standards have evolved. As I'm sure you understand, it would be ridiculous to throw everyone out of the profession who was educated under the previous standards any time the standards were changed. You cannot assume that someone in practice for 20 years has not learned anything in those 20 years. Just because they did not learn something is their basic program does not mean they have not gained the knowledge and skills while in practice, either through informal or formal education. It is up to local control (see #1) to determine if individual CRNAs have the appropriate skills and knowledge to conduct a particular technique.