One year of nursing experience not required

[DrugReptoNurse]

I was reading Duke's CRNA program requirements a few moments ago and saw they do not require applicants to have one year of nursing experience. They recommended a year of expereince but it was not required. Are there any other CRNA programs that have these same reduced requirements? I was always under the impression you needed close to a minimum of one year ICU experience before being admitted to most programs.

[Focker, CRNA]

I'm in the Duke program, maybe a typo or something, but at least one year of ICU experience is definitely required. I don't think a nurse anesthesia program exists that doesn't have that requirement.

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

When you are looking at the Nurse Anesthesia page and you click on Admission Requirements, it takes you to the general requirements for admission to Duke MSN programs (experience preferred) - not to the specific requirements for the CRNA program (one year acute care RN experience required).

This link explains it better:

http://nursing.duke.edu/modules/son_admissions/index.php?id=8

[GmanRN]

Not sure that no ICU experience would be a good thing at all. I mean where would a nurse get a feel for vasoactive titrations? Not to mention working out all the jitters that comes with codes and crisis situations. No...no icu experience doesnt sound good at all.

Im sure the credentialing boards have a say so in this. Dont they?

G

[fence]

The AANA requires 1 year of nursing as an RN in acute care setting. It is up to the school to decide what they consider acute care.

[Zissa1367]

Lately, it seems new graduates with high GPA's and GRE scores are getting into CRNA school, who are still in orientation....

I say, if you have your BSN, go ahead and apply, the worst they can do is tell you no, what've you got to lose?!!!!

[Just a CRNA]

This question about short cuts in experience followed by entrance into an anesthesia program seems to be a recurring subject here. As Fence has stated, the AANA Council on Accreditation requires that all applicants have a minimum of one year of critical care experience prior to starting in a program. Individual programs are allowed to define "critical care" according to their own standards, but none can eliminate that as a prerequisite. (Notice that I said prior to beginning the program, NOT prior to being interviewed or accepted.) Perhaps this will clear up that misconception.

[Josh L.Ac.]

I'm sure JWK and the other Anesthesiologist Assistants would state that a year of ICU nursing experience isn't a prerequisite for being a proficient anesthesia provider.

Actually, several of the CRNA's I spoke with felt the same way.

[GmanRN]

Doesnt our Critical Care experince prepare us for critical situations like codes and so forth? Also if your using vasoactives shouldnt you have background with them in order to...ummm...not kill the patient? Im not an anesthetist (yet), so maybe my perception is skewed, someone let me know.

I dont know anyone, not even MDs who dont need a little practice with codes and maintaining critical patients before they are proficient after coming out of school. As far as I can tell ICU is where you get your feet wet. Where you gain proficiency with vents, vasoactives, sedatives, propofol, and narcotics. Not to mention extubation and weaning.

Seems like if you are just "providing anesthesia" then maybe you dont need all of that. If youre acting and thinking about patient management then well, yeah it would sure help. Wouldnt it?

[Dallas_RN, BSN, EMT-P]

I mean where would a nurse get a feel for vasoactive titrations? Not to mention working out all the jitters that comes with codes and crisis situations. G

Well to be honest any Level I trauma E.R. can provide that, though ICU is experience of choice. Some CRNA progams allow E.R. experience (most being Level I) as critical care experience and rightfully so. Think about how many patients you've accepted to ICU were on drips. 9 out of 10 they came through the E.R. first

If you don't think Level I nurses can handle vasoactive drips, codes, etc I'd suggest a tour to Parkland or better yet Baylor-Dallas (downtown). :)

[GmanRN]

Well to be honest any Level I trauma E.R. can provide that, though ICU is experience of choice. Some CRNA progams allow E.R. experience (most being Level I) as critical care experience and rightfully so. Think about how many patients you've accepted to ICU were on drips. 9 out of 10 they came through the E.R. first

If you don't think Level I nurses can handle vasoactive drips, codes, etc I'd suggest a tour to Parkland or better yet Baylor-Dallas (downtown). :)

Never ever even came close to making or stating that assumption. Not sure how it was was even proposed that I did. My post certainly didnt say that anywhere.