preping to be a CRNA while in nursing school

gluck · Dec 3, 2008

Sounds like a plan to me. You won't learn about anesthesia per se, but you will learn the orchestration of the OR and meet lots of the players. The experience wont impress the admissions board much, but they will feel more confident that you know what you are applying to do. I say go for it :twocents:

MB37 · Dec 3, 2008

I think surgical tech experience might be great (like being a nurse tech is for most nursing students) but it certainly isn't a requirement for CRNA school. Your first priority in NS should be to keep your grades up. Most schools require a minimum GPA of 3.0, but a 3.5 is much more competitive. Don't sacrifice your grades for a job. If you're able to work and keep them up, awesome. I don't know much about surgical techs - is it something the hospital will train you for, or do you have to take a class first?

Also be aware that you may have to wait more than a year between nursing and CRNA schools. Many schools now require two years of experience, and whether it's one or two, your orientation period doesn't count - you have to be on your own, actually functioning as an independent critical care RN. For example, I graduated in August. My orientation ends in March 09. The earliest I could appy to a program would be for fall of 2010, two years after my graduation. Also, my hospital made me sign a two year commitment form - this also doesn't start until after orientation is over. Mine is a cheap buyout, just a couple thousand, but one of my classmates has to repay $13K if she leaves before 2 years at her hospital.

It's great that you already know you want this - it's much easier to make good grades the first time through than to have to retake courses to get to a 3.01 just to be eligible to apply. Focus on your studies, and if you're able to do that while getting some kind of experience - either in the OR or as a nurse tech in an ICU - more power to you! Good luck!

racergirl617 · Dec 4, 2008

Thanks for the responses. They showed us a video in class about different sides of nursing and one was of a law student who was a surgical tech as a summer job, that's how he found out about nurse anesthesia and meet people... he decided he liked it much better than law and so quite law school, went into nursing and is now a CRNA director for Kaiser up in Oakland.

At our school's hospital, it said to either have a surgical tech certificate or finish the fundalmentals class, which I will in 4 days. I am most definately going to focus on school first, I know that is most important. I know that schools require at least 3.0/4.0 to apply, ICU experience. I also know that good scores on the GRE will boost you. The job is actually under the classification of unscheduled (there are full-time ones, I am not applying to those), which they said is where you aren't committed to a certain number of hours, you just give them your available days and go from there. So I was thinking that was good for days where I am free, like maybe once every 2 weeks or so, and definately over breaks I can work more days. At least then I can meet some people, learn things, and see if it really is something I'd like to do. As for getting some experience in ICU, I work on the weekends as a monitor tech at another hospital. My home unit is DOU, which is step down from ICU, but many times I do go to ICU as well, many times when they have a code and need me to help out.

I'm not trying to sound egotistic, but I've looked up nurse anesthesia intensively. I know what program I want to apply to, where I want to work for ICU experience, what they do (although I haven't actually seen it in person-that's what I want), I know what the program requires to apply and what it requires once you are in, like not being able to work ... I know they interview you ... when my school interviewed me for the nursing program, I dont know if other schools do that too ... they told me that they really loved the fact that I was already working in the hospital and in units that I wanted to work in bc then I knew more what it meant to be a nurse and not just someone who said they wanted to do it. So I know that actions speak highly... and so I want to take my interest to the next step and somehow get my foot in the door and hopefully be able to experience something, even if it does seem early. :smilecoffeecup:

loveanesthesia · Dec 4, 2008

Can you get a nursing assistant type position in an ICU? Some hospitals do that, and that would be very helpful with getting your ICU experience.

TBICU · Dec 5, 2008

You might want to check for the hiring requirements for a surgical tech. Most job postings seem to want a "certified" surgical tech (which is a separate program of at least one year at the school I attend). Don't think you won't learn anything by getting a part-time position as a tech/extern etc. in an ICU. Quite the contrary; I have been learning every day I work in my unit while going to school.

Summitk2 · Dec 5, 2008

I assume you're talking about a scrub tech position? Personally, I wouldn't do it. It's so far off the path of nurse anesthesia that I don't think it will benefit you professionally (but maybe personally). You might be in the O.R. but that's where the similarities end. It can be a challenging job, especially when you're learning everything. I think it takes 6 months or so before you really know what you're doing (depending on the types of cases). You're going to be filling your brain with instrument names and what surgeons want vs. anything related to nursing or anesthesia. You need to prepare yourself for CRITICAL CARE NURSING--this is the gateway to nurse anesthesia school. I think spending time on other things is a waste of time and energy unless you're already a perfect critical care nurse, in which case you should be applying to grad school.

Although I also began nursing school with anesthesia clearly in my sights, I have always advocated for keeping your focus on the task at hand. Always be aiming to get your GPA higher. A solid foundation in patho and pharm will go a long ways, so focus especially on this the first half of nursing school. Once you're half way through, start getting your foot in the door of an ICU. Talk to school faculty with critical care backgrounds. Find an ICU nurse to shadow. Be a nurse tech or CNA during your summer. Work overtime. Get your senior clinical in a busy, sick ICU where you want to work--and be sure you impress them (without being cocky). Once you graduate, become an RN, and start working in a busy ICU, then you begin learning all over again and start preparing for the next step.

Good luck!

DMURSE1 · Dec 6, 2008

I assume you're talking about a scrub tech position? Personally, I wouldn't do it. It's so far off the path of nurse anesthesia that I don't think it will benefit you professionally (but maybe personally). You might be in the O.R. but that's where the similarities end. It can be a challenging job, especially when you're learning everything. I think it takes 6 months or so before you really know what you're doing (depending on the types of cases). You're going to be filling your brain with instrument names and what surgeons want vs. anything related to nursing or anesthesia. You need to prepare yourself for CRITICAL CARE NURSING--this is the gateway to nurse anesthesia school. I think spending time on other things is a waste of time and energy unless you're already a perfect critical care nurse, in which case you should be applying to grad school.
Although I also began nursing school with anesthesia clearly in my sights, I have always advocated for keeping your focus on the task at hand. Always be aiming to get your GPA higher. A solid foundation in patho and pharm will go a long ways, so focus especially on this the first half of nursing school. Once you're half way through, start getting your foot in the door of an ICU. Talk to school faculty with critical care backgrounds. Find an ICU nurse to shadow. Be a nurse tech or CNA during your summer. Work overtime. Get your senior clinical in a busy, sick ICU where you want to work--and be sure you impress them (without being cocky). Once you graduate, become an RN, and start working in a busy ICU, then you begin learning all over again and start preparing for the next step.
Good luck!

great advice. The more learned in an ICU before hand can definately expedite the critical care orientation.