Prior ICU experience.... ?

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Hey guys!

I wanted to reach out on here as it is such a great resource! I had worked ICU and critical care transport for a little better than 6 years. Initially when I started nursing I was always interested in CRNA school. As life and other things came up I was slow to finish my BSN...and everything has taken me longer than I bargained for.

Currently, I work in the cardiac cath lab. Have been there for a little over a year. My life has been much more controlled after the transfer so I have finally gotten back into school to complete my BSN.

Looking ahead, I had kind of changed my sights to NP or PA. But after talking with some of the CRNAs I we work with, they have got me thinking about CRNA again. I know I have a lot or work to do yet to meet admission requirements and all. So, my big question is... I have the ICU experience, but will my 2-3 years away from it be an issue?? Some at work say no, others say its not even worth applying with that!

Thanks! I look forward to hearing what the rest of the community has to say about it!

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As a nursing student looking into to CRNA school, I have done quite a bit of research on it. The way I see it, the more experience you have in ICU will benefit you in the application process. I have looked at the statistics from the few schools around me that offer the program- acceptances usually average about three years of critical care experience. However I have seen the average be as high as 5 years.

Here is a link to one of the school's statistics near me, hope this helps

http://www.lmunet.edu/public/uploads/academics/nursing/pdf/NAProgramStatistics.pdf

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