icuccurn

I do think working in CCU helped with the cardiac portion of the CCRN. They actually revised the categories before I took it so it was slightly less cardiac than before. Similarly, I knew next to nothing on the neuro portion LOL. Thank you and good luck!

May I ask which program you ended up going with?

I was a nurse intern at a nearby level 3 hospital. As a nurse intern, I worked as a tech for a minimum of 2 shifts per month and shadowed a nurse in a specialty of my choice once a month. I applied to all the hospitals in my area and I went with my current hospital because it is the highest trauma level and largest hospital in my area. I also did critical care rotations there and enjoyed it. When choosing a job, you generally have priorities and you have to rank them on importance. For me it was 1. Specialty, 2. Trauma level, 3. Pay, 4. Shift, in that order. You have to decide what's most important to you and choose based on that. At my ICU, working as a tech is a must. My manager said she threw apps out if they had no experience. Simply because there were plenty of applicants who did show initiative and have experience.

I work at a level 2, the largest and highest trauma level facility in about 150 mile radius & our intensivists leave at midnight ? if we have a code ER doc comes. it sucks

I wanted to start this thread for people applying to the CRNA program in 2026. Has anyone taken the statistics course ELFN 6773? If so, how much did it cost & do they offer it in the Summer? I've emailed 2 people about it and haven't heard back in about a week.

I went into a level 2 trauma ICU/CCU straight out of nursing school. As you stated, the learning curve was very steep. Some people I started with didn't last. I have been here 1.5 yrs and have since obtained my CCRN. I managed the learning curve leaning on the "adults" of the unit. I asked many questions. I read all the Dr's notes to get a better understanding of my pts treatments/diagnosis. I watched ICU advantage on YouTube and used Barron's CCRN book not only for the exam but also to understand. As far as the stress, it does get to me but I do things I like outside of work and try not to bring it home with me. At the end of the day we're all doing our best and sometimes it's not good enough but not everyone can be saved— you can't take anything personal. I would advise current nursing students to work as a tech in the ICU and ask the nurses questions- make it known you want to work there as an RN. If it's too late for that, I would advise you to study outside of work.

Hey guys! I'm applying next year (2026) and would love to chat with someone about the application process and especially the statistics course. Thanks!