Quickest Route Possible

not the route I took.

why the rush?

Wolfpack what was the route you took. I want to find yhr quickest route mainly to get it over with

Your nursing experience in critical care is important to the rest of your career as a CRNA. Please plan on 2-3 years in a busy ICU where you see a variety of patients. In anesthesia you need to be able to care for ICU patients, but in many CRNA positions you don't do it often enough to become proficient. When I have an ICU patient, I go right back to being an ICU RN, and give them a little anesthesia.

After my BSN I was able to get hired straight into the ICU as a new grad. I initially wanted to apply after 1 year ICU experience, but I knew it's very competitive to get accepted. So I took another year to boost my application/resume- I got my CCRN, took graduate-nursing courses, and shadowed a CRNA. I applied to CRNA schools with 2 years of ICU experience and was accepted for admission the following year. Now I have 3 years ICU experience total and will be starting my CRNA program next month... and I still think this was a pretty quick route.

You are looking at only the partial picture. I got in with one year ICU experience, but had Org I, II, Biochem, good GPA/GRE and 15 years as a medic. Its doable, but you have to have other supporting things to help. One program director said to get in with 1 year experience it had to be stellar experience with stellar grades. If you were bagging groceries before your one year of nursing, had average other stats, and average interview skill, you are most likely going to be sitting around awhile getting used to the ICU.

Before you even think about applying you should at least have 3 years mim as an ICU nurse. New Grad nurses know nothing, so before you get excited make sure you like being a nurse first. I dont think any nurse is ready after only one year of experience, after one year your still a novice.

I think the average nurse with one year experience won't get into school anyways, so it is essentially a moot point. Competition is fierce and you have to have something that stands out above the other hundreds of candidates. I did it, but I had extracurriculars that mattered for my school. But if all you have is nursing, the more experience you get, the better off you will be and you will have better chance of getting into school. Remember, it is a "whole picture" thing and you're best to contact your target school and ask what makes a great candidate. I have many friends in school right now and it is rough. Good luck.

your missing half the picture as far as getting things lined up for anesthesia school. what about the other half..financial aspects..this is almost just as important as qpa and exp. please do yourself a favor and get $ issues taken care of too ( if you have any issues that is). if you are in the clear concerning financial regards then good luck and learn as you go.

What you say is possible. There are different schools out there, and some are less competitive than the others. As long as you have good grades, GRE, interview skills (know your stuff), and financials taken care of you can get in with 1 year ICU experience.

Your nursing experience in critical care is important to the rest of your career as a CRNA. Please plan on 2-3 years in a busy ICU where you see a variety of patients. In anesthesia you need to be able to care for ICU patients, but in many CRNA positions you don't do it often enough to become proficient. When I have an ICU patient, I go right back to being an ICU RN, and give them a little anesthesia.

You're a very good "explainer"

I originally had your plan in mind... but working in ICU and shadowing CRNAs, I know I want to have more shadowing experiences/time in ICU before I go to school. Once you start working, I know you will want to go back ASAP, bc i want to go so bad, but at the same time you know its best for your patients to have a little more time in ICU.

I also planned the FAST route. I had a BA in psych/sociology and decided I wanted to be a CRNA (never desired to do bedside nursing, just wasn't my thing). Worked as an ER tech for 6mo before starting a 1 yr accel. BSN, couldn't get into ICU as a new grad so worked ED for 8 mo and got my ACLS/BLS/PALS. I was finally hired into a Level 1 ICU, re-took Chem 1&2, worked for 6 mo before applying CRNA schools. I recorded interviews to both schools in my first round of applications, and accepted to the first one that accepted me. I started 4 mo later and am now the end of my 2nd semester.

I agree that more experience is better, however the extra time was not something I personally desired to give up. I am very driven and a "go-getter" so I intend to increase my experience base by taking on extra cases during clinical, because I know this area is important.

I wish you he best of luck whatever path you take! Just remember, if you do want the fast route be aggressive in attaining ANY and ALL extra certs/classes/shadowing/ect available to make up (on pqper) the lack of experience.