RRT to BSN =CRNA?

loveanesthesia · May 13, 2019

Your RRT background will be a bonus for admission to a CRNA program but you don’t need to keep it active. Analyze ‘Why’ you earned a C in chem. That’s a concern-you will need to earn a B in heavy science courses in a CRNA program. Not all programs have application fees.

ptier_MNMurse, BSN, RN · May 13, 2019

Hey RRTtoBSN,

Welcome to allnurses! It sounds like you are on the right track for CRNA. I am not an SRNA/CRNA but am pursuing that track right now and have been doing a lot of research on making myself the best applicant I can for school. Having not been a RT myself, I don't know that I can speak to keeping your credentials or not. I felt the same way letting go of my EMT and firefighting credentials, but in retrospect, I know that neither of those credentials would help me for school (whether they were active or not). I know it is not quite the same, but perhaps a similar analogy, though RRT is certainly more directly applicable to CRNA.

There have been some posts on here, and the CRNA forum, that have talked about how beneficial RRT experience has been beneficial to SRNA/CRNA practice, and how having that background gave some people a "leg up". I am sure the background looks great on your resume! But at the end of the day they do look for RN experience in ICU. They say minimum of 1 year in ICU, though I have found most applicants have 3-5 years ICU experience. They also seem to like high volume, high acuity ICU's with some surgical background (inherent in anesthesia).

You will probably have to retake the chemistry course. Chemistry is a big prerequisite for most CRNA schools and they want to see you can succeed in the undergrad or graduate level courses before they put you through rigorous grad school. AND, chemistry is integral to anesthesia school, and they go way more in depth beyond chem 1, so I would for sure make sure you can succeed there. I was told not to waste my money on community college courses, especially if the first chem was taken at the undergraduate level. University of New England has a lot of online courses (chem included) that are all undergraduate level coursework.

The math/science gpa is often a big determinant and they like it to be 3.1-3.3 or better to be competitive (per the school I am applying to). If you have to retake classes retake some undergrad chem and maybe some graduate level pathophysiology, pharmacology, or statistics coursework. (So far that's what I have taken post BSN).

Not all schools require the GRE and the application fees are really not all that expensive. I think the schools I have applied to have been $50-$100 application fees. Compared to the rest of CRNA school, it's a drop in the bucket, and in reality it's less than one night out on the town.

Also, get your CCRN, BLS, ACLS and PALS (also maybe TNCC if applicable to your unit) if you don't have them already. Simple to do, but schools look for it. And shadow CRNA's multiple times as schools will ask you about your experience.

Other than that, here is a website to get you started:

http://www.all-crna-schools.com/how-to-become-a-certified-registered-nurse-anesthetist/

http://www.all-crna-schools.com/what-are-my-chances/

Sorry for the lengthy response.

Good luck!

RRTtoBSN, BSN · May 21, 2019

Thank you for the replies!!! I will for sure have to retake the chemistry class then. I think the reason I did so bad in it was because I was taking 19 credit hours that semester and most of them were science related courses. I guess I was just too stressed out and that was my second semester as an undergrad. I have my ACLS, PALS, BLS, and NRP currently. I am planning on taking my CCRN but apparently you can't take that until you have been a RN for one year at my hospital.

What is TNCC? I think I have heard of nurses taking it recently, but I am not sure of what it is.

The ICU I work in is a 12 bed ICU with an additional 4 bed "step down" unit. We take basically any critical care patients including post op. We get patients that are even still open after surgery, its pretty interesting. We also have a 6 bed Neuro ICU that we get floated to as well. I am hoping all that experience will be beneficial.

I was looking into classes at my local community college because it is cheaper, but do they not look as well for CRNA admissions??

ptier_MNMurse, BSN, RN · May 21, 2019

I feel for you on the low chemistry course grades. I had almost the exact same experience when I was trying to major in engineering. In speaking with admissions counselors at various CRNA programs, they recommended retaking undergraduate or graduate level coursework to prove that I could succeed at the graduate level. It is a little more expensive (sometimes a lot) but the way I see it is that education is all an investment, and the more classes I have taken at this level, the better prepared I have felt for school.

TNCC is the "Trauma Nursing Core Course". It is put out by the ENA (Emergency Nurses Association), and is a good overview of the initial trauma patient assessment (or any patient for that matter) and diagnostics/treatment for various trauma conditions. I think it would be applicable to most ER/ICU nursing, but specifically ED/SICU at a level 1 trauma center.

Take your time and study for the CCRN. There are lots of review courses out there! I liked Nicole Kupchik's course, and thought her review materials were very helpful!

Definitely try to highlight the post-op patients in your resume/application and get some shadowing experience in. If you need to, you may need to get a larger ICU experience under your belt. Not everyone needs that, but sometimes that looks a little better on paper for school. I know that ICU you are in doesn't always speak to the nurse's abilities, but the larger hospital ICU setting seems to be more appealing for CRNA programs admissions committees.

Good luck!

vitone215, BSN · Jul 30, 2019

I am a RRT/SRNA just let me RRT go while in school due to not keeping up with CEU's being so busy in CRNA school. I did however keep my RRT license for the entire time that I was a RN in the ICU. I would say keep it as you earned it. I will end up just retesting to get it back which i think they give me two years to do.