School advice...

If the ICU that you currently work in gets plenty of patients on mech ventilation, hemodynamic monitoring, and vasoactive gtts, you should be fine. Granted, teaching hospitals are where you will find some of the sickiest patients, but I believe you can get the experience required at other smaller facilities. I've worked the past couple years in one of the critical care units and a Level II trauma center and have loved the experience. I was lucky enough to take the sickiest patients (CRRT, IABP, etc.) on our unit right off orientation because we had experienced nurses who loved to teach and resource. I don't know if I would have been so lucky at a bigger hospital. You also might have an advantage taking a position where you currently are because you have already built a relationship with the nurses on the unit.

Just a thought,

Blake

Hi! I have a quick question for all of you out there. I am graduating with a BSN in May and am currently working as an extern in a 20 bed ICU. They have offered me a job as an RN when I graduate and I absolutely love the people and the hospital. But, I am planning on applying to CRNA school after a year or two. The reason that I am stressing out is because I really want to work at this hospital-but it is a smaller hospital, not a huge teaching hospital. The one thing that I do know is that I have learned so much from working there and I feel that I get to see more than I do at the teaching hospital's ICU because it is not specific (trauma, medical, etc) We get a little of everything. I have great grades and a great GRE so that part shouldn't be a problem I just need some advice on what to do about experience-should I stay with the hospital that I love after graduation or would it be better, for CRNA school, to apply at a bigger, teaching hospital? Please help!!! :)

What kind of patients are in your unit? Do you get CABGs, swans, IABPs, and multiple gtts? I can tell you that I work in a 17 bed unit in the military. We are a mixed unit. MICU, SICU, and CTVU combined. The military Anesthesia programs like our ICU because we get a wide range of patients, unlike our big brother hospital, in which they are more specialized into several units. I can tell you that we have had as many as 6 nurses taken out of our unit in one year, because of this reason. I can also tell you that in the city I live there are 3 other hospitals, and we take care of a larger number of sick patients. I would not let the fact that it is a small unit sway you from taking a good job. You need to enjoy where you work, and the people around you also. I have been on 3 interviews this year and everyone liked the fact that I came from a mixed unit, because of the mixed experience. By the way, I was picked up for TWU, so I did not hurt me.

I would stick with the hospital that you are currently working at now as long as you get mech ventilation, hemodynamic monitoring, vasoactive titration, etc. because it was make your transition easier. Also you need recommendation to apply to CRNA school and since you love the people so much, I am sure the love is returned, thus a good recommedation.

Yeah, we get a big variety of patients (mech. ventilation, CRRT, IABP, multiple gtts, CABG, etc) I just wanted to make sure that it wouldn't hurt my chances of getting into school later down the road. Thank you all so much!

What kind of patients are in your unit? Do you get CABGs, swans, IABPs, and multiple gtts? I can tell you that I work in a 17 bed unit in the military. We are a mixed unit. MICU, SICU, and CTVU combined. The military Anesthesia programs like our ICU because we get a wide range of patients, unlike our big brother hospital, in which they are more specialized into several units. I can tell you that we have had as many as 6 nurses taken out of our unit in one year, because of this reason. I can also tell you that in the city I live there are 3 other hospitals, and we take care of a larger number of sick patients. I would not let the fact that it is a small unit sway you from taking a good job. You need to enjoy where you work, and the people around you also. I have been on 3 interviews this year and everyone liked the fact that I came from a mixed unit, because of the mixed experience. By the way, I was picked up for TWU, so I did not hurt me.

DSAC: How much experience do you have??? I'm just wondering since you were accepted at TWU. That is one of the schools that I am looking at!

I have almost 6 years of nursing experience. I spent 3 years in the ER and I am working on 3 years in ICU.

Yeah, we get a big variety of patients (mech. ventilation, CRRT, IABP, multiple gtts, CABG, etc) I just wanted to make sure that it wouldn't hurt my chances of getting into school later down the road. Thank you all so much!

Sounds like you will have the opportunity for lots of learning at this "smaller" hospital. Make sure you take every chance you can to take the sicker patients and learn as much as possible. This will help you when applying to school if you can form a strong knowledge foundation. :)