Best route to take to become a CRNA

babilidose · Jul 28, 2015

Hospitals in large metro areas are going away from hiring adn nurses. My old institution grandfathered nurses in. But now, they don't hire adn's. Just get your BSN. Unless you have a family and really need to find a job as an adn, you are more competitive and more likely to get a job in an icu with a BSN.

Editorial Team / Admin · Jul 28, 2015

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Thread moved to SRNA forum where Students and CRNAs will reply.

rnswoop · Jul 28, 2015

The time difference between a BSN and an ADN aren't that different. Usually any program you get into will be two years with possibly two years of prereqs depending on what you did in high school. The biggest difference is the money. You will obviously spend more money at a university in the same time span as you would getting your associates. So, if you can afford to get your BSN I would do it now. Also, like the previous poster stated, most places in big Metro areas wont hire ADNs any more.

phriz · Jul 29, 2015

Just like the above posters mentioned-- go for your BSN. You are more marketable with a bachelors degree. You'll need 1-2 years of ICU experience before you can apply to a CRNA program. While you're working, get your ACLS, PALS, TNCC, and CCRN certifications. And have fun. Nursing school is stressful, and it took my a good 2 years of working before I felt like going back to school again. I ended up with about 8 months ER, and 3.5 years of ICU experience at the time I applied.

technofreak · Jul 30, 2015

Hello, I am currently a freshman starting college for the fall term and was wondering what the best route would be to become a CRNA.
Currently I am signed up for a pre-nursing major that would lead to me transfering to get my BSN, but was wondering if I was better off switching to a associates in nursing and while I complete my RN to BSN program aswell as begin to get the experience both in the nursing field and hopefully in the ICU units. I am looking for any input from anybody that has been in either the same or a similar situation that may be able to provide some insight as to which would be the best route, or the route they personally took to become a CRNA and the difficulties that arised while you where attempting to comeplete both course work or maybe the during the time spent in the ICU.

Why aren't you pursuing medicine?

Btw if you do decide to pursue nursing definitely go for the BSN for all the reasons mentioned.

CRNA

4 Years of College > 1-2 years ICU experience (assuming you can even get an ICU job right after college)> 2-3 years of CRNA school = CRNA (7 years absolute minimum but will most likely take you 9-10 years). 7 years later you will still be "just a nurse" (no offense). Although you will be highly skilled many misanthropes will remind you of "your place," and you will have to do a lot of pride swallowing. Anyone who disagrees with me is not keeping it real, I assure you. Sure CRNAs can work independently but most do not. Just like most NPs don't work independently. An MDA will likely be your boss as a CRNA and depending on the culture of the facility this can be an "okay" thing or a "really bad" thing.

Medicine

4 years of college> 4 years of medical school > 3-5 years of residency/fellowships = MD (aka "the boss"). For 1-2 years more of your life you can seriously enjoy a greater diversity of experience and a more rewarding and lucrative career.

The above is not to spark a nurse vs physician debate. These are my feelings, one that I wholly believe to be true, and one I wish was advertised before I decided to pursue nursing. If you do decide to pursue nursing, because it is more flexible and less stressful than pursuing medicine, than that is fine and I wish you well in your studies. Many people find nursing to be a rewarding career even though they have to endure A LOT for the paycheck, CRNAs included.

If you still want to pursue nursing, I would try to get an externship in the ICU or work as a tech in the ICU, so you can get a position there as soon as you graduate.

bmack38 · Jul 31, 2015

The University that I attended required that you apply for a 2-year ADN program and then apply for the 1-year BSN completion program. This is the route I took. After my first year of nursing school I was hired in a hospital as an LPN as a float nurse. Because of this experience, I was immediately hired into the ICU as an RN while I completed my BSN. I now have two years of ICU experience as I apply for CRNA school. For my situation, getting my ADN first allowed me to start getting ICU experience early on.

loveanesthesia · Jul 31, 2015

Why aren't you pursuing medicine?
many misanthropes will remind you of "your place," and you will have to do a lot of pride swallowing. Anyone who disagrees with me is not keeping it real, I assure you.

I am always proud of being a nurse and a CRNA. Just because someone else may demean the nursing profession, that does not make me less proud. It is true some within healthcare, and some outside of healthcare will condescend to you as a nurse. If status is your primary driver, then medical school will grant you a higher status to some people you will come across. If you are drawn to anesthesia, then CRNA is a better choice than med school.

Age1 · Jul 31, 2015

Just as the above poster mentioned, I also love anesthesia and my job. I'm a CRNA and love what I do. I receive great satisfaction out of what I do. Yes, we work with MD anesthesiologists but they are not our "bosses". What sold me on CRNA was coming out with 80k of debt vs 300k+ in debt (my brother is a physician and owes this much, almost at 10 interest). I enjoy great pay, job satisfaction and respect in what I do. And yes I am "keeping it real"