Open to comments from MICU nurses who got accepted to nurse anesthesia school

[genmac]

I wanted to find out if there are medical ICU nurses who got accepted to nurse anesthesia school, or if there are SRNAs and/or CRNAs with various critical-care experience who knew of others with MICU experience prior to entering a NA program.

I recently started working in MICU with the advice from a school with whom I've been communicating to get my "current one year critical-care experience" and apply for the Fall 2012 class. Previous to MICU, I worked 3.5 years in PACU. And prior to PACU, I worked 5 years in CCU, where I took care of many ventilated surgical & non-surgical patients, on multiple cardiac and vasoactive drips, and applied/observed/measured advanced hemodynamics. Working in the PACU, communicating with CRNAs, getting report from CRNAs on post-surgical patients, administering post-operative/post-anesthesia pain medications...is actually what inspired me to apply to nurse anesthesia school.

Prior to applying for a MICU position, I made 5 attempts to applying in CVRU, only to be told, each time, by Human Resources (who communicates with the CVRU manager) that the position had been filled with an applicant who had prior CVRU experience. CVRU was ultimately the experience I wanted, because of nurse anesthesia programs high regard of its students with this background. So, when I spoke to my school of choice, its clinical coordiator/instructor/adviser, told me to not make a big deal of not being able to work in CVRU. He added it's the applicant's "intellectual curiousity of his critical care unit, his patients" that is the most important. He said working in MICU is fine, get your one year "in," and then apply to the NA program.

Did you MICU nurses find your experience in critical-care (versus those with SICU, CVRU background) adequate to the NA program you attended?? :)

[upstateRN]

i wrote a whole big write-up and then lost it, thanks to the great editing box here..

i'll give you the digest..

i got into school with a MICU background. I haven't started yet, so can't comment on the utility. However, the experience you get is only good if you take from it that which is important and apply it to school in the right way. MICU usually offers a variety of experience and exposure to different patient populations. I believe this to be important for a CRNA. Your previous experience will come in handy as well. your best litmus is going to come from someone on the adcom or an instructor who knows what their particular school is looking for. I believe deep down you know the answer to this question. Look at your quoted message above. that's basically what it all boils down to.

[NurseKitten, MSN, RN]

My ICU background was 5 years of neuro/trauma, with 13 years of dialysis/case management prior to that.

Nothing can fully prepare you for the raw, nasty shock that is CRNA training.

The best advice I can give you is to do your year, but at the same time, be taking every chemistry, and graduate pharmacology/pathophysiology classes, even for auditing, you can get your hands on. Go online - many places offer them. That'll prepare you better than another year in MICU.

Who in the world wouldn't take your previous background? Sounds like you have solid experience.

Not every school is like that. Message me if you want to know which ones.