time as intern and orientation count as ICU experience?

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Sep 14, 2007

Were you an RN during that time? Might be best to ask someone in admissions for the school.

jenj1928 · Sep 14, 2007

I'm sorry I didn't make that clear, I'm completing my BSN right now, I will be a GN in May and a RN shortly afterwards I hope! So May of 09 will be my 1yr is the ICU and the program starts Feb 09, I'm thinking I whould just apply in fall of 09 for admission in 10?

utahliz · Sep 15, 2007

The schools I've talked to don't count orientation, they're on record that the required one year of experience needs to be as an independent decision maker. I recommend you contact them and ask directly. The other thing to consider is that most people are not competitive applicants with only one year's experience. Again, it doesn't hurt to try, and if you aren't accepted, most schools are willing to share with you what you could do to improve your chances the next time around. Best of luck, and keep us posted.

dfk, RN, CRNA · Sep 15, 2007

Has anyone ever heard of a school accepting your time as an intern or in orientation on the unit counting towards your 1 year minimum of experience? One of the schools I'm looking at appying at has a start date of Feb and at that time I will be 3 months short of a full year in the ICU on my own, if internship times counts then I will have the 1 year experience. The other schools I'm looking at have a sept and june start date. So would I be wasting my money even applying? since most other applicants will probably have well over the 1yr minimum experience? I know I can just wait the extra year and it will more than likely be the best choice for me education wise. I guess I just don't even know how many people even get in on the first application try with 1yr minimum.
Plus this program is one of the few with a part time option, spreading the didactic courses out over 9 quarters rather than 5, which will allow me more icu experience time before the clinical practicum anyway.
So if you were my, would you apply for the feb entry?

i don't mean to sound like a jerk, but why would you want to first short yourself of experience, and second, short yourself of experience?

the whole purpose of the "year minimum" of experience, is to have just that.

i can attest that ad-coms prefer few to several years experience.

this only makes you a better student and practitioner.

it's hard enough to be a student, let alone be learning things that you should already know coming into a program, such as good control of vasoactives and central catheters.

my advice, of course, would be to talk to ad-coms and get a feel for what they think.

you could even call some programs that you will definitely not be applying to so that you are not "marked" as an applicant trying to make it the shortest route.

honestly, do yourself a favor and get the best experience you can, because, as an orientee, granted you are learning, but the whole point of experience is independence and decision making.

again, i am not trying to sound crass, but you really need to have a grasp on things to feel comfortable in the program and feel competent as a student/practitioner within the anesthesia community.

trust me, you will feel much better and so will your cohorts...

good luck either way ~

jenj1928 · Sep 15, 2007

I don't think you sounded like a jerk at all, just honest. And honestly I was just wondering when I would meet the bare minimum requirement so I know if I'm throwing away money applying before I would even be considered. But thank you for your bluntness. I do agree it's best to learn all you can but I didn't know if more of that came by being "on the floor" or just getting back into the classroom.

Here's another quick question for you, would you take an hour commute over a 10min commute to get to a "better hospital" with a very high accuity CVICU over a local hospital with a general CCU that covers anything they need (yes there is a cath lab at this hospital too but the big cases seem to get flown out to the bigger city)???

CRNA, DNSc · Sep 15, 2007

Do not apply as you are not eligible until after you have been an RN for at least a year (prior to the start of the program). Accreditation standards state that only those applicants with a minimum of 1 year of "Acute care" as a Registered Nurse can be admitted to a nurse anesthesia program. Any time prior to earning your RN cannot be counted- you must be an RN. No program director worth their salt would risk accreditation over admitting someone prior to the one year minimum- it is too easy to check. Submitting an application when you are not eligible is a quick, easy and costly (you usually have paid a fee) "sorry you do not meet minimum qualifications" letter. Get the experience- you will be better prepared to meet the huge challenge of anesthesia school. Good Luck in the future!

dfk, RN, CRNA · Sep 16, 2007

I don't think you sounded like a jerk at all, just honest. And honestly I was just wondering when I would meet the bare minimum requirement so I know if I'm throwing away money applying before I would even be considered. But thank you for your bluntness. I do agree it's best to learn all you can but I didn't know if more of that came by being "on the floor" or just getting back into the classroom.
Here's another quick question for you, would you take an hour commute over a 10min commute to get to a "better hospital" with a very high accuity CVICU over a local hospital with a general CCU that covers anything they need (yes there is a cath lab at this hospital too but the big cases seem to get flown out to the bigger city)???

i'm not sure if CCU is considered ICU in the eyes of the adcoms.. you might want to call some schools and see what they think. as for the commute, if you can be closer, then that's cool. if you have to go an hour, that might get to you, but the experience is a positive. the acuity is what's going to count in the end, not only for getting interview and all, but to your experiences as well. it may seem a bit trivial or the travelling may not make sense, but some do whatever it takes to get in if they want it bad enough.

i moved to NYC from 4.5 hrs north and travelled over an hour by train to work to help me get in.

so, in short, if you have to, then do it...

good luck

jwk · Sep 16, 2007

Do not apply as you are not eligible until after you have been an RN for at least a year (prior to the start of the program). Accreditation standards state that only those applicants with a minimum of 1 year of "Acute care" as a Registered Nurse can be admitted to a nurse anesthesia program. Any time prior to earning your RN cannot be counted- you must be an RN. No program director worth their salt would risk accreditation over admitting someone prior to the one year minimum- it is too easy to check. Submitting an application when you are not eligible is a quick, easy and costly (you usually have paid a fee) "sorry you do not meet minimum qualifications" letter. Get the experience- you will be better prepared to meet the huge challenge of anesthesia school. Good Luck in the future!

I know a number of recent new grad CRNA's who finished nursing school in May, 2004, immediately started working in an ICU setting, applied to anesthesia school in a few months, were accepted with the proviso that they complete one full year in the ICU prior to the start of school, and then started anesthesia school in the summer of 2005.

CRNA, DNSc · Sep 17, 2007

I know a number of recent new grad CRNA's who finished nursing school in May, 2004, immediately started working in an ICU setting, applied to anesthesia school in a few months, were accepted with the proviso that they complete one full year in the ICU prior to the start of school, and then started anesthesia school in the summer of 2005.

JWK- the OP indicated that he/she would not have a year until May 09 and the program started Feb 09 so he/she is clearly not eligible for the Feb 09 cohort but would be eligible for Feb 10. The situations you described meet the criteria of having a minimum of 1 yr expereince as an RN. The standards only refer to prior to the start of the program not at the time of application. That is why I indicated that the OP should not apply for the Feb 09 cohort since he/she is not eligible- period.

gasmaster · Sep 22, 2007

I know I'm saying the same thing as other have, but honestly, ask yourself this....during orientation did you feel that you were an independent functioning, critical thinking, critical care nurse? If not, then YOU should not consider it part of your year. The whole idea of the year is to be fully funcitoning as a critical care nurse, not learning the basics. Put the shoe on the other foot....would u want someone with only a minimum understanding of critical care taking care of your loved one? Same goes with CRNA's. Some are better than others, and I'm sure a lot of that is due to the foundation that their anesthesia education is built on.

nurseabc123 · Sep 23, 2007

I know I'm saying the same thing as other have, but honestly, ask yourself this....during orientation did you feel that you were an independent functioning, critical thinking, critical care nurse? If not, then YOU should not consider it part of your year. The whole idea of the year is to be fully functioning as a critical care nurse, not learning the basics. Put the shoe on the other foot....would u want someone with only a minimum understanding of critical care taking care of your loved one? Same goes with CRNA's. Some are better than others, and I'm sure a lot of that is due to the foundation that their anesthesia education is built on.

In my, recent, experience, I would have to say orientation and being out on your own are two completely different worlds. Orientation, I still felt 'safe' - had a preceptor safety net. Now, although there are plenty of nurses supporting me, everything comes down to me. If I were to apply to anesthesia school, I would not count my time as an orientaee as years independent critical care experience.