Where after PACU?

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Considering going into PACU, just wondering down the road what areas PACU nurses go into. Do you find the area limiting to advancing into other areas?

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Specializes in Med surg, Critical Care, LTC.

PACU is a critical care area. You can go pretty much anywhere after PACU. ICU, ER, or if critical care isn't for you, go med surg, maternity, etc...

Some PACU nurses have decided to go to school to become nurse anesthesists.

Blessings

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Babs0512,

You stated that some PACU nurses have gone to anesthesia school? Did these nurses have ICU experience as well or only PACU? I ask because I am applying to anesthesia school next year but I do not have ICU experience.

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Specializes in Med surg, Critical Care, LTC.

Yes, the two I'm referring to did have ICU experience. In NY, to be a nurse anesthetist, you have to have critical care experience. If you have ER or PACU experience, that is also critical care - doesn't have to be ICU.

Best of luck!!

Blessings

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Babs0512,

You stated that some PACU nurses have gone to anesthesia school? Did these nurses have ICU experience as well or only PACU? I ask because I am applying to anesthesia school next year but I do not have ICU experience.

Hi sydn35, I noticed in another one of your posts that you were planning to apply to USC next year. I also plan on applying to USC next year. I havent taken the GRE either and am a little nervous about it. I will barely get my ADN to BSN done in time for the application deadline. Its gonna b tough for me but i am willing to do anything to reach my goals. I thought maybe we could keep in touch on here to help each other and offer words of encouragement through this journey. for ex: a coworker of mine just got accepted with only 7 months of experience...TOTAL, not just ICU. of course he will have a year before the program starts. Good luck and maybe someday in the next couple of years, we will be study partners!

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Thanks so much for your response!! It is also encouraging to know that other people view PACU as critical care, because a lot of people do not. In our PACU it is very busy and we not only have ICU hold overs sometimes but we also have patients on vents, we initiate/titrate various drips, manage airways, extubate etc. We also have to go to ICU to recover patients that go directly back to ICU after surgery. Hopefully in addition to all my other experience I will have a fighting chance to get in.

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Hi traumaguy8, sounds like you have a lot of work to do before applying to school. I know exactly how that feels because I do to. I am not only working towards getting my critical care experience but I also am taking a GRE prep course and plan on taking a graduate Biology course in the spring since I've been out of school so long. I noticed you are from Alabama. Do you plan on applying to any schools there? Also, where did your friend get in with only 7 mos experience? That for me is encouraging because if someone with only 7 mos total experience can get in then maybe there is hope for me. What area is he working in? Well, good luck with everything and I would love to keep in touch and hear about your progress. I plan to apply for the 2012 class. What about you?

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Hi traumaguy8, sounds like you have a lot of work to do before applying to school. I know exactly how that feels because I do to. I am not only working towards getting my critical care experience but I also am taking a GRE prep course and plan on taking a graduate Biology course in the spring since I've been out of school so long. I noticed you are from Alabama. Do you plan on applying to any schools there? Also, where did your friend get in with only 7 mos experience? That for me is encouraging because if someone with only 7 mos total experience can get in then maybe there is hope for me. What area is he working in? Well, good luck with everything and I would love to keep in touch and hear about your progress. I plan to apply for the 2012 class. What about you?

My coworker got in at samford. He started his first RN job with us in the TBICU about 8-9 months ago. He also has picked up some shifts in the CICU here and there. I think that helped him some as well, of course he will have right at a year of exp when he starts in january. I didnt ask him about his gpa but i did ask him about his gre and interview experienc. He scored in the 1200 range doing well in quantitative. he studied for quantitative a fair amount but felt there was no way to really prepare for the verbal. He also said that the interview had no clinical questions. it was all about "why crna? how are you prepared finacially? what makes you better than the next applicant?"...that kind of stuff. we also had 2 other pple accepted and 1 placed on the alternate list at samford from my unit alone. they had a little more exp, but not much. I do plan to apply to UAB and samford as well in hopes that i may be able to spare myself from out-of-state tuition. but my first attempt will be USC for the 2012 grad. class. I think im going to sign up for the GRE for sometime in feb. what about you? have you started your review class yet? if so, how do you like it?

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My coworker got in at samford. He started his first RN job with us in the TBICU about 8-9 months ago. He also has picked up some shifts in the CICU here and there. I think that helped him some as well, of course he will have right at a year of exp when he starts in january. I didnt ask him about his gpa but i did ask him about his gre and interview experienc. He scored in the 1200 range doing well in quantitative. he studied for quantitative a fair amount but felt there was no way to really prepare for the verbal. He also said that the interview had no clinical questions. it was all about "why crna? how are you prepared finacially? what makes you better than the next applicant?"...that kind of stuff. we also had 2 other pple accepted and 1 placed on the alternate list at samford from my unit alone. they had a little more exp, but not much. I do plan to apply to UAB and samford as well in hopes that i may be able to spare myself from out-of-state tuition. but my first attempt will be USC for the 2012 grad. class. I think im going to sign up for the GRE for sometime in feb. what about you? have you started your review class yet? if so, how do you like it?

I actually started the review course last nite but all we did was take a diagnostic test. Really need to brush up on the quantitative, but I already knew that and hopefully the classroom instruction will help. I'll keep you posted.

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I actually started the review course last nite but all we did was take a diagnostic test. Really need to brush up on the quantitative, but I already knew that and hopefully the classroom instruction will help. I'll keep you posted.

Great! good luck! I would like to start studying for it asap but all this overtime to get debts down to a minimum is wearing me out...but ya gotta do whatchya gotta do!

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Specializes in ICU, PACU.

In my opinion, I don't think I will go anywhere after PACU. I like it.

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