Which path did you take to become a CRNA

[cschelfe]

Hi all,

I have just finished my first year in nursing school, at this point in time I am fairly certain that I would like to take the path to become a CRNA. I know it may seem early in the game, but I would like to hear about your experiences and any advise in regards to the routes you've taken to get there.

I would like to spend my practicum in one of these areas: OR, ICU (CICU), PACU, or ED but to be completely honest I am unsure whether or not my school could offer this to me.

I am planning on working as soon as I pass the NCLEX, as well as start on my BSN (whether online/in person) my school offers a bridge/ transition directly to the Health and Science University offered in the area. I would like to have my first job in one of the aforementioned areas, though I know this may be difficult to secure for being right out of school.

Thoughts....comments...?

Thank you!

[sirI, MSN, APRN, NP]

Thread moved to SRNA forum for best response from other Students as well as CRNAs. Good luck.

[chemokine]

If you want to be a CRNA, you can start by trying to get a practicum in the ICU. Otherwise you can try for a step down unit practicum. Another idea is to get a job as a nurse tech in an ICU while in nursing school. Just anything to get your foot in the door and some familiarity with critical care. Your main focus for now should be learning about critical care since that is where you will need to put in your time before applying to CRNA school.

I wasn't able to secure an ICU practicum in nursing school unfortunately although many students did. It got my spirits down but I eventually got into an ICU job after working PCU first. Now im an SRNA. Sometimes things dont go as fast as you would like but if you stay committed then you can get there eventually.

[AngelRN27]

I don't know that your practicum site/area plays a huge role in the direction of your career, IMO. I was lucky enough to get my first choice as my practicum site, which was PICU at our local, nationally renowned children's hospital. I loved it & learned tons, but it really had no bearing on where I worked thereafter.

While I applied for jobs as a new grad, not ONE prospective employer ever asked me about my practicum site, though it was listed on my Resume at that time. I even applied at the same children's hospital that hosted me for practicum (where I was well-liked and had plenty of contacts) but I consistently got the "unfortunately, we aren't currently hiring new grads" spiel.

My first job ended up being at a LTC/SNF which was rewarding, but not quite what I was looking for. I moved on to LTAC (see the LTACH threads-- this is comparable to ICU/Tele/ICU Step-down in larger hospitals-- except with ridiculous ratios!) and have been there for 2 years now...

My point in all this is that, although you may have a clear picture of where you *eventually* want to be, there are plenty of paths that lead to the same destination. Not only that, but as sure as you may be now, many times nurses change their minds after being exposed to a certain area of nursing that perhaps they didn't even know existed...

As a new grad, you really can't be picky. Just do great wherever you go and things will pop up for you! Also, take your time to gain valuable experience once you do get to critical care. In my experience, bedside expertise really makes a huge difference for our ARNPs and CRNAs... there is a world of difference between them, and those that sort of went straight into advanced practice.

Good luck and have fun!