Why is BSN required for CRNA?

CRNA is an advanced nursing role, so I guess it makes sense that they'd favor or require a BSN instead of something else.

If a BSN is so easy for you to obtain than why aren’t you doing it already?

It should be easy to switch from your RN to a BSN degree then. Your science credits could be used against BSN.

BS in Chem doesn't include community health nursing, nursing ethics/research, or other nursing-related bachelor-level courses. Nursing is a highly-specialized major that none of the coursework in other majors apply, and almost everything is learned with a nursing perspective.

Regardless of your opinions about the BSN courses, schools are free to set their standards. You can certain apply only to ones that do not require a BSN. On a side note, in many competitive areas, it's almost impossible to get a job in critical care nursing (a requirement for CRNA programs) without a BSN.

What difference does it make WHY? If you don't want to do it, go to one of those schools you mentioned that will accept a BS in another field. If those schools aren't good enough, then get your BSN and put in the required time in critical care to get accepted to CRNA school. Don't spin your wheels making the argument that you know better. It's irrelevant to your goals.

2 hours ago, Horseshoe said:

What difference does it make WHY? If you don't want to do it, go to one of those schools you mentioned that will accept a BS in another field. If those schools aren't good enough, then get your BSN and put in the required time in critical care to get accepted to CRNA school. Don't spin your wheels making the argument that you know better. It's irrelevant to your goals.

The BSN to work in an ICU is a good point. That honestly didn’t cross my mind. The ICUs where I’m from seem to just want RN’s with a pulse, BSN or not. Pretty in demand.

I reread your post and just noticed that you aren't a nurse yet. You don't even have a license and you're already planning on leapfrogging into an advanced practice role.

And you're writing criticisms of a field (that you're not a member of) that are easily construed as, shall we say, overly pointed.

Are you really surprised you're getting push back?

Correct, I don’t have a license yet. Not for another few months. Stated that from the start. But how does that mean that I can’t have my path planned from A to Z? I know exactly what I want and how to get there, so it’s irrelevant that I’m not licensed yet.

I've said many times (and often enough on this forum) that classes in nursing theory, professional practice, and leadership are junk, with no particular standard for research or evidentiary support, and that I would be thrilled if those classes in the BSN curriculum could be substituted by chemistry or O chem, advanced pathophysiology, any clinical, a foreign language, etc.

That said, aside from those (thankfully few) classes, most of the BSN is really just the same nursing classes you get in any nursing degree, the same general math and science prereq courses you include in other BS degrees as well as the same liberal arts electives, and a couple extra community health type classes that you could make a reasonable argument for being useful anyway.

In other words, while I might be more willing than most here to agree with you about some of the BSN curriculum, at least keep it in perspective - the questionable parts of it only make up maybe one full semester's worth of classes. It shouldn't be surprising that an advanced nursing degree requires a BS in nursing as a prereq. The real question is why the BSN curriculum includes some of the classes it does when other courses would make for a stronger education.

1 hour ago, MM1989 said:

Correct, I don’t have a license yet. Not for another few months. Stated that from the start. But how does that mean that I can’t have my path planned from A to Z? I know exactly what I want and how to get there, so it’s irrelevant that I’m not licensed yet.

If you planned accordingly, you would have got a BSN... doesn't sound like you "know exactly how to get there".

Good luck to you. I think when you mature and become an RN and CRNA, you will realize having a BSN is not useless and easy. Especially when you work with other CRNA's who have BSNs. In addition, you will find that advanced hospitals may not want to hire someone without a BSN degree, even if you hold a CRNA. Most elite hospitals want BSN degrees, so they can be magnet hospitals.

1 hour ago, Cowboyardee said:

I've said many times (and often enough on this forum) that classes in nursing theory, professional practice, and leadership are junk, with no particular standard for research or evidentiary support, and that I would be thrilled if those classes in the BSN curriculum could be substituted by chemistry or O chem, advanced pathophysiology, any clinical, a foreign language, etc.

That said, aside from those (thankfully few) classes, most of the BSN is really just the same nursing classes you get in any nursing degree, the same general math and science prereq courses you include in other BS degrees as well as the same liberal arts electives, and a couple extra community health type classes that you could make a reasonable argument for being useful anyway.

In other words, while I might be more willing than most here to agree with you about some of the BSN curriculum, at least keep it in perspective - the questionable parts of it only make up maybe one full semester's worth of classes. It shouldn't be surprising that an advanced nursing degree requires a BS in nursing as a prereq. The real question is why the BSN curriculum includes some of the classes it does when other courses would make for a stronger education.

1 hour ago, Cowboyardee said:

I've said many times (and often enough on this forum) that classes in nursing theory, professional practice, and leadership are junk, with no particular standard for research or evidentiary support, and that I would be thrilled if those classes in the BSN curriculum could be substituted by chemistry or O chem, advanced pathophysiology, any clinical, a foreign language, etc.

That said, aside from those (thankfully few) classes, most of the BSN is really just the same nursing classes you get in any nursing degree, the same general math and science prereq courses you include in other BS degrees as well as the same liberal arts electives, and a couple extra community health type classes that you could make a reasonable argument for being useful anyway.

In other words, while I might be more willing than most here to agree with you about some of the BSN curriculum, at least keep it in perspective - the questionable parts of it only make up maybe one full semester's worth of classes. It shouldn't be surprising that an advanced nursing degree requires a BS in nursing as a prereq. The real question is why the BSN curriculum includes some of the classes it does when other courses would make for a stronger education.

Thank you for being rationale and answering my question.

1 hour ago, HelicopterMom said:

If you planned accordingly, you would have got a BSN... doesn't sound like you "know exactly how to get there".

Good luck to you. I think when you mature and become an RN and CRNA, you will realize having a BSN is not useless and easy. Especially when you work with other CRNA's who have BSNs. In addition, you will find that advanced hospitals may not want to hire someone without a BSN degree, even if you hold a CRNA. Most elite hospitals want BSN degrees, so they can be magnet hospitals.

The last paragraph is very informative to me. Thank you.

I would agree that it's "easy" relative to some other degrees, but if it's required for a CRNA school (or any other graduate program), then it's hardly "useless." In fact, it would be considered a must-have, and therefore very USEFUL. Same with hospitals that require it in order to be hired.