Why is BSN required for CRNA?

Nurses General Nursing Nursing Q/A

I'm working on my RN and plan to go to CRNA school. I've noticed that a few CRNA schools will allow you to have a bachelors in other science areas, as long as you are an RN. But the best school seem to require a BSN. Why is that? Why is an easy, relatively useless, easy to obtain degree required over something like a bachelors in chemistry?

Specializes in SICU,CTICU,PACU.

is this really even a question?

Specializes in Critical Care.

Eh to be honest for the actual job it’s pretty what n what. Now for higher education, yes a BSN prepares more for that.

On 1/2/2020 at 3:49 PM, ArmyRntoMD said:

A better foundation would lead to a better CRNA. Why teach a CRNA how to be a teacher or manager? That should all be part of an MSN-DNP devoted to that area

I agree that a chem major would contain much info that would be of little use to a CRNA. But how would more lower level science understanding such as organic and biochem not help understand how medications work?

If the CRNA will be working at a teaching hospital, it might be good to be able to teach.

Also, the CRNA might wish to teach student CRNA's and/or manage an Anesthesia practice in the future, so learning to teach and manage could come in handy.

On 1/1/2020 at 10:14 PM, ArmyRntoMD said:

Eh nursing is much easier than chem. It’s not even close. Premeds whine about organic chem, and ochem is nothing upside the difficulty of Pchem.

such a disrespectful answer

Specializes in Flight RN, Trauma Resus, ACNP Student.
On 1/1/2020 at 10:14 PM, ArmyRntoMD said:

Eh nursing is much easier than chem. It’s not even close. Premeds whine about organic chem, and ochem is nothing upside the difficulty of Pchem.

You are comparing apples to oranges.

I happened to LOVE organic chem and did very well in it. I sucked at my BSN nursing theory and leadership courses. I would take chem any day over those courses.

Specializes in NICU, L&D, Public Health.
23 minutes ago, HelicopterMom said:

You are comparing apples to oranges.

I happened to LOVE organic chem and did very well in it. I sucked at my BSN nursing theory and leadership courses. I would take chem any day over those courses.

Same here. Saaaaaaame.

ArmyRntoMD you are something else lol. Glad there was a program where your degree progression worked out, that's all that matters in the end.

28 minutes ago, HelicopterMom said:

You are comparing apples to oranges.

I happened to LOVE organic chem and did very well in it. I sucked at my BSN nursing theory and leadership courses. I would take chem any day over those courses.

I'm right there with you. However, I'm pretty sure the main reason those two classes are difficult is because they are usually terrible classes that add nothing much to our overall education.

Could both sides of this debate agree that perhaps 'easy' is the wrong word (too subjective, for one), but nonetheless, we'd all get more out of our BSNs if nursing schools cleaned up their curricula a little bit?

Specializes in Critical Care.

I enjoy organic chem as well, what I’m saying is you actually have to KNOW what you’re talking about. Much of nursing is very much opinion and not a “hard science”. The parts that were, are very basic in nature. The depth and quantity of material wasnt that great. The only people who seemed to struggle were those who didn’t put in the effort. And it was easy to “overstudy” in nursing. Not so with ochem. I study hours a day every day, and there’s always so much more to learn and it better prepares me to do so. There’s no balancing act “well if I learn TOO much it will make me apt to choosing the wrong answer”

People are better at different things but it’s like saying “well I’m good at biochem but I don’t understand sociology well” That may be so, but a 4.0 in biochem is far more impressive than a 4.0 in sociology due to the amount of work required.

And I agree with cowboy. Why not bolster our education with more classes that actually educate us rather than a bunch of filler garbage?

Specializes in Retired.
On 1/9/2020 at 10:37 AM, ArmyRntoMD said:

I enjoy organic chem as well, what I’m saying is you actually have to KNOW what you’re talking about. Much of nursing is very much opinion and not a “hard science”. The parts that were, are very basic in nature. The depth and quantity of material wasnt that great. The only people who seemed to struggle were those who didn’t put in the effort. And it was easy to “overstudy” in nursing. Not so with ochem. I study hours a day every day, and there’s always so much more to learn and it better prepares me to do so. There’s no balancing act “well if I learn TOO much it will make me apt to choosing the wrong answer”

People are better at different things but it’s like saying “well I’m good at biochem but I don’t understand sociology well” That may be so, but a 4.0 in biochem is far more impressive than a 4.0 in sociology due to the amount of work required.

And I agree with cowboy. Why not bolster our education with more classes that actually educate us rather than a bunch of filler garbage?

Someone on this thread thought sociology was filler.

On 12/26/2019 at 1:37 PM, ArmyRntoMD said:

I didn’t need med term for BSN. All I needed was theater, sociology, A+P 1+2, medical micro, English comp, stats, psych 101, dev psych and algebra. It was 24 hours of prereqs for RN and a couple more classes (the soc theater and I forget the other couple) for BSN. Didn’t even need bio 101, or college chem.

we had to have at least high school Chem and some high school or higher typing class but they weren’t called prereqs, even though by definition they were.

Pat your back. My prerequisites have been too many.?

If the OP has a bachelors in chem already (I'm not sure how that was ascertained but someone said it and the OP didn't correct them) then why is she getting an ADN vs a transition to BSN?

MM1989, do you already have a prior 4yr degree? If so, please disregard the next line.

In what world do people get doctorates without having a bachelors degree?

I'm currently a Senior 2 BSN student. I've been an LVN for over ten years and I can confidently day that the BSN curriculum has had a HUGE impact on my appreciation for and adaptation to evidence-based practices. If that aspect of nursing isn't drilled into your head then you most certainly shouldn't be responsible for putting patients under. Just my opinion. It's one of the most critical, if not the most critical, nursing roles. As far as why a BSN is required for most CRNA schools... because evidence-based-practice says it's safer for patients if they have the BSN and at least one year of critical care experience first. And we are here for the patients - not ourselves.

We take Leadership this semester, but I suspect that will also be extremely valuable moving forward in my nursing career. Advance practice degrees aren't just "more school". There is so much more you get out of continuing your education, regardless of what degree you're seeking. Nothing is useless when it comes to furthering your professional education, IMO.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
On 12/18/2019 at 1:41 AM, MM1989 said:

Jeez folks, just was curious why they’d require a BSN over chemistry in a field that is much more related to science than whatever the hell a BSN teaches. That’s it.... a couple people actually answered the question, while others wanted a pissing match.

Probably because you demeaned us that obtained our hard earned BSNs. Just sayin'

Anyway CRNA is an advanced nursing degree so it makes sense that a BSN would be preferred over chemistry. You certainly would be okay in CRNA school but BSN programs require more advanced assessment, pathophysiology and research that would be useful in CRNA school.

But I get why someone with a Chemistry degree that's worked through an associates degree would not want to get a BSN and spend all that extra time, especially if also the school requires 2 years of critical care experience, if CRNA is the end goal. (not sure where the underline came from..weird)

All the best.

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