Unless you also like the idea of being a nurse, CRNA is a terrible financial decision in your situation.
1 year of ICU experience is a bare minimum requirement for CRNA schools - that’s typically the 3.8-4.0 sGPAs with CVICU experience. CVs don’t hire new grads unless they know you and you are exceptional - such as you have been a CNA on their unit (the techs on my unit were also EMTs) or you excelled in the hospital’s nurse residency program. Nursing school teaches you enough not to accidentally kill your patient, you learn the art of nursing on the job. If you are a new grad, your charge nurse is NOT going to be giving you unstable patients. You will also find many ICU managers won’t write a letter of recommendation to grad school without X amount of time on their unit. You want your hands on as many patients with Swans as possible prior to anesthesia school - those don’t go to newbies, and you don’t see them very often anymore outside CVICU or SICU. Why Swans (PA catheters)? Hemodynamics. Instability. Waveform recognition. Complication recognition and management. I was a nurse for 5 years, with 4 years of ED/Level I Trauma experience prior to starting CV, and I was overwhelmed, I can’t imagine being a new grad.
Fastest track to CRNA success that would make me comfortable with you taking care of my son:
BSN school preceptorship in a CVICU, complete a nurse residency at a university hospital (you’re not going to find a nurse residency program unless you go to a very large facility), work in a university CVICU for three years following nurse residency prior to application to school (you would likely get accepted with only two years unless your science and nursing school grades are mediocre at like 3.5). At that point, you will have become somewhat more comfortable in your abilities as a nurse as you will have begun to develop your spidey sense when it comes to patients heading south, learned time management with your meds and gtts while providing high quality care (yes, you should be able to draw your labs/ABGs q2-4h, electrolyte replacement, q 15 minx4 then 1hr Is&Os and VS, titrate your pressors/insulin/heparin gtts, hang your abx, q2h and PRN mouth/vent care, q shift CHG bath, q2h turns and sliding Mr. Wiggles back up in bed PRN, manage their temporary pacemaker, Foley audit/ sepsis screen paperwork, charting q2h assessments/restraints and actually doing said assessments, educate family with their 8000 questions while they cry, report to mid levels and physicians when it’s convenient for them, facilitate extubation or advocate for why they’re not ready so you don’t end up reintubating... and then still take care of your other patient unless this patient is also on ECMO and/or CRRT...this isn’t even close to covering all your duties), and somewhere along the way you will have developed your ability to think critically while under pressure. When you can land an oozy aortic valve replacement with ease and can run a code in your sleep, you’re probably ready to apply to school - otherwise, I don’t want you touching my loved ones because I want you to be comfortable handling the worst of situations.
The vast majority of CRNA schools have transitioned (or are transitioning) to the DNP (you’ll also see it abbreviated as DNAP for clarity between nurse practitioners and nurse anesthetists) = 3 years. Working during anesthesia school is highly discouraged, some schools will make you sign a contract, this was exclusionary for me as a single parent with an uncooperative ex.
Let’s run numbers as if you were from my region:
7 years and $210K investment: 1 year accelerated BSN (unsure of your program cost... $30K?), bare *minimum* 3 years back breaking ICU work prior to matriculation making an abysmal $19-23/hr (dear god, please don’t go to school after one year, you might be my son’s anesthetist one day), 3 years anesthesia school at $180K total COA. I personally do not know a CRNA (n>40) who was an RN for less than 3 years prior to school. $130K starting salary (dropped from $160K due to oversaturation)
Or
8 years and $240K investment: 4 year residency with $50-$60K with frequent 24h call/80 hr wks. $350K (anesthesia, OB/GYN, ED... feel free to adjust the years and salary with the field, either way, it’s more than a CRNA will top out at unless you go into primary care). One more year to be an MD/DO, triple your income, and never have to experience the bedside care (and subsequent back strain) of an 800 lb ventilated patient with a fecal impaction.
TLDR: CRNA school isn’t a short cut and it’s expensive. Unless you would be happier being a bedside nurse for several years, I’d sit down and study for the MCAT or finish pharmacy school. If you were already a nurse, I’d encourage CRNA school for you. You’re not, and as such, MD/DO is a far better investment of your time and money.
