Is it compulsory to get icu experience to become crna?
Well, yes and no. You have to have a minimum of 1 yr “critical care experience”n (usually more to be competitive). But it is left up to each school to decide what they will accept as “critical care” experience, at least that’s how I understand it. If you get ICU experience that is definitely accepted at all schools. Some schools will accept ER experience, some won’t. Some accept PACU, some don’t. I don’t know about OR. I think what schools want to see is if you have worked some where with where YOU managed pts on vents, vasoactive drips, sedation, etc. I know you see that in the OR but I don’t know how much OR nurses really get to manage the pts since that is what anesthesia is doing. Also, different ICUs are sometimes better than others to get experience in, so they say. Surgical/trauma is where a lot of people go, also CVICU. I happen to have gotten my experience in a Medical ICU, but we had lots of vents, drips, sedation, etc. Check out the different schools you are interested in to
