What types of ICU experience are applicable and which type is best?
Experience as an R.N. in surgical, medical, trauma, neonatal, cardiovascular, neuro, burn, or pediatric ICU is acceptable, as is coronary care unit experience. Each of these practice areas brings its own advantages in terms of preparation of the nurse. As a CRNA student you will care for patients who are neonatal to 100 years old, and you will have to be equally comfortable with drug dosing, age-related factors, etc. for all of them. A NICU nurse will find great comfort adapting to pediatric anesthesia, while the former CCU nurse will have a breeze in evaluating ECG and stress test results prior to cardiac surgery. The program will help all students bridge the gaps between their past experience and this broader set of responsibilities. No one area is perfect in terms of previous experience, although a surgical ICU will give you familiarity with many aspects of anesthesia care, anesthetic medications, postoperative complications, etc. For people who are considering a job change to bette
