Why is ER Experience not accepted?

[TySwenson]

[TySwenson]

I am an ER nurse, who is considering going back to school to become a CRNA. I have a BSN and 2 years experience in the ER. I have found only a handful of schools who “deem” this as acceptable, curious as to why this is, and what will help my chances at getting into a school where ER is acceptable for experience? Any CRNAs out there who had only ER prior to schooling, and what helped you get in?

[JustJess]

[JustJess]

Emergency Room experience is not considered critical care because of the relatively short duration of individual patient care. Schools are looking for candidates who have experience in direct patient care that involve the application of critical thinking skills and independent decision-making.

It will be difficult for an applicant to get through CRNA school without a good amount of prior experience in: working with vasoactive drugs, working with ventilators, invasive monitors (such as pulmonary artery catheters), interpretation of electrocardiographic data, hemodynamic waveforms, lab values (such as arterial blood gases, serum electrolytes, etc), codes, acute airway management, administration of sedatives, and administration of nondepolarizing muscle relaxants.

Your few years of ER is good, however my advice would be to round it out with at least a year of ICU experience (minimum). With that, your schooling choices wont be as limited, and you will be a much more competitive applicant.