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PICU experience for CRNA school
Have you ever heard someone say that CRNA schools don’t accept PICU experience? Did you know that PICU nurses have actually consistently scored the highest first time scores on the NCE (CRNA national board exam)? Not all schools will accept PICU experience…true, BUT many do. It’s all about finding the “right” school. As a former PICU nurse, now SRNA, I say that if PICU nursing is your dream, GO FOR IT! While PICU might not be the first unit people think of when they hear “CRNA school prerequisite”, it’s a goldmine of experience, and I’ll tell ya why!
Taking care of critically ill kids forces you to level up, and quick! From titrating pressors and managing sedation on tiny tikes that weigh that of a watermelon, to managing endotracheal tubes and devices that are fit for a football player, PICU nurses learn how to meticulously analyze a wide variety of vitals, anticipate big changes before they happen. They thrive under pressure and stay calm while managing patients receiving ECMO, CRRT, and dozens of other lines/drains/tubes/wires- all while consoling anxious parents.
PICU nurses become hyper-detail oriented because, in pediatrics there is no room for “eyeballing” it. That kind of precision, mixed with quick decision-making regarding a wide variety of diagnoses and sizes of patients is exactly the kind of clinical excellence that CRNA schools are looking for. PICU nurses learn weight-based medication dosing from day one, a skill that is the bread and butter of anesthesia.
In addition to the technical side, the PICU builds adaptability and resilience. One minute you’re caring for a 2.5 kg neonate on high-frequency ventilation, the next, you’re setting up a room for a 120 kg, 6-foot tall teenager that underwent a major abdominal exlap. Every shift feels like a crash course in physiology, pharmacology, and critical thinking…all while honing your emotional intelligence and rapport-building skills.
PICU isn’t just where you care for cute littles who like cartoons and colorful band-aids. It’s where critical care nursing meets creativity, precision, and nerves of steel. All which are things that will help you excel as a SRNA and future CRNA.
If you ever have any questions, please reach out!
Much love,
Roza, SRNA
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