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CRNA School Challenges: Didactic vs. Clinical

J

Javier, CRNA

CRNA

· Updated · 4 min read
CRNA School Challenges: Didactic vs. Clinical
In This Article (6 sections)

When comparing the challenges of CRNA school, didactic and clinical experiences each bring their own unique difficulties. Didactic coursework is structured and mentally intense, requiring consistent study habits, while clinical rotations are unpredictable and demand adaptability and hands-on learning.

When it comes to the difficulty of didactic and clinical experiences, it’s a topic that sparks diverse opinions among SRNA students. The perspectives vary, whether you’re a first-year or a third-year student, or if you’re in a front-loaded or integrated program. In fact, if you're still weighing which program style fits you, the lesson on Front-Loaded vs. Integrated might be worth checking out for a deeper dive.

With such a rich mix of responses, I firmly believe that the best approach is to tailor your SRNA journey to your unique circumstances. In this blog post, I’ll share my personal take on the matter.

Quick Answer

Across the 154 CRNA programs in The CRNA Club's database, students consistently report didactic coursework as structured but mentally demanding, while clinical rotations are unpredictable and physically exhausting. Check whether your target programs use a front-loaded or integrated format, since each distributes the workload differently.

What Is the Experience Like in Emory's Integrated CRNA Program?

As an SRNA at Emory University’s integrated track, we cover didactics for about eight months and then begin clinical rotations while continuing didactic coursework. Throughout the program, the didactic load remains static, while the clinical time grows exponentially from two days a week to four days a week by the middle of the second year. From then on, the didactic and clinical load will remain the same until graduation.

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Why Is Didactic Coursework Structured Yet Challenging?

Didactic coursework followed a formula. I knew what to expect from the professors, which textbooks would be used, and how they would test. I would pre-read, review the PowerPoint deck, take notes in class, and study them until test day. It was predictable, but it also required a delicate balance between study and self-care. From my experience, I found that didactic coursework became more challenging when I neglected the right balance between study time and self-care. Overstudying and cutting back on self-care took a toll. If you're curious about how program requirements might impact your didactic load, the Program Requirements lesson breaks down what to expect across different schools.

Why Are Clinical Rotations Unpredictable But Rewarding?

In comparison, clinical rotations did not follow a formula. During my first rotation, I felt prepared to know the steps to direct laryngoscopy, but troubleshooting a real-life person’s airway is another story. Every day in clinical, it felt like starting from square one for some time. We all went from an ICU nurse at the top of our field to becoming a novice apprentice again. Throw in a mixed bag of preceptor personalities and different expectations, and you learn to become flexible and accept constructive criticism quickly. If you're wondering whether CRNA school is the right fit for you, we actually talked about this on the podcast (Ep 6: "5 signs CRNA school is right for YOU" on Apple Podcasts).

Which Is More Difficult: Didactic or Clinical CRNA School Challenges?

So which one was harder? It’s not about choosing one. Didactics is more mentally stimulating and challenging, while clinical can be physically and mentally stimulating and challenging. It comes down to knowing how you learn and study, your flexibility and adaptability, and how you take constructive feedback and apply it. Having a system in place that guided my didactic was helpful for me. Additionally, I reassessed after every exam if my studying techniques were beneficial or needed to be changed. During clinical, I would always inform my preceptor where I was in my clinical rotation, and we’d discuss expectations for the day and what I needed to work on. Providing one item a day to work on felt more manageable than five or more. If you're early in the process and wondering what schools are really looking for, you might enjoy Ep 1: "What CRNA Schools are REALLY looking for in an applicant" on Apple Podcasts.

Why View CRNA School as a Marathon, Not a Sprint?

The critical thing to remember is that our CRNA journey is not a quick 5K race but a marathon full of excitement and varied terrain where, some days, all you see is the next step ahead, and that is totally and completely okay. If you want to hear more about the long game and things you might do differently before applying, check out Ep 2: "3 things I would have done differently BEFORE applying to CRNA school" on Apple Podcasts.

Where Can You Find Helpful CRNA Resources?

Check out our CRNA programs page for more information on different schools. You might also be interested in our best CRNA schools guide. If you're deciding between degrees, see our comparison of DNP vs. DNAP vs. PhD. Ready to find your perfect CRNA school match? Use our CRNA School Database to quickly filter and find programs you meet the requirements for in a matter of clicks!

Frequently Asked Questions

How many CRNA programs are there in the US?

There are approximately 140 accredited nurse anesthesia programs in the United States, offering either DNP or DNAP degrees. You can compare all of them in our free CRNA School Database.

How do I choose the right CRNA program?

Consider location, tuition, NCE pass rates, class size, clinical rotation sites, and admission requirements. Our School Database lets you filter and compare all 140+ programs by these criteria.

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Key Features of CRNA Programs that I Wish I Knew When I Was Applying

Key Features of CRNA Programs that I Wish I Knew When I Was Applying

The way a school looks on paper can be far from your in-person experience. I always advise people to speak to local students, nurses, even CRNAs, of their perceptions of the program and students currently attend. A school could look amazing through the website and even through their national rankings and people could have not so favorable experiences with them in real life. Word of mouth, of course, has to always be taken with a grain of salt but fielding firsthand experiences of a program can prove to be invaluable. Speaking to current students could give you more insight into what a program is like outside of just the numbers which are often not influenced by student experience. 1. Student Expectations & Support The capacity of a school and class numbers relative to faculty are important to consider. Is there mentorship between classes available? I’ve found that some of the best advice about making it through my specific program has come from upperclassmen. They have insight specific to a professor or class that you can not find on social media. Mastering the knowledge is one thing but also performing well is another that is better suited with a more direct counsel. Do students have advisors available or how are student concerns addressed? These are questions that you may want to ask to figure out the kind of support you will have through school from faculty. Programs will expect you to know what supports you have outside of school whether that be it family or friends but knowing the academic support you have is another thing. 2. Consider the Academic Calendar This is something I wish I would have considered early on. Is your program on a quarter, trimester, or semester system? How many classes do students take per academic block? Considering the amount of work, you’ll need to juggle is important and will impact your day to day scheduling in school. Taking 5 classes on a quarter system is much different than 5 classes on a semester schedule. It’s worth understanding this before committing to a program at least to anticipate what will be asked of you. Understanding the academic calendar and whether there are any breaks built in will also help you plan your time to rest and recharge. As you become a SRNA so much of your life becomes revolved around school, so any insight to plan your non-school related activities beforehand, the better! 3. Type & Quality of Clinical Placements How are clinical placements decided? What kinds of practice models are at these sites? How far do students on average travel for clinical? Commuting to clinical will become a huge part of your life once you start clinical rotations. Seeing as students are the first to arrive and last to leave, understanding how these placements are made could largely impact your experience to come. Our school tracks the number of miles we must commute and on our next rotation we get to travel closer to home. Also considering that the financial aspect of moving for clinical or commuting is often the sole responsibility of the student this could add another expense to your already sinking funds. Important to consider, to some people that matters more than to others, you just don’t want to be blindsided by the cost when the time comes. Are they mostly large academic centers or is there room for seeing CRNA independent practice? When it comes to the clinical portion of school this is building the foundation for your career. Not only are these learning opportunities, but as you get more familiar with sites, you’ll learn that the anesthesia culture varies per location and practice model. If your training only exposes, you to one practice model it will be hard to have the foundation to be a versatile CRNA once you graduate. The goal of anesthesia training is to give you enough exposure so you can learn where you’d like to work once you graduate. To build that self-concept adequate exposure to all varieties of cases, practice models and healthcare settings is needed. As a nurse anesthesia resident, you are constantly challenged and fully expected to rise to the opportunity. When you’re interviewing for schools, they are trying to sell you an education as well as you are trying to decide what is the right fit. To come to that conclusion, it is important to consider all things and be able to make a sound and educated decision. You would never want to regret such a large investment in your future. Knowing and being able to map out some of the unknowns of school will also help to ease your anxiety and make sure you have the right fit school for you. Good luck out there!

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