How to join the Army CRNA program

[Lucky]

Hello All,

I would really appreciate if someone can fill me in on how to join the army crna school? What are the requirements and what is the time commitment after program? What is the good, the bad and the ugly about the program?

I am not attached to anything. Have my BSN, CCRN and already have 2 yrs of ICU experience.

Thank you in advance for your time and efforts!

[nurserebecca]

Did you try searching the military forum? Also, you could PM armygas as he is on faculty at USAGPAN. PM me if you want some info from the students perspective.

[armygas]

sites.google.com/site/armynurseanesthesia

[BigMAC - Army]

Hello All,

I would really appreciate if someone can fill me in on how to join the army crna school? What are the requirements and what is the time commitment after program? What is the good, the bad and the ugly about the program?

I am not attached to anything. Have my BSN, CCRN and already have 2 yrs of ICU experience.

Thank you in advance for your time and efforts!

There's 3 basic processes: army commission board, acceptance by Northeastern University, acceptance by LTHET (long term health education and training) board. #1,3 require a AMEDD recruiter (not regular enlistee recruiter). If you've never been in the Army, the military part, protocol, etc. takes some getting used too. I'm a direct accession from off streets into this program but had prior enlisted as well as reserve service so I'm mostly used to it but hadn't been active duty in years and things had changed.

Great school; top notch instructors, staff; get issued laptop, tuition free, $1000 for books, full pay and benefits, (can get bonus for CCRN at one time), 30 days vacation, federal holidays, one year San Antonio for phase I didactic, 18-24 months clinicals at your choice of 7 sites to include Hawaii, a multitude of cases and ASA ranges, paid travel to all sites to include hotel and food if temp clinical rotation, 2 types of bonus when you graduate, good US and block training, ability to serve US and soldiers and their family members as well as retirees. Working with active duty army CRNAs, reserve CRNAs, army civilians, VA civilians, off site regular civilians at their hospital - great range of ways to deliver anesthesia. Noone in history of Army school has failed the boards from my site (Augusta, GA). When I go to non Army sites, these people tend to love Army CRNA students, we always have room, supplies, case prepared, open to instruction, polite, can answer most questions, don't try to leave at 1500, etc. Were not smarter or better just disciplined.

Some people consider these bad - I think its whats set us apart and makes us one of the best:
Army life can be demanding, you need to understand committment and deployment to austere and dangerous areas when called first and foremost. Your clinical days are long and demanding while at the Army hospital. My OR time go M-F 0430-0500 to 1800 minimum (a junior student will be in rooms as long as surgery going - if not enough rooms or cases then studying helping get preops labs for students still in room) at hospital, these hours not counting preparation, care plan and calling report /case presentation to staff for next days cases which can go past 2200 or more depending on your cases from today or tomorrow, equipment/supplies you have to round up (not done by techs here), how much you think you're going to get pimped in morning report (30-60 min daily before surgery starts, you sit in firing line of some MDAs but mostly CRNAs on everything about your patient, plan, drugs, AP, pathophys, etc - needs to come from
Memory not reading off paper). By the time you graduate, the board will have many familiar senarios and questions from this. We preop all our inpatients and postop our inpts too (can mean some Sat and Sun in house time besides studying and prepping for Monday cases). Yes, You will get used to it and will get a break from long long hours when new juniors arrive and take over late cases first (yay July for me!).

I'm loving anesthesia, can't wait to graduate, get first assignment, deploy and help someone make it home. As far as I'm concerned, I love this and love my Army family, I'd do this for just my CPT pay sans bonus during my payback but I'll take the $22, 000/yr extra. The school is just that damn good and worth it.

[Lucky]

Awesome feedback. Thank you! Few more things I need to know: Is it easier to get to the school by being in active duty first or is it better to just apply to the school as army reserve? Is there an age limit to get into the army/school? How did you connect with an AMEDD recruiter? How do you get them to help you to reach your goals? I spoke with an AMEDD recruiter today however, he sounded like he didn't know what I need to know and then he said he will connect me to an active duty recruiter because I told him that this is what I am interested in. I told him that because I wasn't sure what is the difference between the 2 and he failed to explain things well.

In any case, I will try again and I am sure I will get somewhere eventually. Meantime, I appreciate your feedback!

[BigMAC - Army]

Awesome feedback. Thank you! Few more things I need to know: Is it easier to get to the school by being in active duty first or is it better to just apply to the school as army reserve? Is there an age limit to get into the army/school? How did you connect with an AMEDD recruiter? How do you get them to help you to reach your goals? I spoke with an AMEDD recruiter today however, he sounded like he didn't know what I need to know and then he said he will connect me to an active duty recruiter because I told him that this is what I am interested in. I told him that because I wasn't sure what is the difference between the 2 and he failed to explain things well.

In any case, I will try again and I am sure I will get somewhere eventually. Meantime, I appreciate your feedback!

Easier to come directly into school from civilian or reserve side, you bypass the 2 year time on station requirement that active duty needs (in other words you come on active duty to attend basic training and CRNA school plus payback instead of coming on active duty to be ICU nurse). Go to Army CRNA (USAGPAN) website, can call school and talk directly to them for help. They had to give direction to my recruiter (AMEDD can be found at goarmy.com under medical professionals section). I had awesome recruiter who got my paperwork done, reserve release signed, and got me my interview at Ft Sam on Army's dime. Yes you need active duty AMEDD (army medical department) recruiter.

Age limit is 42 for no prior service I think. Each year of prior service can add a year to that age. They waived this for my class but told they weren't now, don't know. Need basically 3.0 above GPA, 1000 GRE, BSN, stats, critical care experience, good interview at phase 2 site (some require you to round report and OR for a few days).

[nurserebecca]

There's 3 basic processes: army commission board, acceptance by Northeastern University, acceptance by LTHET (long term health education and training) board. #1,3 require a AMEDD recruiter (not regular enlistee recruiter). If you've never been in the Army, the military part, protocol, etc. takes some getting used too. I'm a direct accession from off streets into this program but had prior enlisted as well as reserve service so I'm mostly used to it but hadn't been active duty in years and things had changed.

Great school; top notch instructors, staff; get issued laptop, tuition free, $1000 for books, full pay and benefits, (can get bonus for CCRN at one time), 30 days vacation, federal holidays, one year San Antonio for phase I didactic, 18-24 months clinicals at your choice of 7 sites to include Hawaii, a multitude of cases and ASA ranges, paid travel to all sites to include hotel and food if temp clinical rotation, 2 types of bonus when you graduate, good US and block training, ability to serve US and soldiers and their family members as well as retirees. Working with active duty army CRNAs, reserve CRNAs, army civilians, VA civilians, off site regular civilians at their hospital - great range of ways to deliver anesthesia. Noone in history of Army school has failed the boards from my site (Augusta, GA). When I go to non Army sites, these people tend to love Army CRNA students, we always have room, supplies, case prepared, open to instruction, polite, can answer most questions, don't try to leave at 1500, etc. Were not smarter or better just disciplined.

Some people consider these bad - I think its whats set us apart and makes us one of the best:
Army life can be demanding, you need to understand committment and deployment to austere and dangerous areas when called first and foremost. Your clinical days are long and demanding while at the Army hospital. My OR time go M-F 0430-0500 to 1800 minimum (a junior student will be in rooms as long as surgery going - if not enough rooms or cases then studying helping get preops labs for students still in room) at hospital, these hours not counting preparation, care plan and calling report /case presentation to staff for next days cases which can go past 2200 or more depending on your cases from today or tomorrow, equipment/supplies you have to round up (not done by techs here), how much you think you're going to get pimped in morning report (30-60 min daily before surgery starts, you sit in firing line of some MDAs but mostly CRNAs on everything about your patient, plan, drugs, AP, pathophys, etc - needs to come from
Memory not reading off paper). By the time you graduate, the board will have many familiar senarios and questions from this. We preop all our inpatients and postop our inpts too (can mean some Sat and Sun in house time besides studying and prepping for Monday cases). Yes, You will get used to it and will get a break from long long hours when new juniors arrive and take over late cases first (yay July for me!).

I'm loving anesthesia, can't wait to graduate, get first assignment, deploy and help someone make it home. As far as I'm concerned, I love this and love my Army family, I'd do this for just my CPT pay sans bonus during my payback but I'll take the $22, 000/yr extra. The school is just that damn good and worth it.

FutureArmy,
Awesome synopsis! Say hi to the Folks @ Ft. Gordon and the VA too. Good Luck!

[Cptnmikey]

Go to that link that armygas posted. It has every bit of info you will need. It is put together very well. Come in as civilian, even from reserves it is a little bit of a headache.

Tell us about yourself.

-mike

[BigMAC - Army]

FutureArmy,
Awesome synopsis! Say hi to the Folks @ Ft. Gordon and the VA too. Good Luck!

Thanks Rebecca, I will. I'm on my second off site rotation now and am at Doctor's in town. Did VA last month, really liked working with Ramos. MAJ Sellars is deployed and will return around the time the juniors get here.

[Lucky]

Thank you all again for all of your time and infinite wisdom. Very grateful to you. I am looking at my options at this current moment & will not be deciding until I finish evaluating other programs as well.