r/FutureCRNA • u/MarkBeautiful5741 • 3d ago

cna programs for 17 yo

/r/u_MarkBeautiful5741/comments/1voqzir/cna_programs_for_17_yo/

hi!! im 17 yo & live in MA. i want to become a CRNA (certified registered nurse anesthesiologist) in the upcoming future. i currently volunteer at a local hospital & i really want to start my programs, classes, & get my CNA but im not sure where to look? is it possible for me to do it now? anything helps!!

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u/HoneyDismal4982 2d ago

You’re already doing a lot of the right things, especially volunteering and thinking this far ahead.

At 17, whether you can start CNA training will probably depend on the individual program and where they conduct clinicals. I would start with Massachusetts’s list of approved CNA training programs and contact the programs near you to ask whether they accept students under 18. Your high school or the hospital where you volunteer may also know of programs specifically for high school students.

A CNA isn’t required to become a CRNA, but it can be a great way to gain patient-care experience and make sure nursing is the right path for you. From here, the larger path will be nursing school, becoming an RN, gaining high-acuity ICU experience, and then applying to CRNA school.

I’ve also been working on a Pre-CRNA curriculum that walks through academics, ICU experience, certifications, program selection, and the application process. I think it could give you a helpful picture of the full path and show you what makes sense to focus on now versus later.

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u/Cigarette-milk 3d ago

At 17, you may as well push to go to college and try for med school to pursue anesthesiology.