The Break Between
Quitting and Starting

There is a stretch of time between quitting your ICU job and starting CRNA school. For some people it is a few weeks. For others it is a few days. However long it is, that time matters more than you might think.

It is easy to fill this period with stress. Packing, moving, worrying about money, second-guessing whether you are ready. But if you approach it intentionally, this break can be one of the most valuable parts of your entire CRNA journey.

Rest is not optional.

If you have been working full-time in an ICU, you are probably more tired than you realize. Night shifts, overtime, the emotional weight of critical care nursing. It adds up. CRNA school is going to demand everything from you, and you cannot show up already depleted.

I recommend giving yourself real time to rest. Not just a week off, but actual recovery time where you are not scheduling back-to-back tasks or trying to be productive every single day. Sleep in. Spend time with people you care about. Do things that have nothing to do with nursing or school.

This might be the last real break you have for three years. Let yourself take it.

Build the habits you will need.

CRNA school is going to test your discipline. If you go into it without solid routines, you will spend the first few months scrambling to build them while also trying to keep up with coursework. That is harder than it needs to be.

Use this time to establish habits that will serve you. Start waking up at a consistent time. Build a morning routine that sets you up for focused work. If you do not already have a system for staying organized, create one now. Figure out how you study best and start practicing that approach.

Meal prep is another habit worth building. CRNA school does not leave a lot of time for cooking from scratch every night. If you can get into the rhythm of planning meals, prepping ingredients, and cooking in batches, you will save yourself hours every week once school starts.

This quote from Evan Almighty stuck with me during this transition. You do not build resilience by wishing for it. You build it by creating the conditions that allow you to practice it. That is what this break is for.

Get your life in order.

Handle the administrative tasks you know will be annoying to deal with later. Update your address. Make any necessary doctor or dentist appointments. Get your car serviced if it needs it. Take care of anything that could become a distraction once school starts.

If you are moving, give yourself enough time to settle in before your first day. Unpacking, setting up your space, learning your new neighborhood. These things take longer than you think. Trying to do them while also starting a rigorous program is a recipe for stress.

Spend time with people who matter.

CRNA school is all-consuming. You will have less time for family, friends, and relationships than you are used to. The people who care about you understand that, but it still changes the dynamic.

Use this break to invest in those relationships. Spend quality time with the people you will not see as often once school starts. Have real conversations. Make memories. Let them know you appreciate them and that even though you will be busier, they still matter to you.

These relationships are part of what will sustain you when school gets hard. Do not take them for granted.

Resist the urge to over-prepare academically.

Some people spend this break trying to get ahead academically. Reading textbooks, watching lectures, studying pharmacology. I understand the impulse, but I do not think it is the best use of this time.

CRNA school will teach you what you need to know. Trying to front-load all of that learning before you even start is exhausting and often not that helpful. The material will make more sense when it is taught in context with the rest of the curriculum.

Focus instead on being rested, organized, and mentally ready. That will serve you better than memorizing drug mechanisms you will relearn in a few weeks anyway.