ccrn (and marriage)

[preCRNA]

I know that CRNA schools look highly on the CCRN. Being realistic, how far into a person's ICU experience would they be best prepared for everything that getting a CCRN entails?

Currently I have worked over a year in the ICU setting (mostly MICU). I hope to be accepted to a CRNA program for fall of 2005. (keeping my fingers crossed).

One last thing, I'm getting married this May and was wondering how, perhaps the married SRNA's are doing. I'm freaked out that I won't have time to devote to my wife while in CRNA school.

Please feel free to give tons of advice to this newbie.

[loisane]

Roland,

I think maybe the distinction between "job" and "profession" might help explain my opinion. A person can spend 8 hours a day at something they hate, and strive to be excellent because that is how they provide for their family.

But I think it is very difficult to carry that same level of enthusiasm into a profession, something that you carry with you all the time, you can't leave it at work when you punch the time clock.

I think the ideal situation is for us all to have a passion for what we do. That fire in the belly will keep you going more than any amount of money. Sure, it is idealistic. I am sure there are plenty of people in anesthesia that don't really have a passion for it. But the ones who are really good, the ones that I would want at the head of the table if my family needs surgery, they have a passion for the profession that no amount of money can buy.

I use the same criteria to pick a physician. Yes, I believe you can tell the ones who are motivated by a genuine love of medicine. It shows, the same way it shows in anesthesia care.

Maybe I am assuming about some people's motives. But I know of more than one instance in which a MD has shared these feelings with me. That he regretted his investment in medicine, but was too far in to back out. Was pressured into it by family and others who needed his financial support. These are unhappy people.

Your sport analogy is a good one. There are players who love the game, but there are ones who love the money and fame. We can all tell the difference, which ones are more entertaining?

Sure, we all have to be realistic about money. I have a much better lifestlye than if I had to pay the bills on a basket weavers salary. I don't donate my paycheck to charity. I think it is fine to be motivated by money. But it is not enough-it is about balance.

About the CCRN-no the admissions committee won't know you failed unless you tell them. That was my point.(well, actually the more important point, is that if you don't pass the CCRN exam, you aren't ready for anesthesia school!) You may not believe it, but I have heard of that very thing happening.

loisane crna

[Roland]

I do believe that having a passion for what you do generally makes you better. I just believe that such a passion can develop secondary to your primary goal of making a good living. My dream is to one day live on Oahu and be able to surf on the weekends (or whatever my days off happen to be). I would also like to own a nice telescope, look at the stars sometimes at night, and maybe, just maybe someday own a forty or fifty foot sailboat or cabin cruiser with which to explore the South Pacific and beyond. Becoming a CRNA (or my wife becoming one and myself becoming an NP) could very well make that dream come true. THAT dream is enough to motivate me currently as an undergraduate nursing student (and part time CNA). When my feet hurt, and my right ankle is swollen from a sixteen hour day (I sometimes do double shifts at a local nursing home when I can't get good home health care assignments) I think of my dream and while the pain doesn't go away it is put into it's proper perspective. Of course I also care about my "clients". I sometimes go into the same facility "off clock" just to talk to the residents many of whom I have grown to love. In the same way I spend some of our precious money to buy them things like radio's and old time radio cassettes to make their existence a bit more pleasant. However, I do the job primarily for the twelve dollars per hour that I earn. When I made minimum wage detasseling corn in highschool I was obsessed with being the fastest and most accurate (I never did get as good as the best immigrants from Mexico, but I nearly died trying and did manage to become a 90th percentile corn detassler). I joined the Navy primarily for the money to go to college. However, I wanted to become a SEAL (which I wasn't able to accomplish because of vision issues) because they were the best (and got paid more money). Instead, I was able to be a corpman who got some of their training, and was able to sometimes care for SEAL's.

Ultimately, I guess it comes down to the fact that I resent the fact that I might even be compelled to explain my motivations for becoming a CRNA to an admissions board. Of course as a libertarian I resent the fact that I am even required to seek the goverment's permission in the form of licensure to engage in virtually any activity. The fact that my motivations may be relevent seems contrary the fundamental liberties upon which this nation was founded.

[pickledpepperRN]

This limk is to a fine book for preparing for the CCRN exam. Multiple choice questions give a flavor of the exam. Rationale for all choices helps understand the reason for choosing an answer.

http://www.greatnurses.com/index.php?content=books.php

Critical Care Examination Review by Laura Gasparis Vonfrolio, RN, PhD, CEN — Joanne Noone, RN, MSN, CS, CCRN

Over 800 multiple choice questions that test your knowledge of critical care nursing. Organizes content by body system so that you can easily study whichever subjects you need to review more thoroughly. Presents valuable test-taking strategies to boost your confidence and give you an added advantage when taking the exam. 412 pgs $28.95 + $5.00 S/H

PS: I think a CRNA has a much higher worth to society than a professional athlete, talk show host, or unethical CEO. Just my opinion.

[preCRNA]

Hey BikeGurl,

Thats awesome that you used to live in SLC. I love it here too. I will kinda be said to leave this place when I get accepted into CRNA school, but maybe I'll move back. Anyway, I had a question for you. Could you tell me about your experience that you said that the interviewers were impressed with? Also, any other pointers you have would be appreciated.

-preCRNA

What's up Salt Lake City!!! My new husband (as of 5 months ago) and I just relocated across the country so that I can start school this Fall. We are definately missing Salt Lake. We decided to move early so that he could get a job before school started, we could get settled, and start working for instate tuition. It's been pretty tough, the job market sucks right now if you're not a nurse. He did finally find one though. As far as CCRN goes, I didn't get mine and I got accepted to both schools I applied to. Most of my interview questions were personal...Why do you want to be a CRNA?...What have you done to prepare?...They asked me how long I'd been married, etc. One school didn't really ask any clinical stuff--they liked my experience on my resume. The program that I will be starting asked some hemodynamic questions (Swan numbers, what drips I would use for certain numbers). Good Luck! Great to see a Utahn on this site!