Essentials for the SRNA/CRNA

Hi Group,

I too am very interested in what "gadgets" you recommend for school. I start nursing school 5/05 and will apply to CRNA school as soon as I am eligible.

1) Programs & Software
2) PDA
3) Laptop
4) Microrecorders (digital so you can burn to a CD)
5) Things SRNA's/CRNA's find essential to there training on day one of
school/clinical.


What would you call essential and what would you NOT waste any money on (at least not at the beginning of school)

Thanks alot!

What exactly are those things that fit into your ear and you can hear heart & breath sounds while working with the patient? Would you need one of those?

s-m-a-r-t-y p-a-n-t-s

If you're referring to a stethescope, I'm not! I'm talking about a little device that fits into the Anesthetist's ear (it looks like a hearing aide), and the earpiece connects to a slender tube that goes down the ET tube (I think that's where it goes). Seriously, what is this earpiece/tube called?

It’s an earpiece that allows you to connect to either a pre-cordial or esophageal stethoscope. The pre-cordial is a bell that you tape on the patient’s chest and the esophageal is a tube that is placed in the goose. Both allow you to assess heart and lung sounds throughout a case. I use it all the time, except for really short cases. Getting fitted for it though is kind of gross though. They squirt something like 40-60cc of gunk into your ear and let it solidify.

opps.... heee heee .... you were not being a "smarty..pants"... looks like I was being the "dummy pants".....LOL

Jeff,
My advice is to go with items that will give you longevity because you will be broke for 2 years. In our program we don't have to have a laptop. I got my computer at Costco for under $1000. I got the palm M500 because it is black/white so the power last longer and put a 256k card in it. The biggest advice I have is to get a laser printer because I get 2-3x the life out of toner that my friends with inkjets get...I shopped around for which laser had cheap toner and at the time for me it was the HP1200. As far as maximizing time my friend that drives reads onto tape then plays it as she drives since she doesn't have as much time to read as I do. Good luck!