taken boards max. times and failed

maybe ur crna program can assist u on ur option. what program did u grad from?

You must be certified before practicing anesthesia. We are held up to a higher standard that any of our peers (both nurses and MDs).
Contact your BON, and contact a private tutor. Preferably someone not with your previous school. It is obvious that you were not prepared and they just took your money. Time to fail you would have been during school, not after. Contact Valley Prep. I don't know the number. They teach a great course and give you the tools necessary to study from.
Good luck. I'm sure your heart is broken. Cry. Then pick yourself up and take control of your situation.

As far as I know you have to take a remediation course within one year of taking the test again. You need proof of successful completion consisting of 30 hours.

Really? Very interesting. CRNA's remain the only one of the three anesthesia providers that doesn't have a recertification exam. All it takes is passing the exam once, and turning in your credits every two years. That's it. AA's must retest every six years, and all board certified anesthesiologists that have completed residency after 1999 must retest every 10 years.

So who has the higher standard?

And the research that shows retesting vs. CEs is safer for patients/provides better outcomes etc.... There is none, yet all the research out there shows CRNAs giving at least as safe care as MDAs as independent providers.
Where is all the research to state how safe AAs are as independent providers....OH, I forgot AAs can't practice independently.

jwk,
what's with the nastiness? This is so unlike you.

I wouldn't say the CRNAs are held to a higher standard, but you must pass the Certification exam before you can be licensed. A physician license is not based on Board Certification, in fact they can't become Board Certified until they have been in practice a prescribed period of time. Board Certification is becoming more of a 'requirement' for physician's, ie reimbursement tied to either being Board Eligible, or Board Certified, or by institutional policy. For CRNAs it is an absolute, have to pass boards to practice. There are some temporary exceptions for new graduates in some states, usualy in the 1-2 month range while you wait for board results.

The CRNA Certification Exam began in the 1940's, so the long history is a factor in retesting. A national exam was cutting edge at that time, and retesting was not included. It has/is being discussed. What are the reason's retesting hasn't been mandated? My take: cost-setting up the infrastructure to retest 35,000+, lack of effectiveness-it is debatable that patient care would be improved. I think we can all agree that someone may be able to pass any test but not be able to perform in the clinical area. Passing boards when you first graduate from a nurse anesthesia program is not the best indicator of competence, it is the fact that you graduated from a nurse anesthesia program where experts have observed your practice and judged it to be safe. I do think we will see retesting in nurse anesthesia.

For the current requirements to take the Certification Exam, http://www.aana.com/Credentialing.as...enuID=6&id=143

You must pass boards within 2 calendar years of official completion of a program, you can test a max of 4 times in 1 calendar year. "Candidates who do not take and pass the Certification Examination within two calendar years of completion of the nurse anesthesia educational program will not be eligible to apply to take the Certification Examination unless they enter and complete another unabridged accredited nurse anesthesia program."

"Loveanesthesia", Really informative, well thought out response. Thank you.

I'm simply challenging your statement that you're "held up to a higher standard that any of our peers".

As of this year you can take the test 4 times within a year period up to 2 years for a total of 8 times. See www.NBCRNA.com