[CaslaRN]

Originally Posted by armynse

This information would be invaluable for those applicants aspiring to go to anesthesia school with only one year of experience(or in your case, 9 months).





My two sisters and I are all critical care nurses. When my youngest sister gave birth prematurely to twins (34 weeks) there was an occasion where a fairly new nurse was assigned to care for the twins. Long story short, that nurse lacked the experience or ability to provide the level of care that we expected for the intubated twin. We had her banned from caring for the babies. I won't go into the staffing nightmare that resulted for the manager of L&D. The educated public generally will not accept an inexperienced nurse caring for their critically ill loved one if they pick up on that nurse's weaknesses...they are very perceptive and will not hesitate to ask for someone with more experience.

IMHO, bold new grads present bigger problems than those willing to admit that they don't know it all.

No one was born a nurse. We all were new at one point. I will tell you that even though I am fairly new to the ICU, I feel I have acquired a lot more knowledge than some of the nurses that have been there for years. One cannot easily dismiss determination and the inner drive to be your best and do your best. I read up on anything new that I come across on a daily basis. I ask questions of the pharmacist, the dietitians, MDAs, NPs etc. I have about 6 binders that list "things to know". I am willing to bet that in the short time that I have spent in our ICU, I know more than 1/2 of the nurses there. Don't get me wrong; there is a lot I don't know ..... But there is a saying :::::::::::he who knows not and knows he knows not, he is a child teach him::::::::::::: that's why we all start off in the same class when we attend CRNA school. We are there to be taught. Lighten up on the inexperience-bashing folks. No wonder we are accused of eating our young. Try to remember that there are some nurses who fall outside the typical learning curve.

[Forrest Forrest Gump]

Originally Posted by wildflower rn

i would still like to know what school you were accepted into. most people accepted into a crna school post it on thier first post with pride.

again congrates on the acceptance, but the low experience factor is out of the ordinary. as a ccu supervisor, i would be concerned if a nurse with only 6 months experience told me he/she new as much as seasoned ccu nurse.

i think i had rather have a seasoned ccu nurse working on my family member rather than a Bold new ccu nurse. just my opinion

First, I would like to keep my identity private. This may seem silly, but it is the only way I feel like I can post my honest opinions here. Otherwise, I may run into some close minded people (out in the real world). Therefore I will not post where I am going to CRNA school.

Second, I never stated I knew as much as a seasoned ICU nurse. I am still always asking questions. What I did state is that I a very competent ICU nurse. I am a much better nurse than some "seasoned" nurses, but I understand I am still learning.

Third, as a general rule, I also would want a seasoned nurse caring for my family. However that is again a generalization. "Most" new nurses are not as competent as seasoned ones. Some are. Some are more competent that seasoned ones. And if I were given the chance to interview the nurse providing care to my family, the years of experience they have would quickly fall on my priority list. Are they competent. Are they intelligent. The measure of the quality of the nurse is not directly tied to the years of experience. Trust me. We have all seen veteran nurses that we wouldn't let take care of our pet dog.

[Forrest Forrest Gump]

Originally Posted by armynse

Knowing what's in the textbooks and knowing there's something acutely wrong with your patients just by looking at them are two different animals!!

As a new nurse you will probably not be given the sickest patients because you have yet to master the technical skills or time management.

Take the time to learn how to manage patients with multiple co-morbidities before you attempt to learn the art of anesthesia.

Army

I never said I was only textbook smart. I said I am very good bedside nurse.

It is unfortunate you were not able to take care of the sickest patients as a newer nurse. Trust me, I have. How about fresh multi-organ transplants, brought directly to the ICU (read ME) from the OR. How about fresh wipple patients. How about active GI bleeds. How about vented septic patients on multiple pressors and CRRT. Not trying to boast, I just want you to understand the experience I do have. Should all fairly new nurses be allowed to take these patients. No. Only the ones who have proved they can handle the job.

And basically all my patients have multiple co-morbidities.

[neurogeek]

Gump, your comments about having already mastered critical thinking PRIOR to becoming a nurse made me chuckle. Sorry, but it's true. Maybe you mastered it in your previous profession, but when you started at ground zero as an ICU nurse you became a novice in this area again. It concerns me if u think that because you had this down in another field, that you are proficient as a nurse. Remember what I said about not knowing what you don't know? Not realizing your own limitations because you aren't aware you have them? I think this is a prime example. Consider this: I am proficient as a neuro ICU nurse. I am certified as a CNRN & CCRN. However, if you take me into a L&D and give me a laboring patient to care for, all my gut instinct, all my years of critical thinking can't make me safe in this environment. I've developed my "extra sense" by watching my patient population over the years, knowing what those subtle changes are that mean trouble that a less experienced nurse will miss. Putting me with a patient population that I am not familiar with limits my expertise because I haven't fully developed that extra sense in that patient population. I, in essence, become almost a novice again. I accept this fact, and that is why when I am required to float to a new environment I am a safe nurse. I know that I don't know that strange population like my critical care patients and therefore will not have the gut instincts that I have with my ICU kiddo's. I know that when I step in the OR as a SRNA, I am again a complete novice. I know, however, that my gut will tell me when certain things are going wrong. I may not know how that relates to anesthesia yet, but I will have that well developed extra sense to aid in my delivery of safe care. Critical thinking must be developed in each new area you experience during your career. Some instincts, yes, can carry over. But critical thinking in relation to medical diagnosis and interventions, can only be honed in that environment in which you actively practice. I believe that you may be confusing maturity of thought (the ability to organize & priortize) with true critical thinking.

[Forrest Forrest Gump]

Originally Posted by neurogeek

I believe that you may be confusing maturity of thought (the ability to organize & priortize) with true critical thinking.

I guess we can agree to disagree on this one. It continues to amaze me how many posters on this board believe the only road critical thinking skills is as years as an ICU nurse. Trust me, this is not the case.

Maybe I will me you in my program, and you can judge the person based on more information than the years of experience as a nurse.

[wildflower rn]

gump, after you have graduated from crna school, been a working crna for 5 to 10 years. i want you to dig this old thread back up and post your comments on it.

again, good luck in school and concrats

[neurogeek]

Originally Posted by Forrest Forrest Gump

I guess we can agree to disagree on this one. It continues to amaze me how many posters on this board believe the only road critical thinking skills is as years as an ICU nurse. Trust me, this is not the case.

Maybe I will me you in my program, and you can judge the person based on more information than the years of experience as a nurse.

Yes, we will have to part ways in this area of thinking. I just can't fathom saying that because I was (let's pretend) able to follow my gut instinct in how to trouble-shoot a flaw in a structural design as an engineer, then I should easily be able to follow that same critical thinking path to intervene with a neuro patient who "is just not acting right." Sorry, but u compare apples to oranges, and mature thinking allows one to calmly priortize, organize, plan, implement, and evaluate. Critical thinking allows one to fly by the seat of their pants in that crisis situation through the expertise they have gained in that specific arena. There is no substitute for experience. I know some excellent, excellent young nurses (< 5 years) who I would let care for me any day of the week. However, put them next to someone of equal drive & ambition in the same field who has, say, 20 years experience and there is no comparison. For example, would you rather have the young surgeon who is still technically mastering bypass surgery perform this procedure on you, or would prefer to have someone with more tenure who has mastered the technical and has the critical thinking & first-hand experiences to rely on that can only come with years of practice? What is that person were operating on your newborn child? I think you have to realize that when you compare tenured nurses to younger nurses it is truly apples to organges. No one here is knocking ANY of the nurses who are obviously more than qualified to become CRNA's. Keep in mind that it can seem a bit belittling to a very experienced nurse when they are not given credit for that knowledge they have earned through those years of hard work at that bedside. Not everyone can have the same experiences, and that is what is so fantastic about the CRNA program. If one is mature enough to recognize their own weaknesses (mine is cardiac), then one can utilize the expertise of their classmates to enhance their learning experience. I, for one, plan on picking the brain of all my classmates be they 1 year nurses or 25 year nurses! And yes, Gump, it would be wonderful to meet you in my program if that is where you are attending. Of course, you wil have to be willing to reveal yourself!

[BSN14John]

I think the horse has been burried. Good luck to all of you; I am a 1st alternate with two years experience and happen to be a pretty good nurse I think with A LOT to learn too. The learning curve awaits.

[TransplantGUru]

I have to commend FF Gump for having the drive, ambition, fearlessness and aggression to pursue his ambition and fulfil it. I think thats what makes the difference between success and mediocrity. Most of us are bogged down to a life of mediocrity because we listen to people that tell us that "it cannot be done" for whatever reason. But greatness is achieved by those who aspire to tread where others fear to.
I started my career as a nurse in one of the most challenging unit in my hospital.A lot of people told me am setting myself up for failure because "I lack the critical skills to take care of the patients most of them on 6 pressors at the same time. All the nurses in my unit, most of them with 20 yrs experience, were mad that I was allowed to work in the unit most especially since I only have an associate degree but my manager was very supportive. Not only did I persevere and survived 5 years in the unit, it helped built an unparallel confidence that nothing is impossible for those who believe.
Once again FFG I commend you. You are an inspiration to a lot of people.Continue doing what you're doing and greatness shall pursue you all the days of your life.

[Becky423]

Thanks Gump for the encouragement!!

I too have applied with only 8 months experience (will be over a year by the time I - hopefully - start). I graduated May 2007 with a 3.59 GPA - I've never made a C, scored 80th percentile on my MAT and 1080 on my GRE (all very well above average scores for the school in which I am applying). I'm not bragging or anything - there are others out there far better than I've done. But I recently got selected for my interview and have gotten some discouragement from others saying I don't have enough experience and that the school really prefers at least 2 years. I understand all that but I have shown myself capable of taking care of critically ill patients (septic, on vents, with multiple pressors, active bleed, etc, etc) and understand the theory behind it. I don't know everything, but I will learn what I need to be a safe & effective CRNA - I have what it takes to put forth the extra effort in school.

I think my record has shown that I am a very strong student who can and will succeed in CRNA school. Why would they bother wasting their time with one year student interviews if they weren't interested.