Just finished my first semester. Ask me anything.

Nursing Students SRNA

Published

Wow...I can't believe it's only been been 3 1/2 months! It feels like it's been at least a year. But finally, a few hours ago today, I took my last final and finished my first semester of CRNA school!

I figured this would be a good time to answer questions anyone may have about transitioning into a CRNA program.

I'm in a front-loaded program, so I can't really help out with any questions regarding clinicals, but if you have questions about didactics and transitioning into school, I'll take a crack at it!

Specializes in Neurosurgical ICU.
Great thread! My dream is to be a CRNA. I'm currently working in a CVSICU at a large teaching hospital. Just started a couple months ago but so far so good :)

My question is I'm trying to decide when I want to start a family. I ideally would like to start school within the next couple years. Is it wise for me to have a child before I start school?

I think it depends on how old you are and if you have family support to help you with the child during the program. I go to school with a lot of Mormon students, and many had a lot of kids before the program. Some of them had kids during the program. It's doable, but you have to have the right spouse and the support.

0 Votes
Specializes in Neurosurgical ICU.
NurseJilly2005: It's a great read but only has minimal clinical mentions. I've asked for reading tips from CRNA friends of mine and they all mentioned a great variety of books, but one that was common in all those recommendation was Miller and Pardo's Basics of Anesthesia (many refer to it as the 'Baby Miller'). If you can get a hold of a copy of this and just skim through what you find interesting, I think it will help you to get an idea of what CRNA's deal with on a day-to-day basis.[/quote']

That's my favorite book to study from.

0 Votes

Thank you for your response. My other question is, is it smart to buy a house before I start school? Is it better to limit my expenses as much as possible?

0 Votes

yes limit expenses! no credit card payments, car note, or huge mortgage. Unless you are 100% sure you are going to school within commuting distance from a house, and don't have to put down a chunk of money for down payment, save save save for school.

good luck

0 Votes
Specializes in Neurosurgical ICU.

Just wanted to give a quick update! Spent the last few shifts in hearts. Got to do a ton of art lines and insert/float swans. Anyone who says wolford students don't get to insert invasive lines is clearly misinformed.

0 Votes

awesome!

0 Votes

Thanks for for being so diligent in posting here. I love everything you've shared so far.

0 Votes
Specializes in Pediatric CICU.

MeTheRN, I am so engrossed in this post and I am grateful I found it! I had never heard of Wolford College before for CRNA. I am in Miami and was looking into the local schools, however some require my chemistry & stats to be less than 5 years old, ha! And, some are now solely BSN-DNAP programs.

I am going to apply based on your posts alone. Especially the part where you emphasize that everyone starts at zero in the program as far as skill. There are some negative reviews out there but every school has those.

I live in Miami and would have to relocate to Naples for the duration of the program.

Can I find a roommate in the program? What is the avg rent? In Miami a 1 bedroom is at least $900/mo! Have other SRNAs left their spouses at home in another city? How is that going for them?

Do you get any breaks in between semesters? How long?

Are there advantages to Wolford over FGCU?

Thanks and YOU ROCK!

0 Votes
MeTheRN, I am so engrossed in this post and I am grateful I found it! I had never heard of Wolford College before for CRNA. I am in Miami and was looking into the local schools, however some require my chemistry & stats to be less than 5 years old, ha! And, some are now solely BSN-DNAP programs.

I am going to apply based on your posts alone. Especially the part where you emphasize that everyone starts at zero in the program as far as skill. There are some negative reviews out there but every school has those.

I live in Miami and would have to relocate to Naples for the duration of the program.

Can I find a roommate in the program? What is the avg rent? In Miami a 1 bedroom is at least $900/mo! Have other SRNAs left their spouses at home in another city? How is that going for them?

Do you get any breaks in between semesters? How long?

Are there advantages to Wolford over FGCU?

Thanks and YOU ROCK!

Hey! Im from Miami also, surprisingly very few Miamians seem to come here for school. I relocated for school since Im a single student. I do the drive every couple of weeks to go home and visit, but Im glad I dont have to, gas and tolls really add up! It seems that the average 1 bedroom rental runs about $800-$850 here as well. It can be more depending on pets, if the complex has trash service etc. There is a complex here named Bermuda Islands that is nicknamed Wolford dorms bc there are quite a few students that live there. Its in close proximity to the school, so you can always look that up online if interested. I find cost of living expensive here in Naples. Simple things like haircuts, grooming etc are like 1.5X the price IMO. So be prepared. Lol. Many SRNAs families have moved here to Fla with them (my class is prob 90% out of state), and the few that are originally from fla commute for classes. You get a break between the classes for the 1st 3 semesters. Each break is about a week and a half. I really dont know too much about FGCU, so I cant make comparisons, but Im happy that I chose to attend this school so far. Im sure you've found negative press online. During my interview process they proactively addressed rumors. I do think that the school has gone through some growing pains and has had to revamp the program, and still is. But some of the stories that were written from years back, I don't find them to be true. Hope that helps.

0 Votes
Specializes in SICU.

Most of the students are married and have their spouses working full time. I don't have that luxury, so I took out the maximum amount of federal student loans possible. I borrowed about $65K for this academic year. It's important to pick a school to applies a realistic cost of attendance, that way you can borrow as much as you need from federal student loans with fixed interest rates! So far, I'm not on the Ramen noodles diet but I'm careful with my money.

Feel free to ask anything else.

Hi,

I will have 2 car payments that I will not be able to get rid of by the time I start next year if I get accepted. Good news is I don't have kids so will be able to buckle down you know beans and rice! My husband currently works at Lowes which doesn't pay great. I am hoping he can find a job and bring home at least 1600/month after taxes. When you say you borrowed 65k for a year is that just 12 months or half of the program (14)? I am thinking we need about 3000/month. Have you heard of people having difficulty with loans? My credit rate is very good so I shouldn't have a problem there. Also, when it comes to finding a place to live are apartments ok with no job and student loan income? Thanks for all the info in this thread! I took PALS yesterday and have recommendations and transcripts being sent this week and just finished my resume yesterday. Now to work on studying for the GRE which I am taking at the end of August and the essay. I am debating whether or not to take the CCRN. Thanks!

0 Votes
Specializes in ER/ICU/STICU.

Hi,

I will have 2 car payments that I will not be able to get rid of by the time I start next year if I get accepted. Good news is I don't have kids so will be able to buckle down you know beans and rice! My husband currently works at Lowes which doesn't pay great. I am hoping he can find a job and bring home at least 1600/month after taxes. When you say you borrowed 65k for a year is that just 12 months or half of the program (14)? I am thinking we need about 3000/month. Have you heard of people having difficulty with loans? My credit rate is very good so I shouldn't have a problem there. Also, when it comes to finding a place to live are apartments ok with no job and student loan income? Thanks for all the info in this thread! I took PALS yesterday and have recommendations and transcripts being sent this week and just finished my resume yesterday. Now to work on studying for the GRE which I am taking at the end of August and the essay. I am debating whether or not to take the CCRN. Thanks!

Take and pass the CCRN if you want to be a competitive applicant.

0 Votes

Agreed, everyone in my interview had their CCRN. A lot of schools are starting to make it part of their application. It is a bit expensive but worth it and won't have to worry about being the only one at the interview without it

0 Votes
+ Add a Comment