Any tips for a new student nurse?

[purevintage]

Hi all,

I'm a new student nurse; finished one semester of my ADN program. I am very motivated to become an APN, and understand that one of the most challenging careers is CRNA. I should note that I'm not one of those women who are in a big rush to get there as soon as possible. I'm also not looking for the salary. It is the competitiveness and challenge of it that draws me to the career. I'm looking for sense of accomplishment in my life, I feel that I can achieve my goal with an advanced degree/license such as this.

I would very much like to know; if you are a CRNA or a student CRNA... what have you found to be the most challenging thing you've had to overcome since the beginning of RN school until now? What kind of bumps in the road have held you, or your classmates, back in any way? Anything you wish you would have done differently to make things easier on yourself?

Thanks! :)

[jake48]

Hi all,

I'm a new student nurse; finished one semester of my ADN program. I am very motivated to become an APN, and understand that one of the most challenging careers is CRNA. I should note that I'm not one of those women who are in a big rush to get there as soon as possible. I'm also not looking for the salary. It is the competitiveness and challenge of it that draws me to the career. I'm looking for sense of accomplishment in my life, I feel that I can achieve my goal with an advanced degree/license such as this.

I would very much like to know; if you are a CRNA or a student CRNA... what have you found to be the most challenging thing you've had to overcome since the beginning of RN school until now? What kind of bumps in the road have held you, or your classmates, back in any way? Anything you wish you would have done differently to make things easier on yourself?

Thanks! :)

Congrats on getting your first semester completed. I am currently in CRNA school and have time to offer to you my 2cents. First, focus on becoming a solid nurse....it will be your foundation. Next, be a very solid ICU nurse (you will need to know your stuff for the CRNA school application process and interview). I knew I was going to CRNA school 1 month prior to the start of my BSN program (I shadowed OR nurses but the CRNA really caught my attention and my interest was sparked). I made a 3.55 in school (3.75 during nursing school)...the last 60 credit hours are the nursing/science classes and this is the GPA most CRNA schools focus on (they do not care what you did first semester in intro to music). Try to graduate with at least around a 3.5. Get into the ICU ASAP (you'll learn the most; I disagree with starting in med/surg...just my opinion, but do what you gotta do). Try and get at least a year of ICU under your belt (most applicants have 2 or 3 years of experience at least). Be a good ICU nurse (there is a reason why you are required to have the ICU experience), learn a lot, get your CCRN certification (CRNA schools like this). Take the GRE and make around 1000 or so and be done with it. If you have time and money then take a graduate course or two (do well in the graduate course though). These are all things I did and I would recommend to any interested nursing student....oh yeah...the most important thing of all is to shadow a CRNA on several different occasions (locate a anesthesia group in your town, contact them, schedule a shadow experience)......if you have any doubt whether or not CRNA school is for you then I would encourage you not to devote your time to this process. The journey is very difficult and takes a ton of work, but if you are looking for a challenge and a competitive goal...getting into CRNA school will provide you the challenge. Be nice to your ICU manager and stay on his/her good side. You will need your manager for a recommendation letter (a lot of nurses overlook this). This is a pretty solid guide to at least getting you on the right path. After you get your job in the ICU...get your BSN so you'll have it out of the way. Do good in your ADN classes....they'll look at those a little longer than your BSN classes due to the fact that you'll take most of your core nursing classes and science classes while obtaining your ADN. You'll most likely breeze through those BSN courses and CRNA schools expect this. First step is becoming a nurse. Good luck.