Hello!

Hello everyone,

I recently graduated from a BSN program on May 3, 2008. I also recently took my NCLEX-RN on June 23rd, and I passed. I can now rejoice that that part is over and I can focus on gaining the experience needed for acceptance into a nurse anesthetist program. I am not sure how relevant this is at this point; however, I graduated with a GPA of a 3.57 on a 7-point grading scale. I also had the highest GPA in our nursing department.

I have accepted a position in a local hospital that rotates its new graduate nurses through several different departments; however, I was told that pretty much all of the ICU positions had been spoken for (however I do know a person who is going to choose the ED over the ICU so this may be a possibility). I am going to do whatever I can to get a ICU positions once we are done rotating through the various departments; however, if I am unable to do so, I will look for the department with the highest acuity.

My main questions right now are as follows:

1) When should I begin to prepare for the GRE? Other than the NCLEX-RN, I have never taken any other standardized exam. When I went to college the first time (I graduated college the first time in 1995), they did not require the SAT so I never took it. Therefore, I do not have an previous experience to draw from. Now that I have graduated, I do want to "hang loose" for a few months and not have to worry about opening books every day and alienating my wife; however, I do not want to wait too long before I begin to prepare again. Also, how long is your GRE score relevant (e.g., if I take my GRE in 2008, will a school accept it in 2010 for instance)?

2) Aside from obtaining at least one year of experience in an ICU setting (I am going for a cardiothoracic ICU position when the opportunity comes), what else can a candidate do to set themselves apart from other candidates? I do have a unique experience in which my school sent myself and two other students to Ghana, West Africa for 5 weeks in which we worked at a health clinic. Other than that, I focused on my studies and did not work as a CNA or anything throughout school. So, having said that, what are some things I can do to set myself apart from other candidates? I know the interview is a huge part of that, but what else are schools looking for? Does participation in various committees help?

3) In addition to ICU experience, is it also wise to obtain experience in an ER setting or Flight Nurse setting as well?

Thank you in advance for your input.