interest in anesthesia MSN, help with pre-requisites?

[kevagonia]

I am interested in applying for MSN in Anesthesia over the next one-two year period and would like some help regarding admission criteria. I graduated from BSN in 2002. I am specifically interested in any kind of volunteer/ post graduate work or seminars/eduction I can get involved in over the next year that may reflect well on me. I plan to join the AACN, and will take my Advanced ECG, ACLS, PALS, etc. as soon as I can. I also have a long term goal of sitting for my CCRN cert. but am not quite there yet!

Please advise re: anything I can do/study to give me some advantage in this competitive and possibly impossible process!

I plan to take some more classes this Spring to brush up on Chemistry and will probably take physica as well. I don't feel that I am quite ready to take Org. Chem yet, but intend to once I have time to review ChemI/II.

Again, thanks for any info

-k

[EmeraldNYL, BSN, RN]

Try to get involved as much as you can in your unit. Join committees, be a preceptor, be a charge nurse, etc. In my interview I mentioned that I was already precepting student nurses and that I really enjoyed teaching (even though I only had 8 mo. experience at the time) and this really seemed to impress them. Plus, it will make you look good to your nurse manager (which is a good thing if your hospital does merit raises).

[miloisstinky]

k

That sounds like plenty to me. Stay focused, I would go ahead and contact the school you plan on attending, or would like to attend, yes, even 2 years out. Let them know (mainly the director) your plan, update them as you go, ask if you can meet with students, shadow crna's at their hospital, make them recognize your name, so when the time comes to apply, you need no introduction. Good luck, it will be SOO worth it!

[UCDSICURN]

You say you graduated in 2002 but don't have ACLS yet. Do you work in an ICU? If not, that would be your first step. If you do, I don't quite understand why you wouldn't have your ACLS cert unless you just started in an ICU or are just refreshing.

Another avenue that many have suggested in the past is to get specialty certs such as your CCRN and/or TNCC.

Hope this helps,

Donn C.

P.S. Nothing is impossible.