I remember around this time 3 years ago, I had just finished my first week of CRNA school. Time has FLOWN by! I really wanted to make a post for anyone applying for CRNA school or preparing for SEE/boards, and answer any questions. Firstly, for anyone applying, I failed nursing school the first time around making a D in pharmacology, C in health assessment, and C in Pathophysiology. Flash forward to a year later, retook pharm and got an A and moving forward I made A's and B's and ended up with a nursing GPA of 3.2 and overall 3.5. Worked my butt off for the next few years to get certifications and experience and applied to CRNA school 2.5 years later and got accepted. It may be harder getting accepted with the low grades that I had, but it also showed that failure doesn't stop me. And just wanted to say that it is possible to get accepted with a lower GPA, but it is definitely more difficult.
I had a hard time with the didactic portion of CRNA school, but with good study habits and determination it was enough. Never once failed a class. The program I was in required a benchmark of a 440 on the SEE exam to graduate. I ended up having to take the SEE exam 4 times to make that benchmark. It is said that the more you have to take that exam, the less likely you are to pass boards on the first attempt. But I went in to my board exam knowing I did everything I could to prepare and I did pass on my first attempt. Something about the NCE that I feel like could've influenced me not passing, is losing confidence after 100 questions. If your exam keeps going after 100, that means you're still in the game to pass. Don't let that get into your head!
If anyone has any questions on how to prepare for SEE/NCE, don't hesitate to ask! I had to put in some WORK, but it just goes to show that hard work does pay off. Whether you're just applying, going through didactic, or studying for SEE/NCE, YOU GOT THIS!
I got accepted into one of the SRNA programs starting June 2023. I feel like a freshman all over again. I worry about getting PIMP'd and not being prepared to answer the shotgun questioning in clinical. I worry about being really bored with Health Informatics or Statistics and failing these courses. And I worry about severe senioritis...which I had a bad case of in my undergrad years.....
1. How do you study for a topic that you aren't good at and dislike strongly? 2. What anesthesia concepts can I familiarize myself with?
3. What is expected of a graduate student in nurse anesthesia? Different from undergraduate? I'm out of touch in the academic world (I feel like I am)
4. Should I be expecting the worst out of the surgeons and hope for the best?
Pimping isn't as intense as you hear! I remember being very nervous, and it ended up not being that bad. If you don't know the answer, just tell them that you don't know but would like to know the answer.
As for studying on a topic I didn't know or understand, id find the particular subject in the book and read it over. Then I would look up videos and podcasts to help solidly subjects. If you're looking to study something before you start, I personally suggest tha you don't look over anything. Just my honest opinion. You'll learn what you need to know in class, enjoy the freedom while you have it because its going to be the hardest thing youve ever done.
I feel like graduate students are expected to do a lot of self study. If an instructor just doesnt teach well for your learning style, you have to find other resources to help understand it.
Most surgeons I have met are very nice. Everyone in the OR has strong personalities, so you kind of just have to take some of them with a grain of salt LOL
Thank you, I love that you recommended quality relaxation before starting school. I won't have the luxury of free time very soon. I realized that your suggestions on how to study on boring/difficult topics is excellent too. That was how I studied for medical biochemistry and ended up falling in love with the topic. Thanks YouTube and Khans Academy.
And for surgeons, I am just going to assume they are going to be rough around the edges, and be very pleasantly surprised when they are not. But not let them know I think that, of course.
So I live in Tampa Florida and I just bought tickets to go to MTSA for their open house. Can I meet you there too? I would love to meet you! I will PM you my cellphone number.
So I live in Tampa Florida and I just bought tickets to go to MTSA for their open house. Can I meet you there too? I would love to meet you! I will PM you my cellphone number.
I unfortunately don't live there anymore ? But, you can text me any questions that you may have if you PM me your number!
I'm looking into two different job prospects. One hospital is offering a "rotating position" where you would learn/experience their cardiac/neuro/respiratory ICUs. The other is offering only a speciality of cardiac ICU.
Has anyone had the experience with a rotating ICU to help me understand if this would be a wise decision or not? I love learning about many things, so on the surface this sounds amazing. I am stuck on deciding because the CVICU is what I originally wanted and it is with a large university/academic hospital. The rotating one is in a large hospital system.
I can see benefits to both, but have experience in neither situations. Is "rotating" just code for overworking you, or do I limit myself by only doing CVICU. I am keeping DNAP/CRNA in my sight too, so is one better than another if I am wanting to get into an anesthesia program?
I'm looking into two different job prospects. One hospital is offering a "rotating position" where you would learn/experience their cardiac/neuro/respiratory ICUs. The other is offering only a speciality of cardiac ICU.
Has anyone had the experience with a rotating ICU to help me understand if this would be a wise decision or not? I love learning about many things, so on the surface this sounds amazing. I am stuck on deciding because the CVICU is what I originally wanted and it is with a large university/academic hospital. The rotating one is in a large hospital system.
I can see benefits to both, but have experience in neither situations. Is "rotating" just code for overworking you, or do I limit myself by only doing CVICU. I am keeping DNAP/CRNA in my sight too, so is one better than another if I am wanting to get into an anesthesia program?
In my opinion, and this is just my opinion, I would say do the CVICU. Anesthesia programs love CVICU experience. And from what I have heard, you learn a TON! If I could do it all over again I woul 100% do CVICU. I did trauma ICU in a level 2 trauma center and had no cardiac patients and I regret that. But someone else may say different!
For some reason, its not letting me send you a personal message. Therefore, I am just going to send you my linkedin account here and I hope you can add me on it so I can PM you? Thanks a lot! https://www.linkedin.com/in/darlene-barcelos
For some reason, its not letting me send you a personal message. Therefore, I am just going to send you my linkedin account here and I hope you can add me on it so I can PM you? Thanks a lot! https://www.linkedin.com/in/darlene-barcelos
Not sure if it worked but I messaged you my phone number! I don't have a LinkedIn ?
Hi, I am a nursing student with a long-term goal of becoming a CRNA. My main question is about UTK and the workload year by year and week by week. I have seen varying ranges of the expectations. About how many hours did you dedicate per week to your studies? I want to know how miserable I will be and how much time I will get to spend with my wife. I value short-term and long-term happiness because tomorrow is never guaranteed!
Hi, I am a nursing student with a long-term goal of becoming a CRNA. My main question is about UTK and the workload year by year and week by week. I have seen varying ranges of the expectations. About how many hours did you dedicate per week to your studies? I want to know how miserable I will be and how much time I will get to spend with my wife. I value short-term and long-term happiness because tomorrow is never guaranteed!
I do not have a significant other so it is hard for me to tell you anything relating to it but I did know someone who was married with kids and they did it differently than some students with how they studied. What they did was wake up at 4 am every day to dedicate a few hours of studying before class. They did this every day, and we had class starting at 1 pm. They did this so they could dedicate time to their spouse and kids after school. So they woke up every day at 4 am to study before class and went home and spent time with their family after class. Id say I spent 6-8 hours a day studying. But everyone is different too. You have to find what works for you once you are in the program. Because what sounds like will work for you now may not work for you once you start. It is all a learning curve that you'll just adapt to once you are in that situation!
I do not have a significant other so it is hard for me to tell you anything relating to it but I did know someone who was married with kids and they did it differently than some students with how they studied. What they did was wake up at 4 am every day to dedicate a few hours of studying before class. They did this every day, and we had class starting at 1 pm. They did this so they could dedicate time to their spouse and kids after school. So they woke up every day at 4 am to study before class and went home and spent time with their family after class. Id say I spent 6-8 hours a day studying. But everyone is different too. You have to find what works for you once you are in the program. Because what sounds like will work for you now may not work for you once you start. It is all a learning curve that you'll just adapt to once you are in that situation!
Thank you for your response. It is difficult to find people that went to the particular school I want to attend. Did you have classes every day? Was it hybrid? What was your schedule like? I know the credit hours range from like 10-17 depending on the semester.
Thank you for your response. It is difficult to find people that went to the particular school I want to attend. Did you have classes every day? Was it hybrid? What was your schedule like? I know the credit hours range from like 10-17 depending on the semester.
Yeah we did a hybrid type thing! We had classes Monday - Thursday and clinical every other day and an all day clinical day every week. But they made changes to that since we graduated. And it would alternate. One week clinical was M W F and the next week it was Tu Thurs. classes were Monday - Thursday starting at 1 pm so if we had class and clinical it would be clinical 6:30 - 11 am then class 1-6 pm. Our classes ended in the fifth semester so we were front loaded. Semesters 6-9 were straight clinical and board review!
Shanneliz SRNA, DNP
291 Posts
Pimping isn't as intense as you hear! I remember being very nervous, and it ended up not being that bad. If you don't know the answer, just tell them that you don't know but would like to know the answer.
As for studying on a topic I didn't know or understand, id find the particular subject in the book and read it over. Then I would look up videos and podcasts to help solidly subjects. If you're looking to study something before you start, I personally suggest tha you don't look over anything. Just my honest opinion. You'll learn what you need to know in class, enjoy the freedom while you have it because its going to be the hardest thing youve ever done.
I feel like graduate students are expected to do a lot of self study. If an instructor just doesnt teach well for your learning style, you have to find other resources to help understand it.
Most surgeons I have met are very nice. Everyone in the OR has strong personalities, so you kind of just have to take some of them with a grain of salt LOL