matt101710

I suggest you ask your manager about con-ed opportunities you are afforded - one benefit of your employment should be a certain amount of money for education. I also work in an adult ICU and my unit would not pay me while I was attending PALS (my hourly rate) but they would pay for my class registration fee. I had to attend class on my own time because the 2-day course didn't count for my weekly 40 hours. It was a rough week fitting the course into the regular work week, but worth it.

Couldn't agree with FL more. Work as an LPN as much as you can without letting your grades slide. If your grades start to go, cut back on your hours. Just having LPN on your resume before RN shows your commitment to wanting all the experience you can get. Concentrate on your RN and make sure that you end up in an ICU that will get you as much experience as possible. Make sure that you are taking care of patients that have invasive lines and hemodynamic monitoring. Become a skilled ICU nurse, not just a warm body that is taking up space till you can apply to CRNA school. Don't be "that guy" on the floor that is wanting to apply to CRNA school before he even starts working and ICU nursing isn't what you want to be doing. Your coworkers might not respect you and your learning could be affected. Ask your nurse manager when you can take ACLS, don't wait to be told you can. Take 12-lead and balloon class when possible. And like FL said, use all these classes to get your CCRN if you are in the ICU more than 2 years prior to CRNA school. Also, do some community service if possible. If your unit offers 3-12s instead of 2-8s/2-12s, take the 3-12s and use that extra day off to volunteer somewhere else in the hospital or somewhere in the community. Also, take your time with the GRE, this is one part to the CRNA application that isn't a moving target. There are plenty of test dates and once you feel comfortable with your studies, you can register then.

If you don't get a response you can probably contact the nursing education office. I did most of my shadowing through this office when I shadowed. It wasn't at parkland but most NE offices are willing to set up shadowing.

Coventry is a great place for young people to live. Lakewood I think is number two. I used to live in Beachwood (which was good with Legacy Village and all), University Height (which was good for college, not so much for after that), and I'm currently in Westlake (good suburb, probably the safest of all the communities I mentoned. Family oriented with a great rec center, and crocker park.).

I went to Case and we had to pass the HESI before we were released to take the NCLEX. We were able get a HESI review course together and I forget if it was just a regular instructor or someone from HESI. There are review books our there.

I work at CCF and have had nothing but great experiences. The acuity of patients we get in our Heart ICUs is like nowhere else in the country. I think that there is a necessary amount of pressure put on nurses here because of the amount of autonomy that is expected, the talent of physicians/surgeons we maintain, and the simple fact that many of the patients we are taking care of are only accepted by a facility like CCF. I believe that it is nursing care that keeps excellent facilities excellent...if nurses are unwilling to put pressure on themselves to ensure perfection in patient care and patient safety then they shouldn't put themselves in a situation where they are going to be pressured to do so.

sent you a pm.. i'm willing to correspond with anyone about experience/case western if you pm me. thanks.

I went through Caes's DNP program not to long ago. Finished the RN portion, got work experience and heading back to get my CRNA. Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions about the program. Good choice in programs if you are serious about getting a masters, not a perfect investment for a way to get a quick RN.