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If you are interested in the school you should call the Program Director. She is great and can guide you through your profile. The sim lab and clinicals are great. Lotsa regional, line placement and support from the faculty. I am in the class that is graduating in 2008. My classmates range from 25-55 years old. GRE scores in the 1100 range and average gpa for the class is 3.75. Alot of us had to retake courses to meet the 5 year requirement that course need to be current which helps GPA. PM me for more info...I love it here! I have been a nurse for 10 years Flight CCU Burn Trauma...some have been a nurse for just a few years. Everyone has something to offer. A phone call never hurts! GOOD LUCK!

I would suggest talking to the program director of the school you want to go to and prove to them that you can meet their specific criteria. It does not hurt to ask. You will have a better gauge of where you stand. It is hard to retake a lot of courses to bring up the GPA without an agenda. Some of us get better at learning as we get older and more focused. Don't waste time with a "maybe" go for the for sure thing. Talk to the places you want to go and weigh out the options. Good luck.

My first semester as a SRNA was unpredictable and fun...So many emotions from excitement, fear, and the thought of having to be a student again...The transition from ICU RN to student is weird...you are remodeled into a person making decisions from a person that followed them out... It is also VERY tiring! You and your class have high expectations of yourselves as well as your instructors..Getting to know each other and creating bonds in study groups is very important. Finding a good study strategy on saving time and studying effectively was hard...There never seems to be enough time. Theres always more material to learn. The frustrating thing is that there are soooo many books to choose from as sources...to complete school work. All of the books are right...the doses are numerically different but ranges close. It is hard trying to apply things before going to clinical...Pick a few sources you like and stick to it..It is hard to focus when there are so many options and ways to do things. Second semester physiology gets even harder but now clinical is happening...APPLICATION of first semester classes like principles,pharm,anatomy,physiology, physics is kicking in...Wahoo! SO FUN! First intubations and experiences in the OR range from mindboggling to life altering...now I am just in a sweet torture of being so tired and happy to be in clinical...time is going by fast. The weekends just fly by! The school work is hard but pays off if you keep at it. The education seems to layer on top of itself. The more you study in the beginning (first semester) it will help you as the classes go on...It also shows in clinical. Balance is key to having fun and thriving in school. There is a reason why nurse anesthesia school is so hard but, just trust the process there have been many before us that have done the same thing... Hope this helps...

Congrats on getting accepted to both programs... I have had the opportunity to interview at both schools... You have to go with your gut feeling... Where do you want to live...Northern or Southern cali? Is three more months of school going to make a big difference? Kaiser 24 Samuel merritt 27 Do you want access to a state of the art sim lab? Samuel Merritt Both places get great experiences and more then double the amount of cases needed to graduate... Dr Nagelhout via tandenburg (Satellite) and Dr Boytim teach some of the classes in Oakland... What specifically are you looking for? I currently am at Samuel Merritt... pm me if there are questions you want to ask... The tuition at Kaiser is cheaper by a lot...Samuel Merritt costs more I can't imagine going to school anywhere else...I have an awesome class and really enjoy my instructors... check out this site...for more info... http://www.samuelmerritt.edu/nursing/crna_nursing Good luck!

I am a first semester nurse anesthesia resident. I have NOT yet been in the OR..but, how I feel about my future career is AWESOME!I step into the OR in January. i had to plug through classes that made me dig deep into my personality to find strength.I laughed,cried, got frustrated and plugged through barriers I created myself.The question you have asked has a different answer for each person. But, I feel that I am headed into a career I want to grow old doing. I want to be apart of a huge impact of healthcare. Style is important in how you want to be a nurse. For me it is being able to make calculated risks that I have learned about and studied then be able to live with the consequences. There is a reason why anesthesia providers are rewarded for their efforts...I am feeling it in school. Hope this helps.

No way is that too old! If you feel you can finish in your heart...Do it! I am currently in my first semester of anesthesia school and one of my class mates is 53... We graduate in 2008! Super stoked and her daughter may even try to go to nurse anesthesia school next year. It can be done. There is a lot to be said of older age and knowledge!

Kimberly518, Anesthesia school is a big commitment. Very worth it. I am almost done with my 1st semester of school. The book I found very helpful is written by a nurse anesthetist. Nurse Anesthesia by John J. Nagelhout is a fundamental book in my course work. The other book I seem to really like is Clinical Anesthesiology by Morgan/Mikhail/Murray. Those two books are what is getting me geared to clinical in Jan. School is about adult learning. There are many ways to learn a concept. Anesthesiology audio digest is also great. I listened to those CD's before my interviews. The CD's helped me understand my ICU nursing and study for CCRN. The fear you feel is healthy...anesthesia is not for everyone but, the more info you can get and expose yourself too will lead you to your answer. Follow a CRNA and create your own path...don't go off hearsay without finding the answers appropriate for yourself. It is a good step that you found this website. Good luck and pm me if you need more info! :) :)

The best thing that I did was read books at Barnes and Noble to make sure that I had a grasp for the possibility of questions that I could be asked....There are books on interviews for all professions. It helped out huge! It taught me strategies of interviews and how to steer an interview in my direction. There is nothing that is specific to nurse anesthesia but, just understanding why they asked things helped. Also be yourself...nervous or scared...just keep smiling.

It has been a few more days... I have been through a weekend intensive...This is the portion for the MSN.It was a 35 min power point presentation on theory..Brutal! I have one huge exam coming up...did well on last weeks Pharm exam. Had first day of Sim Lab last week regarding positioning...pretty cool... Anatomy presentation went well...Lost in translation of practicing MRI and Cat scans...But still keeping my head high... I can't stop thinking about the fact that I have to be ready for the OR in January... But the good thing is...all my foundation in the first month of school is starting to come together regarding case management... Tired but excited!

It has been a few days since my last post... I am starting to realize that this nervous torture of wondering if I am crazy is going away. It has been 1 month of school with 26 more to go. I just had to realize that transition from high functioning icu rn to bottom of the totem pole student is going to be painful but rewarding. The amount of reading is NUTTY! But, I just looked at my schedule again... Physics and chemistry quiz Mon Anatomy Oral presentation Wed Pharm test #1 Friday Weekend theory course Sat/Sun So...the moral of the story... Don't look to far ahead, 1 day at a time, and get a good study group! Most important.....Have a glass of wine once in a while!

I do agree that school is a lot better than undergrad!Everyone in grad school seems to want to be here. It feels like I am learning so much more in such a little amount of time. It has been only a few weeks but, the amount of stuff I am learning just baffles me. I wish I knew the stuff I know now regarding anatomy lab and pharmacology.I love the comaraderie that my classmates have. Its like having an instant family.I just needed my day of having a fit and letting off steam....feels good to feel reality. I am glad I am here....its a solid group.

It is barely a few weeks into anesthesia school....anyone else feeling the sensory overload? It felt like two weeks of cruise control...then adult learning theory kicked in...Copius amounts of reading and research. No more time for fun... This is a hard adjustment going back to school.I just needed to have a cyber cocktail and let off some steam...Does anyone have any idea to get the clock to move faster? Its tiring being so overwhelmed but, excited to learn...I have not slept much...I also know that this is what I signed up for...I can't wait to be finished! What is anyone else feeling? :monkeydance: Just say how you feel...or wish you felt.

ben rn 12 I too had the same problems and anxiety about the GRE. I am now in a school that requires higher GRE scores that are used as a tool to indicate passing the state boards.I still did not have the average 1250 but, the GPA and resume backed up the candidacy. I was asked about my less than stellar GRe score in my interview....WHOAH...tough stuff but it is not an indicator of my success as a health care provider. It took 2 times...I used the GRE book for dummies for quick easy tips...I wrote them down on cards,placed them on a ring and studied when ICU was slow. In addition I took a class at the university that cost $350 that meets on the weekend in every other month. The class had unlimited times to attend. There were many individuals that had difficulty with test taking but, practice made close to perfect.. Good luck!

The wait is a jumbled bunch of emotions...Loans, moving and excitement.I have been experiencing moments of extreme meltdown at work though..Five Code blues in the past 6 shifts...I chose to go to the night shift to mellow out a bit.Remember why I like nursing. I feel tired but, at least my brain can go to cruise control for a little while.Change feels good and knowing things will get better is always a big help.I work nights right now to help make more money for school and think about how many shifts I have left as a nurse in the ICU. Life is good!!