BAMACCRN

A little old lady bent my ear and told me "lawyers have clients, I am your patient." She told me this when my instructor said client in front of the patient. 5 years later...I have NEVER called a patient "client" and make it point to tell any nurse a/o nursing student the story...and I say it loud so the instructor will hear it!!

Picu.......I'm using the force!!!!

If you are interviewing at UAB soon and get accepted....good on ya! DO NOT start on probation. Retake the GRE/MAT as many times as you have to so you don't have that probation cloud over your head. WHY? You will have Gross Anatomy (4 hr class that will take up up to 20h/week) and Med Phys (5hr) along with some other tough classes in the first semester. If you don't make a 3.0 that semester your'e gone....Skeptics of this post can ask the 2009 class and see for themselves. FOAIO!!! 1 down 6 to go!!

IMHO.....Having your own insurance is one of the best things you could do for yourself. A coworker of mine is an attorney/RN and she stated: 1) tell no one you have your own insurance . The hospital has absolutely no legal authority to make you provide that info 2) The fact that you have insurance is revealed only when you are named individually as a defendant and only during the discovery phase- that means you will seem a penniless nurse and that plaintiffs usually go after the big fish as long as you tell no one til legally required. The attorney emphasized to tell no one but get insurance. My old employer is a "self-insured" facility and they care diddly squat about the staff when it comes to lawsuits. They will dime MD/DO's, RN's, RRT's, etc, before admitting any wrong doing. :angryfire:nono:

First and foremost, this thread has been quite valuable as a resource. Secondly, UAB's financial aid office has been...um....less than stellar. I have tried to find out what info they would need to know since I would have a greater need than my FAFSA/EFC indicates. Their reply was I chose a program/school that frowns on work but it was my choice and they would not factor that in. Also UAB is changing from Access to BlazerNet and nothing is transferring "according to plan." If anyone develops some rapport with that office let me know. All hail NextStudent!!! Other than that...see you at orientation.

Thanks for the replies. To answer the question about the SOP on pressors.....there is no SOP. I believe the educator ( who is "educated" with a MSN) had a pulmonary vasospasm occur years ago and that has been her rule since she has been around for so long. I again asked her, after showing her this thread, and she still could not come up anything better than "that is the rule." I politely told her until it was approved by the multiple committees to have the "rule" made into the SOP I would continue to put the Neo in the available port. And then........her reply....." you are going to CRNA school, what do you care?" I believe she should extinguish her lamp of knowledge and put it on the shelf.

The facility I work at has an unwritten rule that Neo gtt's will not go through the RV port on a PAC (SGC). When someone "breaks" the rule the claws come out. I have asked 6 cardiologist, 2 CT surgeons, 1 APRN, 5 CCRNs, 1 intensivist, and the educator about literature to support this rule. Every MD/DO says it BS, the CCRN's agree, and the APRN looked like a stunned mullet. The educator, who is the rule proponent, says it has always been that way. Someone...anyone.....direct me to evidence based research that supports/rejects this notion. I have tested this theory with no adverse effects as there is no policy to support it and the RV port was the only one left. FYI....I do not intend to gloat either way but my unit is antiquated in its approach to critical care nursing and will never get it until the boat is rocked.

UAB Fall 2007

I haven't heard a thing either.....but.....I understand that information is forthcoming in mid to late February. Pure rumor but we'll see. See everyone in August!!!!

Got my letter today for the Montgomery component! Thanks to Phish for all the insight.

So Knuckles got one too...almost a full sweep. I am optimistic about this for all of us.

I received my UAB interview invitation letter today. Now I have to shave, lose a quick 10 pounds, and dust off the suit! I am pumped!!!!

Thanks to everyone for the input. Right now the grad school paperwork is twice as much as the CRNA program. I guess the old military adage applies,"do it once, do it right, all else is gravy." NSDQ!

I have taken the GRE again and this time made over the minimum (1030/4) that most programs require. I believe I am competitive in every aspect but the GRE. It seems the GRE is my Achilles heel. Any advice from future, current, and past CRNA students is welcome. Thanks!

I signed up for the CCRN test before I looked over any material. WHY? If you have decent test taking abilities you will pass the test. Any CCRN review will help. I suggest a 50/50 approach. Work on test taking skills and synthesizing info rather than cramming over long periods of studying. The test is easier than the NCLEX if you ask me (I am no braniac....ask my wife :smackingf ).