Outdoor1

I am all done with CRNA school so since I have been there I will answer. ENJOY EVERY MINUTE YOU HAVE ONCE YOU GET ACCEPTED!!!! DON'T STUDY OR EVEN THINK ABOUT IT. SPEND TIME WITH FRIENDS, FAMILY, ETC. GO ON A GREAT VACATION, ETC.

Every OR observation experience I ever did i thought was boring as well. Yes, there are times when you will be bored, but not often. I did consider nurse practitioner. WIth the hours that most nurse practitioners work to make their money you just soon stay an ICU nurse and work a little more and make the same salary. As a NP you will be physician dependent....I did not want this. As a CRNA I still get to interact with my patients. I enjoy the pre-op interaction explaining things, putting them at ease. Letting them know i'll be watching over them every second....VERY rewarding. If I could go back and do it all over again I would do it earlier!!!! It is well worth it! Good Luck O

1. Yes there are tons of volunteer opportunities 2. Yes you can work independently in all 50 states. The only thing that limits your opportunity is the facility you are in. 3. The only way it would be hard to switch to admin/edu is the salary cut you will take 4. The future of CRNA's is bright. MDA's I believe will take the pay cuts. I think we will remain relatively stable in salary. I think over time there will be less MDA's and more CRNA because of the cost of training. Especially if their salaries decrease. Hope this helps. Good questions O

I am not Indian, but have worked with some and understand how your culture is affecting this decision. They probably just don't realize what we do as CRNA's. I know in your culture if you aren't a doctor, lawyer, or business owner you just aren't considered successful. Maybe point out to them that you actually want to administer anesthesia, not supervise it. This is pretty much the trend today with anesthesia. There aren't many MDA's who still administer their own anesthesia any more. Good luck with your decision and convincing your folks that it's a good one. O

This is possibly the worst advice that I have ever heard given. First of all as a previous poster mentioned no one cares at all what race you are when you are delivering their anesthesia. I'd be more than happy to have someone who was purple put me to sleep if they were the best provider. The idea that they are less likely to flunk you out because you are a certain race is so ignorant. The testing in most programs is set up so that race, sex, etc do not play a role in passing or failing. If the answer is A and you put B it doesn't matter what color or sex you were when you put it. People like this poster are the problem in America today. Everyone is trying to use race, gender or sexual preference to try to get a hand out. If you want to be respected by anyone don't ever use the race/gender, etc...card. Now don't get me wrong if there is a scholarship or loan or something like that that you can get because you are a minority, or woman or single parent, etc. by all means apply for it. Best of luck getting into school! You can do it! O

As a graduate of TCU this is what I experienced as a student there...Personal care and concern. I can't tell you how many students from Texas Wesleyan said to me personally that they were disappointed in their treatment and felt like just a number. Good luck with the decision. I was like the other posters here....there was no choice. TCU hands down is superior. By the way....TCU's board pass rate is better than TWU. There is a big difference even between 97% and 100%, especially if you are in that 3%.

MJ is not such a huge loss....from someone who actually knows what goes on in that office. THe other person in there is MJ on steriods when it comes to running that place. I am sure it will take a while to train someoen new, but i have no doubts it will be just fine. This poster is right the big difference btw TCU & TWU is that TCU actually cares about you. TCU has plenty of $$$$$, so you are not just a number. Plus the TCU campus and resources are out of sight. THere is no comparison. The poster is also partially right about choice of clinical istes. If you live in X and want to do clinical there and only one school has a site there, then that's important. But just remember to check and see if you are guaranteed a site there? Sometimes the sites are not guaranteed. Just check into things well! Good Luck O

Just get into the nursing program and graduate. If you take any extra classes take extra bio, or chem. Focus on the schools that you'd like to get into and see what they require that you don't have. Don't worry too much at this time you are far away from even graduating nursing school. Just enjoy your BSN...it's a breeze compared to CRNA school. I wish I would have enjoyed it more. Good luck O

When you see both campuses, meet the staff, go through the interview processes you will not have any problem making a decision. At least I didn't. TCU is hands down a better campus, resources, etc. They take care of their students too once they get to clinicals. Just keep an open mind, but if you are like most once you get there, there is no comparison between the 2. O

I would tend to agree with the others that it would not count if you aren't fully functioning in ICU. Where I was our LVN's did everything. Best of luck O

It should count. Most places no longer allow LVN's to practice in critical care settings, but when I was an ICU RN there were a few LVN's grandfathered in who knew their stuff. Just remember all of your experiences in life count in making you what you are now. All will contribute. Best of Luck O

Doing a bunch of interviewing next week. Any tips anyone?

Excellent post Piper...I couldn't agree more. Good luck to the original poster. O

It will get easier with time for you to manage things. You are going through what we all went through our first months of school. Nothing can really prepare you for it. Just keep at it. Good luck and keep it up. O

You are correct. That is how it works. 1st semester is at TCU and the rest may be at the distance site.

There is a bottom line to this whole discussion. There are a million small points to argue back and forth we could go on forever. The point is....AA's are a threat to CRNA's. As so many have pointed out they can take our jobs. Will AA's decrease patient safety....not necessarily. Will they increase Physician control over anesthesia.....most definitely! This is the whole point. Ever since the position of Anesthesiologist was invented these docs have been trying to take anesthesia from nurse anesthetists. Is a CRNA not wanting AA's around similar to MD's not wanting CRNA's to exist....somewhat. The only difference is that CRNA's were delivering anesthesia before Anesthesiologists. Has patient safety improved because the almighty doctor has become involved in anesthesia? I believe it has, not because they are actually administering the anesthetics, but they have had the power to do so much more research than CRNA's. And let's not forget the contribution of science to the safety of anesthesia. Anesthesia has evolved so much in development of new and safer drugs. Just think about that for a minute. No matter what differences of opinion we all post here the AA bill is only a push for physicians to have more MONEY & POWER. Anyone who cannot see that is blind. I am sure even the AA's realize this....buy why would they care. They are controlled by medicine already. To all the nurses on this site who are even somewhat sympathetic to this situation....you are exactly what is wrong with nursing. As Yoga put it....this "can't we just all get along mentality" is not going to work. Until you are a CRNA or in some type of advanced practice you will NEVER understand. The one difference about regular nursing and advanced practice as a CRNA is a bond. As a new grad nurse other nurses try to eat you alive and show off how little you know as a new grad. As a CRNA student....don't get me wrong you definitely have to prove yourself, but it's more like welcome to the club, we'll stand behind you. This is why nurse anesthetists have survived the attacks of the A$A for so many years. We have learned that we are stronger together, than individually trying to show eachother up. If you have not already emailed your senator and representative about this issue please take the 5 minutes that it takes to do so. Here is the link. It's very easy. http://www.txana.org Go to voter voice in the bottom right hand corner. Please don't think your voice doesn't count. Already thousands of emails in support of CRNA's have been sent in Texas!

THere are no online CRNA programs that I am aware of. The TCU distance option works like this. For the 1st 6 months you must attend class in Fort Worth at TCU. The second semester if there are 2 or more students wanting to do the distance option then you actually go to the hospital and watch class via the video teleconferencing. It is interactive we see you, you see the professor and the powerpoint presentation. You can also ask questions, etc. You do class that way till the end of school at your clinical site. I hope this answers some of your questions. O

There is a shortage of providers to mostly rural areas. THe problem is AA's will not fill this gap. They can only work under the supervision of an anesthesiologist (who most don't live in these areas). CRNA's are qualified to work independently which means they can fill the gap. I don't think AA's or CRNA's are greedy. I think both are trying to earn a living. The only greedy ones are the MD's who want AA's to be able to practice. Because they must practice under a physician they will NEVER be competition to MD's. Lets think about this.....you bet a bunch of AA's working and MD's can totally control their salaries and why hire a CRNA when you can hire someone who doesn't really have any grounds to question what you are paying them because their very existance is dependent upon you. I have nothing against MD's. I think most are a very good resource and have great experience. I think the anesthesia care team model is a good model. I just don't think there is room for another type of provider who is completely controlled by another involved party that's all. It's just bad for everyone. It's almost the equivalent to creating a monopoly. Bottom line is why don't AA's just go to CRNA school if they don't want to be anesthesiologists. Bottom line is most (yes and this is my opinion) AA's have a pre-med background with wishes of getting into med school and don't, or they work as an AA until they can get into med school (which there is nothing wrong with this). My question is if AA's think they are equal to CRNA's as providers then why not go through a program where you can be independent. Why be at the mercy of MD's for life if you can do everything that a CRNA or MD can do. It is so limiting. I think AA's should just have a stipulation on their practice where they can work as an AA until they are accepted to an accretided medical school, or CRNA school. I don't see a problem with there being an inbetween step between MDA or CRNA, but there should be a limit on the license. I hope all the other nurses and CRNA's in Texas on this site realize the importance of this issue. Please to to the Texas Association of Nurse Anesthetists website, click on the voter voice and email your senator and representative NOT to support the AA bill. It takes a whopping 5 minutes. You can be assured that tons of AA's and MD's are emailing in the opposite direction. Show how strong we are as a group and defend our practice.

WHY SB 1314 AND HB 3313 ARE BAD PUBLIC POLICY THIS IS A SCOPE OF PRACTICE FIGHT! FACTS: With insufficient funds for critical needs in the state, why create a licensure advisory board and licensure process for fewer than 20 people in Texas? The Texas Medical Board (TMB) already has a backlog of over 2500 applications from badly needed physicians who cannot get licensed in Texas because TMB does not have adequate staff. The problem is so severe that TMB is receiving a supplemental appropriation to begin to address the backlog. Anesthesiologists Assistants (AAs) do not improve access to anesthesia services because AAs can only work under the supervision of a board certified Anesthesiologist. Anesthesiologists practice in only 70 Texas counties and one-fourth are NOT board certified. Once licensure occurs, the next move will be to start an AA school that will drain money away from the existing anesthesiology and nurse anesthetists educational programs. This legislation increases liability of the supervising Anesthesiologist in all cases and the health care facility if it employs an AA. This is a pocket book issue. Anesthesiologists can make twice as much supervising 4 providers than they can actually providing care to a patient. Passage of SB 1314 and HB 3313 WILL effect YOU! Action Required: Call, write, e-mail or visit your State Senator Call, write, e-mail or visit your State Representative Ask your friends, family and co-workers to call, write, e-mail or visit their legislators, and Visit your legislator at the Capitol in Austin or in their district office to voice your displeasure on SB 1314 and HB 3313. Texas must focus on accessible, affordable, high quality health care by Anesthesiologists and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists.

It's a funny thing how life and our commitments don't stop because we want to go back to school. I agree with most of the posters here. 1st talk to your ex and if your child doens't really need this money at this time go to a lawyer together and have something drawn up where you can maybe pay her extra later for the payments that are decreased while you are in school. Bottom line if your ex doesn't go for that just suck it up and take out big loans. Heck...just take out a lump sum and give it to them up front so you don't have to think about it during school. Sorry for the situation...it sucks...mostly for the kids probably, but it's really hard on the grown-ups too. Good luck

You know i do recall a thread about this and someone did post some good information on this. I can't quite remember at this time. I just remember talking to the director of my program who is pretty much a legend. And that is what my director was telling me. It's kind of like a who you know kind of thing. I guess is just goes to show that politics are alive and well everywhere.

This ranking is very political in nature and has nothing to to with pass rates or what the programs offer. Just something to keep in mind when looking at the US News and World Report.

I think a lot of people on this board are sick of the GPA question. 3.1 here 2 years of ICU experience and around 1000 on the GRE. All of that doesn't mean squat. I am a year into a very tough CRNA program and i have a 4.0. So, for everyone's information the numbers don't mean squat. Previous grades are a good predictor, not a definite of how you will do in school. There are people in my class who had a million years ICU expereince and a very high GPA and have struggled and/or flunked out. With that said there are some who have done very well. An admission board looks at you as a whole package, personality, other experiences, attitude, etc. You as an applicant have to "fit in" with the program if you will. I hope this doesn't sound too bad, i just get sick of people telling students that you have to have a 4.0 and 10 years of trauma ICU experience. If you want to be a CRNA do the best you can in school work hard in your nursing practice and get good recommendations. Good luck to all.

This has come up before so you may want to do a search. But with that said you have to put what you think and what is the truth. You have to be able to explain what you want for your future. Think about it....if you are doing this you should have goals for your future. Do you want to be a practicing CRNA for the long term? Do you want to go into education? Do you want to work in a specific field like pediatrics, trauma anesthesia? If you don't have any other goals than to be a CRNA there is nothing wrong with that. The interviewers don't want to hear a bunch of BS. I hope i didn't ramble too much, but before you write these things you should really sit down and think about what your goals truly are. Just spend some time and be original.

Boy has this started a little riot on here. I am in school and have no children. I do agree with some of this post, but i guess it could have been said a little differently and there is more to consider than just the presence of children or not. I think age is a very important factor. As i said i don't have children so i can only give my opinion and tell you all about what i have witnessed with my classmates with children. First of all, i have known since i got married at 22 that I wanted to go back to school and i am now 28 and have purposefully put off having children till after i am done with school because i don't think it's fair to your spouse or your children to go through what i have just gone through for my ambitions even though in the long run it will be better for their future. With that said, if you have kids before you really don't have a choice right? With that comes the age question. In my experience with friends do it while they are young. It will be forgotten soon and fly by for the little ones, but the teenagers need both mom and dad. It's such a tough time in their life and they only see mom or dads decision to do this as selfish. Especially if your teenagers are already having trouble. It is much more important that both parents be with them during that time in their life than being able to buy them things, etc. So, that's my .02. Hope it may shed a little light.