smogmatt

CatskillNP, your right not all CRNA's will be NP's our school had designed its curriculum specifically so it would met criteria for the students to become NP's (there by grandfathering in to APRN status) My understanding is this was done because the NYS assembly or the DOH would not recognize CRNA's as APRN's, this was a means to an end. Don't worry no CRNA's are going complete for NP's jobs.

just graduated from a NY program, and yes CatskillNP, we were also just made NPs and CRNA's. NITECAP, CRNA's in the state of NY were not previously known as APRN's they were not recognized AT ALL by the DOH who regulates CRNA practice in NYS. How does this change things? I don't think anyone knows just yet. the Hope is now that CRNA's have been grandfathered into the APRN arena, we will be able to have more autonomy. the problem before CRNA's were not able to bill Medicaid, or State Employees at all for any services preformed independently. so independent CRNA's in the State of NY took a hit any time they preformed anesthesia on these patients. I am sure feathers are going to be ruffled but I think it was a good move to get the same recognition as other CRNA's get in other states.

our name badges say our name, srna, grad student. over the last 25 months I can't tell you how many times pts have had that look of terror, "what a student is going to be doing my anesthesia?" for many people the word student is associated with med student, nursing student, someone who does not have a license. I think resident is better for the fact we are in our final act of training, we are already licensed, and are taking on special anesthesia training. So from someone who is a listed as a student, my vote is for resident or something similar.

I also worked as a AT as i went to RN school, all the CRNA schools I applied to loved the fact I was a AT, huge bonus for me. it is a drag to have to leave the OR for the ICU as a RN. my hospital also payed for my undergrad because I was an employee. good luck.

the CRNA schools I interviewed at loved the fact that I had worked in an OR and had been a tech. big +

contact the hospitals you are interested in and ask there HR department and maybe their OR. I was a Anest tec as I worked on my RN, My Hospital required you to be a nurse's assistant, everything else was on the job training. I actully volunteered in in the OR as a tec until there was a position open good luck Matt

1. call the program and ask, I have a couple of CRNA/SRNA's tell me they got a "mixed up" letter. 2. apply to other programs, different programs have different ideas something is not matching up

If your up for a move (I was, Idaho has 0 programs) Albany Med (2 hrs to the west) has an outstanding program we got several Mass students. Boston is a great place to visit thats for sure.

I also looked into the program was very impressed, I called and spoke w/ the director. Several of the CRNA's in Idaho, attended and spoke very highly of it. I would have pursued Mount Martys more but I had a year and 1/2 of ICU and the director said they place a high degree of merit on # of ICU yrs. had I not got in else where, I would have applied the next year. good luck matt

Hey, not a CRNA, in school (SRNA) still but lived in Logan and worked for IHC, let me give you the scoop, IHC have very few or no CRNAs in the SLC area, other hospital groups do use them in the area ie HCA. Ogden has CRNAs @ Ogden Regional, CRNA's in American Fork(IHC), Payson(HCA) and SLC Regional(HCA). good luck

Well coming from a long time windows user- Get the PowerBook G4!! a mac was not even in the picture, when I was looking for a new laptop last summer I wanted something: 1 light 2 long battery life 3 at least a CD-burner 4 not bulkly (I wanted it to be able to fit into my backback along w/ notebooks and a textbook or two) so I could not find anything (ok @ the time all the PC world could offer was a Sharp, cant remember the name, but it was flimsie and cheap looking. everything I could find was 15-17in screen, bulkie, and heavy. then I found the apple, the 12 in powerbook, its 4.7# can do 4 hrs on a battery. thin and light, sleek looking too, and it had a DVD burner. Macs are easy to get the hang of, just a slight learning curve. as for the PDA, I got a palm m500 16MB. and it does everything I need it to. got all the goodies on it Soto's, Taber's, clinical anesthesia, etc. (all at skyscape.com). you don't need a expensive palm, just something w/ 16MB+ of memory. just my $0.02

Take the GRE w/out it, it limits your school options. one of my buddys decided not to take it and he was very limited in the schools he could apply to. The quality of your experence, your gpa, how well you interview those are the big factors good luck

I'll try: "What is Right Angle Endotracheal Alex?"

I'll try: "What is Right Angle Endotracheal Alex?"

some of my thoughts you don't need a BSN for CRNA ( your schools will be limited but you will have to attend a school that is a MS rather than MSN). extremely optimistic CRNA projection, assuming you have a BS. ASN 2 yrs. ICU 1yr CRNA 2yrs total 5 yrs. = 51yr old Realistic MDA projection ASN 2 yrs. Undergrad tune-up 2 yrs. Med school 4 yrs. Resid 4 yrs. total 12 yrs. 58 yr old (7 yrs. from retirement) actually if you want to do the MDA thing, MOST Med Schools you will need: 2 sem Bio, 2 sem InOrgan Chem, 2 sem Organ Chem, 2 Sem Physics. AND you CAN double dip, nursing prereqs are usually lower level, (not easier just more condenced, and less theory background). I speak from my own experience, I was on the Premed Track but wanted to practice in a rural area and I wanted to do Anesthesia those two usually don't run together. you need to make sure the chem/bio/physics classes will fulfill your ASN prereq (mine did). I Think your ASN/BSN might get you into MED school, with your under grad degree you have actually see the inside of a hospital and touched pts. my CRNA program is housed within a college of Medicine, I know alot of Med student who had History or English as a major. I don't think CRNA's Schools are "impossible" to get into, tough, but not impossible. as for the $$ issue, CRNA's in rural areas do pretty dang good! I agree w/ sway, I don't think I would want to be 58 and $200K in debt. But I would love to be a CRNA and 51. good luck

No and ...No I just got off the phone with the Nursing department. I heard the same rumor 2 yrs ago except it was about U of U. I was pretty excited because that would mean moving only 200 miles instead of 2000 miles for Anesthesia school. I called and spoke w/ the assistant dean, had a pretty good talk as to the reasons they didn't and couldn't have a CRNA. Sorry, why don't you come to Albany NY with me the weathers great its only -20 right now.

good luck I'm sure you will do great, let us know how it gos for you. did you do Valley review or R&R? another year and I will be in the same hot seat

call or email the programs your interested in, they will let you know what types of ICU's they like. good luck

love the program...because 1 integrated curriculum 2 Very well organized 3 excellent professors 4 MS rather than MSN 5 Tons of regionals and line placements 6 Short (26M) 7kinda spendly for tuition but lots of extras included (review courses, etc) 8 different clinical sites (good to see how the other guys do it)

CRNA all the way but... I want to live in a rural area, not many MDA's there. I was in the same boat several years ago, I chose the CRNA way, and so far so good, I will say CRNA schooling is no walk in the park, its tough, my program is 26m nonstop (except for holidays) lots of volume of material but they build on what you have already learned in the ICU and RN school good luck

16 months ICU in a large regional center 2 yrs as a scrub tech/LPN Effort: lots, I knew my app was short on the "years" of experiance, so I studied hard for the GRE and spent alot of time on the Resume and "goal statements" I got interviewed/accepted at 3 programs, denied at 1 good luck

What about Albany New York?? I am attending their program, its very good, close to Boston (2.5 hr), cost of living is not bad, some very nice areas. close to alot of cool stuff.

shodobe: my hang-up is the underlining subconscious attitude, not the questions you asked. not only by you but also by other RN's. EMBITTERMENT: I got so tired of the "older veteran RN's" being so bitter and angry to me as I told of them of my plans of becoming a CRNA. the general attitude of tearing someone down when they want to do something "DIFFERENT" why is there the attitude of "oh I'm just a grunt in the trenches?" the surgery couldn't take place w/ out everyone on the team. When you or I need surgical attention I hope we have a good circulator, scrub, surgeon, CRNA, PACU RN, SICU RN etc, etc. I understand if your miffed about some hotheaded kids w/ an attitudes, but those kids have got other issues. what's your solution to the problem??

don't bash it!! 1st off: all the programs are good (no I'm being serious) the COA wouldn't allow them continue, if the program wasn't meeting the minimum requirements. 2nd as others have said: find the right one for you, location, class size, MSN vs MS, front loaded vs intergraded, clinical sites, quality of clinical sites, # of total cases, # of regionals and lines, thesis vs oral boards cost. there are alot of factors to consider. 3rd give the "experts" some credit!! read the methodology! fellow deans, program directors, other professionals rated the programs not Jay Leno and his "Jay-walkers" 4th NC Girl don't discount a program just be cause they have MDA residents, in my program (we do have residents) there is plenty of Anesthesia and quality of cases not just the scraps, like you say research!

Just some thoughts I had: is CRNA school 2nd fiddle to med school?? Is Nursing school 2nd fiddle to Med school give me 8 years of anyone's life and You can make an MD out of them if we could somehow magically take out all the liberal arts/humanities out of the Undergrad think how much more you could accomplish with a BSN, think how deeper, broader the RN education could be (This is a whole other ball of wax). I think a ASN or BSN RN learns a tremendous amount given all the other classes they have to wade though. There is NO SHORT ROUTE! just a different route. Don't bag on your fellow RN's I have had several encounters with med students where I walk away thinking to my self; HOW IN THE WORLD DID THEY GET INTO MED SCHOOL, I wouldn't trust them to flip my burger @ McDonlds!! Sure their are bad RN's (SN's) and MD's (med students) out there. a common misconception: the year(s) of experience, in a ICU, I worked in a big regional hospital, I have to say I learned as much if not more in the ICU than I did in undergrad. AND I even got a paycheck, NOT all education do you have to pay for, i.e. the ICU Shodobe: FYI on CRNA admission requirements @ my program: BS RN GRE (Graduate Record Examination) Organic Chem, Stats >1 year ICU RN experience there is a Med school within in the same college that my CRNA program is in, this 1st semester we have had many basic science Professors (who also teach the Med students) comment how amazed how much we know clinically, in fact, some have questions for us how a certain aspects their teaching relates clinically. comparing a 1st year CRNA student to a 1st Med student-apples to oranges. Our professor instructed us to introduce ourselves as "Joe" an ICU Registered Nurse, a Nurse Anesthesia Student, we are not just Med student we are RN's with a wealth of knowledge I was a Pre-med student until I got a job in a OR (to gain experience for Med school application) when I found out what Anesthesia is and what a CRNA is AND what a good thing nursing is!! So why did I chose the CRNA route? was I not smart enough? did I not have the disapline? did I just want to be a "pseudo md? Not at all, after all my research I found a CRNA would fit me and my lifestyle better than an MD. I'm not trying to be a jerk, or be offensive, but this line of thinking damages CRNA's RN's SN's and wanta-be's