CRNA2BKY

No problem. I got 1 year through my FNP program, but due to some life circumstances, I had to put it on hold. I expect to get back into it and complete my last year starting this Summer. So, I am shooting for the same goals as you. Good luck!

Here's my thoughts: 1. Yes, many nurses work full-time while going through an MSN-NP program. When it get's to clinicals, some nurses will choose to drop down to part-time or PRN to concentrate on their clinicals (this is pretty common). 2. There are many very good and reputable online MSN-NP programs. They have to follow the same criteria to get their certification as brick-and-mortar schools. I wouldn't discount online programs at all. Some people do better sitting through live classes, while others can study more independently with online programs. 3. Most NP programs will look at your Total GPA, Nursing School GPA, Science GPA, and your nursing experience. Some schools will favor the GPA's a little differently, such as some will look mainly at your Nursing School GPA, or the last 60-credits GPA, etc. Most will also want a written essay about why you want to become an NP, and most also will want some recommendation letters. 4. Most nurses will choose to get some experience under their belt before applying to NP programs. Often schools want their applicants to have some RN experience before applying, and it helps to have "real-world" nursing experience before going through an NP program. I wish you the best of luck, and keep striving for your goals. It's definitely a worthy goal!

When I was still a pilot for an airline (before becoming a nurse) I had a passenger on a flight become unresponsive. I asked one of the flight attendents to ask for medical personnel on board to assist, and report back to me what was going on. A few minutes later, she called me back and said 2 RN's had responded...one was an ER nurse and the other was a cardiac nurse. The passenger had regained consciousness, but they decided to lay the passenger down in the galley and open up the EMK, start an IV, and get the defib ready just in case. We diverted to a close airport, landed, and the passenger did just fine. That was the only time I landed an airplane with 3 passengers sitting on the floor of the galley, rather than buckled up in their seats. I was really happy to have the RN's aboard.

Thanks for the input. It seemed obvious to me that they could, however I remember there being some question about it in school, and I couldn't remember the answer. But it seemed there was no reason they shouldn't be able to. I just wanted a 2nd opinion, in case I overlooked something.

I have a question. I am now working in a home health care setting, and we have a pt that needs a heating pad applied to his shoulder. My question: can a CNA legally (in the state of FL, or anywhere) apply the heat without any supervision for a nurse? The CNA's do the daily care, so I was wondering if it were legal for the CNA to apply the electric heating pad periodically without a nurse supervising.

Thanks for the input, I really appreciate it. Even though this level-1 experience will look good on my application and has been really good experience, I am really not happy working on this unit, or in this hospital. I think I would do much better and learn at a little easier pace if I went to a different hospital with not as critical patients there. I have decided to move back to my hometown of Miami to be with my family there, and I will look for an ICU job there that doesn't have quite the complex cases. I think I will be able to learn at a pace that I can handle. And, I will still get the ICU experience, and I still have the experience with more complex patients, so that will look good on my application. Anyway, thanks again for all your words of encouragement and letting me know that it will get easier.

I changed careers recently, went through an accelerated BSN program, and I am now working in a CVICU at large university teaching hospital with a level-1 trauma center. We get the sickest and most critical patients, and frankly, I am a nervous wreck going into work every day. I completed a Critical Care Internship Program and successfully completed my orientation (off of orientation for about 3 weeks now) but still feel like these patients are way too much for me to handle. I am not sure if I should find a small community hospital where the patients aren't as critical. That way I can learn in an environment that is less stressful. But then I start thinking about how stressful being a CRNA is. My question to all the CRNA's out there: is your day-to-day job less stressful as a CRNA than it was while working in an ICU environment? I have had several opportunities to observe CRNA's doing their job while I was in nursing school, and it seemed much less hectic than the CVICU I work in. But I would like some feedback from here to see if my gut feeling that a CRNA job may be less stressful than what I am feeling right now at my job is true. Thanks for any insight you can provide.

Any 1st year law student can rip them to shreds! Don't sign anything else. Demand that they hold up there end of the contract. If they refuse, sue the hell out of them, and file for an amount including the breach of contract amount as well as punitive damages. They will want to settle out of court, but play hard ball, and make it clear to them that they CANNOT do this to anyone!

Thanks. I have less than 1-year of nursing experience, so finding a job will probably be difficult for me.

Wildcat, congrat's on finding a job. I may be looking for a new job, but I know the market is tough. May I ask what area/state you found a job? Just curious. Thanks.

No, a NP is NOT a physician. A physician is a graduate from a medical school, and holds either an MD or a DO degree. The patient who said that their NP is a physician is absolutely mistaken! Patients do not always understand who is treating them, and what their degrees or training is.

In my ABSN class, about 1/3 of the class still held part-time jobs. Even though the program director discouraged anyone from having a job, it is a necessity for many people. Also, there are many private loans out there, and so you can get lots of money to live off of during school. So, don't let lack of money stop you. There are ways to make ends meet, and by getting the RN/BSN right off the bat, you will have tons of job opportunities right out of school. There are far fewer jobs for LPN's, so I still think going directly for the RN is a smart idea.

I would say to go for you BSN through an accelerated BSN (ABSN) program. That way, you can get your RN, your Bachelors of Science in Nursing, and be prepared to go on to a masters degree program in the future should u ever decide that is something u want to do. Also, you will have many, many better work opportunities with the RN than you will with the LPN. Also, by going through an ABSN program, you can get the RN-BSN in a program that is only a little longer than an LPN would take you. Anyway, hope this helps. Good luck.

yeah, the $300,000 was pretty high (not the highest i've heard though), but there are lots of starting salaries around $190,000. you would first have to get your Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN), either through a regular program or an accelerated program (ABSN). Then you have to work for at least a year in an ICU, take the GRE, and then apply to CRNA school. Some schools will let you apply before you have 1 year experience in the ICU, as long as you will have at least a year before you start their program. Some schools recommend 2 years of ICU expereince, but as a general rule, the 1 year requirement is common. Most CRNA programs run about 27 months, give or take a couple months. The ICU experience can be in a variety of ICU's (such as medical icu, surgical icu, neur icu, etc.), however most programs require it to be in an adult icu setting, not a pediatric icu. a few schools do allow pediatric icu experience though. Anyway, hope this helps.

Respiratory therapy is a good career too. I know that there are excellent RT's where I work, and they do an incredible job. I had to follow one for a day last week, and it was her day to carry the trauma center beeper. Everytime she got beeped, we had to rush to the trauma center. She was incredible working with the difficult airways and keeping people's airways secure and well ventilated. I really admired the job she did. Funny, I also met another RT that she works with, and he fly's for fun. He built himself a Europa experimental aircraft, and we talked a lot about flying. He says he and his wife fly all over the country whenever they get some vacation time. I thought that was pretty cool. Anyway, back to RT. I think it would be a good career too. I know there are not as many jobs out there for RT's as there are nurses, and I'm not quite sure what the pay is like. I do miss flying, and I'm always reading all the aviation magazines I pick up at the bookstore. I also miss teaching flying a lot too, and so I keep my CFI license current. I met a doctor a couple of months ago, and she said her very best friend was a nurse anesthetist, and makes $300,000 a year. Once I heard that, I was pretty happy because I really want to buy my own plane and use it both for teaching, and to travel around the country covering other nurse anesthetists for a week or two at a time. So hopefully, I can do nursing and aviation together in the not-too-distant future. That's the plan anyway.