gasmaster

Yes, I will be looking for a good sign-on bonus or loan payoff contract. Honestly it's not all about the money for me, but this is very important as I will be 46 when I graduate and I shudder at the thought of paying off my loans with my social security check each month!! I need to pay off my loans quickly so it will be very important for me to seek employment that can assist with that. However, I won't be willing to accept a position at any facility that isn't top notch and a safe environment in which to practice. I won't jeapordize my license for money!

Time is ticking by fast. Just think folks....we are only 3 months away from starting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree with Ruby. You need to decide between the two programs. It would honestly be a waste of time & money to pursue the NP if you aren't going to use it. And the classes don't transfer to CRNA programs. Ok, for CRNA the GPA might be a bit low, but there are many factors considered in the admission process. YOu will need to work in a good ICU, Level I or II trauma center if possible. Get all the bedside experience you can. You must work 1 year before you can be accepted into the CRNA program. Get your CCRN, PALS , ACLS certifications. Take your GRE. Even if the program you apply to doesn't require the CCRN it will prepare you for the interview process. Lastly, talk to all the schools you plan on applying to about their specific admission requirements.

From what I've seen many schools accept a BS in a science field with a ADN or diploma RN. However, if you plan on getting the doctorate you must have a BSN.

Keep in mind that if you over work yourself you may not have the same focus as you would have with a less demanding work schedule. The goal of the ICU pre-CRNA application is to learn as much as possible, to really dig in and get everything out of it you can. You have to look at the ICU as a education experience & this will require out of work studying. As for loans, many hospitals will pay all or part of your anesthesia program loans in return for a work contract. For instance, I found a hospital in Austin, TX that will pay 100% of your anesthesia loans in return for a 5 yr committment. Another hospital in Fort Worth paid a $40,000 sign-on bonus last year for new CRNA's, which can pay off a sizeable chunk of loan. Good luck!

It was okay, lots of people there, but the recruiters were really wanting to talk to the folks going into clinicals & those graduating. I did learn that a lot of jobs will hire when you are still about a year from graduation so that they can lock you in to a position. I also learned that a lot of positions are paying REALLY nice sign on bonuses. I was most interested in St. Jude. They were very interesting....all CRNA's, not a single MDA on staff! Cool huh?

I will be 44 when I start my program in August. Go for it!!!!!!

Ah, didn't get the career fair notice in the mail because they were sent to the new students accepted this year. Since I was not on that list, as the hold-over from last year, I didn't get it. I was getting paranoid! Ha! Anyway, so Carol gave me all the info & I am planning on going. Sounds like a great opportunity to network.

1) The CRNA pre-reqs are your BSN. 2) You need to get the actual requirements from the schools you will be applying to. They can tell you exactly what GPA, GRE score, etc that is required to apply. Also, some schools require that you be a CCRN (certified critical care nurse) to apply. 3) Try your best to keep your GPA competitive. Just because a school lists a minimum GPA to apply does not mean it will be anywhere near the true competitive score to stand a chance getting in (e.g. school states a min. GPA of 3.2 to apply but in actually the true average GPA may be 3.6). Most schools can give you a actual average GPA of their current students to give you a more realistic idea. 4) BLS, ACLS, PALS are all required to apply. 5) If the CCRN is required by the school you apply to keep two things in mind: you will need to work approximately 1 year full-time in ICU before you qualify to sit for the certification; some schools will ask for your CCRN score 6) GRE scores can be highly competitive, average minimal score I've seen is 1100. Again find out from the schools you will be applying to. 7) Lastly, know that school is very expensive & it is difficult to work during the program. You will need to have all your finances in order, have a good credit score to obtain necessary loans. For example, after my federal loans I still had to take private loans for a additional $14,000 for the first year alone to cover tuition. That didn't even include cost of living expenses which some students need to borrow to afford to live during school. So, plan, plan, plan. Research like crazy. And good luck....

It's true that many schools will accept a BS in a related science filed with a ASN. It is not true that many will accept a BSBA. You will need to double check since your BS science based. Also, be aware that there will come the day when a DNP or DNAP will be required to practice as a CRNA. Most schools WILL NOT accept a BS with ASN. So far all I explored are requiring a BSN as undergrad to apply to the DNP/DNAP programs. You need to carefully research all of this before making that decision. As a side note, most on-line BSN programs are very expensive but there are ways around that now. I originally held a ADN, and went by to a local state univ. for my RN-BSN program which was 98% online. Regular tuition rates just as though I was on campus as well so very affordable.

Remember that the overall picture is what really counts. You may be weak in one area, such as GPA, but your experience, certifications, references, GRE, interview, etc can make up for that if the rest really shines. Don't get discouraged at all. Keep working hard & focus on the future.

Ok, so according to Kim in the TCU offc, the expo is a job expo? I haven't received my invite yet but she said it's in the mail. Finding a post grad job now.....nice!

Ok, first of all, you need to shadow an actual CRNA in the OR. What they do is totally different from the circulating or scrub nurses. I was just like you, trust me. It took me 17 years of ICU nursing before I did this because I too thought the OR would just put me to sleep. When I found out what the CRNA's actually do I was hooked. I shadowed a CRNA for a long time into all areas of the hospital & it was very eye opening. Second, CRNA's work in all areas....I recently read of some opening & OWNING their own pain management clinics. I have friends who work in plastic surgery or oral surgery offices. The opportunities are endless. Don't give up on it to really explore it. I think you'll be suprised. Talk to the chief CRNA at your hospital & see if they will allow you to shadow, ok?

what the heck is on april 30th???? i haven't received a thing. i live in keller, just up rufe snow so carpool is good!

I think it's specific to certain buildings. It's just down the block from the anesthesia building. The area around TCU is very mixed. Some of the most expensive homes in FW are there, and then a few blocks from that are some of the worst neighborhoods. So it's a toss up. West gets a little iffy. SW is good in certain areas, NE is good, NW some areas good.