mark2climb

The general answer to your question is.....IT DEPENDS. If you haven't done so already, I'd highly recommend that you shadow a CRNA locally and ask those questions. You can probably answer those questions by observation. Full disclosure....I am merely a SRNA. CRNAs can do CVL placements, give regional anesthesia, place invasive monitoring lines....pretty much what your avg anesthesiologist can do. If you work at a facility that only has CRNAs, there will be no anesthesiologist supervision. If you work at a facility using the ACT model, then yes there will be supervision. The scope of practice of CRNAs in that ACT will depend largely on politics. Have CRNAs ever helped patients to the restroom? I would say yes to that. Is it expected? Probably not. Is it a nice thing to do...very much so. Do CRNAs lose patients? Yes because some patients just cannot be saved. Does it happen often? I would say not.

I concur regarding buses. I ride one every day. You should look at the bus routes before deciding on a place to live though. Some buses don't come as often. Last I heard, there is an iPhone application that can be downloaded for Typhon per Typhon rep.

I moved from Colorado and live in Highland Park, which is about 20 min north of the school by bus. PM me if you want to talk more about specific recommendations.

I'm about to finish my first month of clinicals. The answer to your question would depend a bit on your clinical site, your preceptor, and what your program expect from you. In general, I'd encourage you to try and relax. That's not easy to do. I know because my body attempted to throw up any breakfast I was able to get down for the first three weeks. I've heard many stories of GI distress during clinicals. If your preceptor and program have low expectations for the first month/rotation, take advantage of it and enjoy. It won't last long before the questions will come fast and furious and the expectations will rise. Some preceptors will want you to start taking over pt care the first day, so just go with the flow. PM me if you have specific questions.

I went through the interview process a little over a year ago and was wait listed as well. The process is extensive and thorough with time for you to get to know the program through its faculty and current students as well. You will already be prepared clinically for the questions on the interviews, so don't stress about that. Try to really find out if the program will be a good fit for you. It is a great education and the faculty is supportive. They want everyone to succeed. Pitt grads have excellent reputation in the marketplace. Feel free to email as well with questions.

You can take classes beforehand if you wish but there are people who didn't take any classes before and they are doing fine. It'll just be a little busier if you don't. Everyone takes out the Stafford but beyond that is harder to get. The cost-of-attendance is set a bit low for Pitt, so you may have to go GradPlus or private. I live in Highland Park and so do many of my classmates. It's a nice area around Highland Park with easy access to buslines. Lots of students live in Shadyside as well, which is not as suburban but closer to the school. You still need to ride the bus though. The program is tough but really good. We are all learning lots and looking forward to using that info. The integrated format is great for keeping up with your study skills so that you don't forget how to do it when comps and boards come at the end of the program. The Burgh is much cloudier and flatter than Colorado. They use salt instead of sand here for the snow and the roads are designed very poorly. Be prepared to be lost a bunch before learning the roads. It happens to everyone. I miss the sunshine and skiing. Good thing the program is great. Send me a PM and I'll give you my private email.

That depends on how deep you want to get into understanding things down to the molecular level. It helps to have some basic physics understanding when learning about the anesthesia machine and also the kinetics of volatile agents.

I just started Pitt's program and am from Colorado. What questions might you have?

Stryker1, What is the turn around time for TEGs at your facility? Is it quick enough for traumas and other resuscitation scenarios? One complaint I've heard is that it takes too long for it to be helpful.

Any experienced or new grad CRNAs using TEGs to guide their fluid resuscitation in cases involving large volume loss?

Are practicing CRNAs finding that training for trauma care happening OJT or are there programs out there that train CRNAs for trauma specific anesthesia? I suspect that the Cowley Shock Trauma Center at Univ of Maryland provides some specific training but how about other facilities?

Interesting... What can CRNAs do that AAs can't do?

Here's a bit more information: The facility that I am negotiating with does not currently have a CRNA program but is planning on hiring CRNAs and AAs. I have a good rapport with the anesthesiologists and have had very positive dialogues with several directors and the chairman. We haven't talked details about the contract or even if it's a possibility yet. The anesthesia group is affiliated with a medical school, which may allow me lateral movement to work with a variety of patients in different settings. Of course, I don't know that for certain. Then again, nothing is for certain until it is in writing. Now what do you all think?

Has any one gotten a contract with a group before even starting school? What are the pros and cons? There is a slight chance that I might be able to secure a job before I even start school and have the group pay the tuition. This seems financially advantageous but it will limit my choices of work to just one following graduation. Any thoughts?

BBFRN, Shouldn't most of these courses be covered in a MSN already? I would think that an APN at the Master's level should already be able to utilize research, do research, and have some understanding of computers. Tthese courses would benefit someone in a PhD program but I think the problem is that many DNP programs claim to be more clinically focused. How do these courses contribute to actual clinical knowledge? Why not make the program more like a residency or fellowship with mostly clinical time at the bedside with conferences throughout the week, like real graduate medical education to give real physiologic or pharmacologic knowledge for patient care.

Are there any CRNAs here who specialize in trauma or take trauma call at a Level I facility? If so, what is your scope of practice? Are you only responsible for airway management or do you make recommendations for the resuscitation as well? Following the resuscitation, do you then follow the pt to the OR or hand them off? Thanks!

I'm in Colorado as well and TX Weslyan's program is the only one that I found with clinicals in Denver. From what I've heard, there just isn't enough of a need for a CRNA program here because it is a highly attractive place to live and the supply of anesthesiologists and CRNAs are exceeding the demand at the moment. I hope that would change in the next few years.

I think there are lots of factors that you can consider in choosing a program. My ideal program would be one that doesn't require relocation, integrated curriculum, consolidated clinical sites, and in state tuition. I also live in a state that does not have a program, so all that kinda went out the door. I applied to three programs the first round and got accepted in to my first choice, which was a public school that was ranked well and had a very pleasant interview process. The program also has an excellent reputation nationally. To find that out, you can talk to people here or CRNAs that you know. You want to make sure that the graduates of whatever program you like has the reputation of being well prepared. You can also find out the board pass rates and dropout rates online for certain programs as well. I hope that helps.

Nate, The clinical sites for TX Weslyan at Denver Health and University Hospital both allow you to shadow their CRNAs. I shadowed one at Denver Health and was a great experience. You should definitely do it if you wish to interview at that site. You can find the contact info for the clinical coordinators at TX Weslyan's CRNA site. Mark

I think some of that depends on the type of patients admitted to the PACU. If your PACU recovers fresh hearts or other ICU type patients on a regular basis and you are the one taking them, then the experience should be as good as the ICU. It seems though that most PACUs don't take very sick patients, so the experience won't be as helpful. I've worked both ICU and PACU and felt that I lost skills while in the PACU, so I had to go back to an ICU to regain those skills. On top of that, not all ICUs are equal. Any sort of surgical ICU will tend to have more unstable patients than your typical MICU.

Does minority not mean minority anymore or does it translate only to one of a color that is not white? Does color only mean black? If not, why aren't people of other colors complaining?

check out the one at Columbia. They actually have a one year clinical residency, which should theoretically be a fellowship since the "residency" portion of training should have been completed during the MSN.

This doesn't seem like such a bad idea coming from a program that has a true PRACTICE doctorate. I think it would allow NPs to truly show what they can do and do know. There was a proposal by one of the posters over in another nurse anesthetist forum for CRNAs to take the ABA exam. I'm sure it'll get a good fight from the ASA if it gains any traction.

Unfortunately most of your step down unit experience won't count towards the critical care experience required by CRNA programs. You really need to be able to say on your resume that you were staff in some sort of an ICU. Most programs prefer surgical ICU because of the possibility of unstability in the patients there but most will accept any sort of ICU experience as adequate provided that you learn your drugs and know how to handle critical situations there. I've noticed that many CRNA programs associated with schools of nursing will focus on your grades in the last 60 hours of coursework if your cum GPA is not so stellar. The programs outside of SON don't tend to be as flexible. Definitely do well in your BSN. There are different levels of competitiveness between the various CRNA programs as well, so keep that in mind when you apply. Georgetown, UT Houston, and Baylor are the ones that come to mind for highly competitive scores and students. Getting your CCRN doesn't hurt but the ICU experience is the critical component of your application process.

I'm not convinced that nursing theory is even necessary for undergrad RN education. Is it not possible to educate a RN properly to be a nurse without nursing theory? Do physicians have to suffer through medical theory to distinguish themselves from nurses?