EpiphanyXI

Dear RRT2RN2CRNA, Thank you so much for the encouragement and your brillient emails and for this post! It is so nice to hear that someone else is in my shoes and has given me much to think about. I will PM very soon!

Congratulations on your matriculation! You must have a impressive GPA, GRE, letters of rec and experience! I hope I follow in your foot steps. Last week I talked to the dean/director of the CRNA program at Eastern Carolina University and she suggested the same thing as you. About the age thing, it is funny, I just got back from the ER that I am volunteering at and one of the PAs told me to go for a MD because I am still young! I guess it is all relative meaning you should go for your dreams because life keeps moving, and you will still be here. Thank you for the advice!

That is great advice. I have to tell you that even volunteering at the hospitals around here and talking with PAs, NPs, and Physcians let's me know I am on the right path. I am very excited and can't wait for my first prerequisite class to begin this summer so I can move forward in my new career. How has your experience as a second degree nurse been so far? Thanks!

could i ask you what you think your friend did or had that greenlighted her matriculation into the crna school after only one year in icu? thank you!

I have PMed you some more pertinent questions. This goal that I have seems so daunting and hearing that someone like me is successful in this task gives me heart and courage. I hope that I am up to the task. Thank you so much!

This is my first post and first off, I just want to say how impressed I am with the level of posting on this board. I am a career changer (I have a J.D.) at the age of 29. I realized for many reasons that the kind of work I want to do for the rest of my life has to do with health care as a provider. I am at the beginning of starting the 5 or so prereqs I need to enter into a 2nd degree BSN or direct entry MSN program and will probably enter into a program in 2009. I have been volunteering and shadowing physicians, PAs, NPs, and RNs at the local hospitals. After thorough research into avenues into health care as a provider, I would like to work as a CRNA because it is a fascinating field and it compliments my interests. The question is should I persue a 2nd Degree BSN work in ICU for a year or two then apply as a CRNA, or should I get an MSN in acute care as nurse practitioner and then go for CRNA. I realize that the MSN would take three years and then CRNA would take another 2 or so afterwords. Since I am 29 with no experience as a nurse so far, I feel like time is a factor (I feel old!) and maybe I should persue a nurse practitioner route as that would get me into the provider position that I am looking for faster as I am worried that many of the CRNA programs require many more years of ICU and nursing experience instead of just rigourous nursing course work and experience as a lawyer. But then again I should persue my dreams. I would very much appreciate any advice. A nurse at one of the hospitals was accepted to a CRNA programs (she has 20 years experience in many hospital units) advised me that I should just get a BSN, save time, and then apply to CRNA program after a year. Advice? Thoughts? Thank you!