MrRacer98

roughly 27 bucks plus usually 2 bucks for noc shift, and if you work dedicated straight nights, usually 4 bucks an hour on top of your base pay, and usually really decent benefits i.e. health ins. and 403b.

Thanks, Yeah I am looking into home care. As well as like an company nurse for industrial places.... I swore I would never do home care, but I am thinking it doesnt sound so bad. Again I am limited because of job job siutation in small town america, but keep looking I guess.

Not an issue.... Dont know CA, but that is your personal medical record. Has nothing to do with your job. If you cannot handle the job once you start, it will be evident shortly then you can deal with it... but as long as you are mentally stable as most people on anti-depressants are... Its a non-issue

hey all, i feel like something is wrong with me. i feel like i am at the end of my rope. i have been a nurse for 5+ years. and emt for 6+ years and i have worked in acute care my whole life. everything from rural med/surg/er to par and burn icu to travel. i feel like i am so sick of nursing. i am constantly bombarded at work by crazy employer demands, haphazard training, and poor morale among co-workers. my schedule is so freakin screwy the only thing i know for sure is i work every 3rd w/e which doesn't bother me at all. i just can stand these string of 5-7 12 hour night shifts in a row! yes i get a strong off after that but i feel my body is constantly striving for decent sleep. right now i am rural nursing in a mix of er/med/surg. i just don't know where to turn or how to feel anymore. am i burned out. i feel bad because i have worked many jobs and have not really kept them for very long i.e. 9-12 months and i am out the door looking for something else. i feel like i have tried everything and am out of options? everyone always tells me how 'lucky' i am to have the job i have right now. i currently make 25-27$/hr, though i would gladly take a pay cut to 20-22$/hr for a career i liked, and had a decent schedule. i guess i am just looking for feedback or if other people felt like this what they went into or type of nursing. i do know ltc is not my bag. i am a 3 year rn with an adn, i was an lpn first. im almost 26 y.o and male, married and my wife is in rad tech school (formerly a surgical tech) just a little backround. my options are limited as i am rural based... however, i am open to new things even if some travel is needed. any comments are appreciated. and fyi- yes i treat my pts well. i know what it is like to be a pt. so please refrain from "well you shouldnt be in it if you cant think of the pt first" comments.

Hey All- I have always wanted to get my CRNA, and I currently work in an intensive care setting. I'm realistically looking to apply in about 30-36 months. I have read the stickys a few times now, but I just want to ask again. It is possible to do anesthesia school, financially speaking, if I own a house and have kids right? My wife and I are so sick of apartments and seeing as it is a buyers market we are starting to seriously consider purchasing a house. We also want to start a family. Now I realize it would be best if I lived in a studio apartment 4 blocks from anesthesia school, but that's just not realistic. I will of course purchase a house well within my affordability. But I guess it just seems odd that I should have to loan out for everything we will need when I am in school. Though I know there is no chance at working when I am in school. So my questions are 1. You don't have to put a kidney down for collateral for a grad school loan right? (I have good credit). 2. It is normal to look at paying my mortgage from student loans as slightly insane right? (go big or go home; I realize that...I'm not afraid of the commitment, just looking for some feedback.) Thanks for your responses!

Just check out your potential hospitals you want to work at. Of course as mentioned your best bet is a new grad ICU intern/preceptorship program. I was going to go your route (ADN then BSN while working) however, I realized the hospitals around me new grad ICU programs required BSN grads. So I decided to go LPN-to-BSN route. Usually it can take a couple years to get into an ICU so (no new grad preceptorship), floor experience you will have but how much ICU experience would you get before you got your BSN? Probably not too much. When it doubt stick it out though...you'll get through it all, I'm not there, but I know I will be one day.

Hey Flea- I'm not a CRNA, and I don't know the "best" schools. Much of that depends on your preference and willingness to relocate. However for most schools you need a BSN. A pretty competitive GPA, particularly science GPA of >3.4, most of the time a GRE test is required and each school has their own requirements for that test. Extra chemistry and biology classes are great. Usually ACLS is needed. Instructor certifications are great. You need at least 1 year of "acute care" experience. This varies between schools, but usually ICU experience is the norm. Some schools do not accept flight nurse/ER type experience because you are with the patient for such a short period of time. They like a full shift of hemodynamic monitoring. a-lines, vasoactive drips, etc. etc. Basically the more screwed up the patient is, the better experience it is. :uhoh21: I would say shadow your cousin a couple times if you can to get the feeling for it. In many states you can practice independently, moonlight, whatever as much as you want, or as little as you want. I know CRNA's who work a few days a week, some work 6-7 days a week. Good luck.

What do you mean as far as other paths? Just curious...

LOL!!! That's awesome :rotfl:

AWESOME!! Hey just to let you know, people really do appreciate all the knowledge and expertise that people share on this forum. I sure do. It has kept my spirits up several times. It's a long road to CRNA (even pre-reqs), and sometimes it gets too easy to "look at the whole picture" when it comes to school and get overwhelmed. Websites like yours-to-be and that other srna one posted the other day help ease nerves some and gives some prospective students an uplift as they are working their tails off to get there. Any heads up is SO appreciated! Thanks to you and everyone else too! NurseNut

This is exactly what I want to do, but dont have a clue as how to go about it. I'm not close to anesthesia school yet, but what kind of a process does finding an anesthesia group encompass? Thanks!

Hey I'm an Ex-Lab rat, turned nurse... anyhow, I think the previous poster is right about the Coronary Risk profile thing... We never did that at our lab. However, your LDL is not cool... HDL seems fine, Cholesterol, yeah thats gettin up there, and I would want the triglycerides down... asap... Not like this is quality Dr. given advice... But if I were you, I wouldn't put off trying to get my lipids more normal... I'm pretty sure if your LDL dropped that would drop your coronary risk.. (You were fasting right?) Smart Balance margarine can help a lot if you eat lots of butter... Was this a general screen or a physical? Physician give you any imput? Good Luck. Take care.

Hey I'm glad for ya! The first thing I look at, when I start a job... Is my license going to be in jeopardy from this place? I would have done the same exact thing if I were you. The facility I work in (surgical ward) we help each other out. If someone has time to blow, you go out and ask others on the floor if they need help. One person can be having a great night and someone else may be having a night from... well you know. Just remember, there's nothing to feel guilty about being assertive and looking out for your family, and your income.

Yuk... No... That's wrong... **Shivers in disgust**

Hey Everyone- Not trying to rip off someone else's thread, I'll start my own.. I always hear people talking about the fresh grad ICU programs around. My question is this... Can anyone (or a few of you) post at least areas or large cities where this is happening? I just don't know where to start, as far as looking in any direction. Also, How common is it to find a facility that will provide tuition for CRNA school? Is it more common to find a tuition reimbursement program in a CRNA's benefits package once done with school? Either way, how common is it for CRNA's to get some tuition money.