rexhuber

Congratulations on your committment to further your professional nursing career! Barry University and the clinical rotation in Orlando will provide you with didactic instruction and clinical experiences that will prepare you for providing safe anesthesia, maintaining patient safety, while developing and fostering independent thought. These goals are intended to prepare students for the board examination (100% pass rate in 2004 with a number of students achieving perfect scores) and employment as nurse anesthetists. The didactic portion of the program is rigorous in a fun sort of way. The clinical portion of the program is time sensitive, meaning that in the first and second clinical semesters you participate 16 hours a week and in the 4th semester of the program you participate 32 hours a week and in the last two semesters prior to graduation you participate in clinicals 40 hours a week. I wish you well as you decide on the direction for your future and how you chose to get there.

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The SEE exam is very, straightforward. Many of the questions can be answered by reading M/M. Like Kevin, I did not study for the exam, thinking that taking the exam cold would better identify areas of needed study. Good luck.

Not at all I'm 46 and am starting in the journey toward my third career. Enjoy the rigorous process for what it is, including the interactions with peers and other professionals that you come into contact with on your way to becoming a valuable member of the health care team. Rex

I started Barry's MS Anesthesia 28 month program this past January with 35 other students. I prefer Barrys MS Anesthesia degree over the MS Nursing degree at other programs including FIU because this program is loaded with science instead of nursing theory. Just one 5-12 page ethics paper, no nursing thesis. Just lots and lots of science. Like every other program, the didactics are rigorous and will keep you very busy. Consider joining a study group to make sure you really do understand the material. The study group(s) are one of the most cohesive bonds between students that I have seen so far at Barry. Don't even think of working PT. It will not work out academically for you. Barry does have four clinical sites in South Florida including Broward General Hospital, a level one trauma center in Ft Lauderdale; Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Miami; JFK in West Palm Beach and Jupiter in addition to those clinical sites in Orlando. A third of the class stays in South Florida after the first sesmester and attends on-campus classes two days/wk and clinicals three days per week. The other students in Orlando participate in classes via real-time PICTURETEL at a classroom(s) in Orlando. The students who choose to go to Orlando also have clincals 3 days/wk in the second semester. The total number of clinical cases are 900-1100 depending on S. Florida v Orlando clinical locations. Students in Orlando attending clinicals do not drive down to Barry to attend classes. They meet at the time of the lecture in a classroom in Orlando and participate in the lecutre via PICTURETEL. Also, students choose which clinical locations they want to attend, either South Florida or Orlando. In our class, no one was told they must go to Orlando or stay in South Florida. Barry is definately pushing technologically to deliver class content. All students have laptops with wireless modems. Much of the course content is provided to the students with one exception. There is no sitting on the floor, every student has a seat and the airconditioning works very well. BTW, I understand that FIU also has over 30 students in its 2002 class. There is NO competition at any of Barrys clinical sites with MDA residents or AA students unlike FIUs clinical sites. I am told that we will learn central line insertion, Swan, TLC, a-line. Barry has a dynamic, strong willed, newer program director who is responsive to the needs of the students, is very approachable and definately has her finger on the pulse of legislative activities supporting and promoting CRNA over AA's. I personally consider these personal and professional traits as absolutely necessary to to direct this ethically based anesthesia program successfully. The school must be doing something right because Barry has over 300 applications for next years class with the deadline for applications not until July 2003. I was told that the next class (entering class of 2004) size will increase by 10 students because of additional clinical sites that have been added. I hope that this answers some of your questions. For more info about Barrys program http://www.barry.edu/snhs/MSprograms/anesthesiology/default.htm

CTB You probably also received the listing of housing resources from Barry. I've been researching Barry's clinical locations to help me decide what type of housing and where I should be looking. If Broward offers 1600+ clinical procedures inc regional and insertion of central lines, then I probably will try to find a place in Ft Lauderdale for the 28 months. However, SRNA makes a compelling reason to look at ORMC for clinical exposure. And, there is no guarentee that we will get the clinical assignment we request. The Holly House, 0.4 miles from Barry offers studios around $600/month with a 7 month lease. The Venetian and the Archstone (highrise) offer 6 month leases for about the same price but are 3 miles from Barry. Rex

SRNA Like you, I'm not worried finding a great job in a city where I would like to live. I've found that going to gaswork.com is very encouraging. Are you sharing an apt in Orlando? Your posts read as if you are at ORMC. Rex

SRNA I understand how tired and at times how frustrated you must feel. I have been working FTE and picking up agency shifts (combined 60-70 hrs/wk) to build up some reserves. I have also met, listened and worked with some of the cousins of those unhappy nurses you talk about. Have you been approached or have you tenatively decided where you will be practicing when you are finished? Rex

SRNA Thanks for the reply. Can you offer any advice on the clinicals at Broward in Ft Lauderdale. It reads like you are going through the ORMC and JFK track in Orlando. Any other suggestions that you can offer me re: Barry or clinicals? Again, thanks. Rex

I am also new to this board. I was accepted into Barry's program starting this January 2003. I am wondering which clinical site offers more srna procedures (a.line, swan, TLC) and regional anesthesia experiences. I am also wondering if you have knowledge of the advantages/disadvantages of pariticpating in clinicals either in Ft Lauderdale (Broward General, North Broward, Imperial Point) vs other Miami or Orlando sites. I'm not interested in Naples. My questions, in part, have to do with relocation and the desire for great learning experiences. Rex