hyper_dermic

I understand that position, but from recently speaking with many people who are on the same path as i am in my area (medic to RN to CRNA), it seems that they have no problems getting jobs graduating from Excelcior. I know the Staff at UMDNJ will take work expirence over where i went to school. I would love to be able to take classes at a traditional school, but thats just not an option for me. Working full time and going to school full time is destroying my body. I dropped my classes down to part time, and its going so slow i will have to plan retirement before i graduate. With excelcior i can take classes online, which means i can study while at work and i can plow through the classes as fast as i can. Also, i dont have to sit through hours upon hours of clinicals again. Thats the biggest selling point for me. Ive already paid my dues rotating through the hospital. I spend all day treating patients, i really cant afford to give my time away "learning" skills i already know. Im gonna ask around and see if i can speak to the directors of the UMDNJ and Columbia programs. If they seem to have a problem with EC students, i will complete my ASN at EC, and finish my BSN at a local university. That way i can still bypass the clinical portion, but i will have a degree from a brick and mortar school. The state of california may have a problem with EC, but NJ seems to be just fine with it.. being a paramedic i perosnally know MANY EC graduates as its a perfect bridge program for us. -HD

Thanks for the info everyone! After doing a little homework, ive layed out the following plan. Enroll in excelsior's nursing program for my Associates degree. Since ive already got most if not all of the pre-reqs done, i should be able to get the ball rolling fairly quickly. time frame from medic to RN 2 years. Once i have my RN, i will be shooting for a job in an ICU that has a CRNA program, or is affilated with the hospital. (UMDNJ) While i am getting my 1 year of ICU, i will finish my bachelors degree through excelsior. time frame to finish bachelors 1-2 year (probably more like 2) once finished with that, or when im near completion... i will apply to the local CRNA programs. This method is great, as it allows me to continue working through the whole process. I dont have the resources to just stop working and go to school full-time. That is, until i reach CRNA school. I feel if i can land an ICU job at one of affilated hospitals i will have the cards stacked in my favor for the selection process. As far as my grades go.. well i have a spotty past (7 years ago i didnt take school quite as seriously), but i have done well since i have gone back. Mostly As and Bs, although i did get a C+ in O-Chem I (with lab) and i think i may have a C in Inorganic Chem II. These were the "real" chem classes intended for chem/bio majors... hopefully they will take that into account. I plan to CRUSH the classes at excelsior so there is no question about my academic abilities. Hopefully i will be able to adapt to the distance learning methods. I Have done quite well in online courses before, but they were very different in terms of testing structure. What do you all think about this plan of attack? -HD

Greetings all, I have been slowly chipping away at a Bio degree for a few years now while working full time as a paramedic in NJ. The master plan was MD or DO, the back-up plan was PA. But as i get older and the stress of school/work/financial pressures begins to effect my grades, i have begun to reconsider my future. To begin with, im not going to lie.. yes the money $$$$$ has attracted me to becoming a CRNA.. There are several other factors that make it a good fit for me though. For starters, im probably 80-90% done with the pre-reqs for nursing school. Once i get nursing school out of the way, i will have a nursing degree, a new job, and a pay increase. With PA or Med school, i wont have that luxury. I will still be a paramedic with a Bio degree, and i will be eating a bunch of debt. lets say for some reason i dont get into a CRNA program... well atleast i can still work as a nurse while i correct my grades or whatever kept me out of the program. Not to mention it seems CRNAs have a bit more freedom than PAs do. So heres my question for you all... do you think my years as a medic (mobile Intensive Care Unit paramedic) will qualify for my 1+ years ICU experience? Ive done more ET tubes than i can remember, nasal intubations, conscious sedation, more recently we have begun to use RSI meds in the field... IVs, CPAP, Nitro drips, dopamine drips (not too many recently though), ACLS, PALS, etc. I would like to think this sort of experience would help me stand out in a sea of candidates, perhaps even allow for a little wiggle room when it comes to grades. What sort of experience does one get in the ICU that they are looking for? Ive read Ventilators/Drips, but can you be more specific? Do ICU nurses have to set-up and change settings on ventilators? i thought that was the resp techs job. And what sort of drips are we talking about? The drips i deal with most are Nitro, Lido, and Dopamine. Not having to do the 1 year in the ICU would be a great help to me, as time is an issue. Not to mention i sort of get into a "groove" when im studying. When i break away from that and enter the "work" phase, it takes a while to transition back. anyone have any advice on nursing programs, CRNA programs, or anything related (NJ or NYC preferred) -HD