Eiano

Definitely.

Would your boyfriend give up his residency spot of choice so you could be happy where you are? This question is not to push you one way or the other, but is an honest one to make you step back and look at the situation if it were reversed.

It definitely didn't become harder. I mean really: Who would invest 2+ years of their lives only to bow out at failure of the board exam? I can think of about 0 of my fellow SRNAs who'd say, "Hmm... you know what? I've come this far, left my family and job, am in debt up to my ears and have been getting pimped daily... pretty much embarrassed. I think I'll go back to nursing since I failed my boards. Yeah, that sounds like a plan!"

I work Per Diem in a Level I Trauma Hospital's PACU so we are staffed 24/7 . I work an off-shift and by the time I get there in the afternoon, most of the cases are coming out. I'd say the beginning of the shift is pretty hectic! I'm managing my pt, and at time calling the doc for orders or waiting for anesthesia to sign my patient out (basically saying they're ok to go home/tx. to the floor), charting, charting and more charting or I'm transferring them. By around 9/10PM things do start to die down but that's the time you never know what you're going to get! Obviously after this time, the cases are unscheduled emergencies, usually a stabbing or shooting... I've also had nights where it's 9/10PM and I'm sitting around doing nothing for the rest of the night (rare). I like it!

Something had to have made you decide that being an RN wasn't enough to make you pursue anesthesia, right? Go back to that time and decide if $$$ was the only factor. If it was, then maybe you do need to step back for a while, work locums and travel! Are you the breadwinner in your family? Single? Personally, if my spouse earned a good living and was happy in his career and I were in your position, I'd think about working per diem only.

I'm ready to go wherever. Although I do have a few "top choices" they, unfortunately, are the nation's CRNA top choices and they rarely have openings.

To answer your original question, it's totally manageable. Otherwise there'd be no CRNAs in the world =) I am in my 4th month and am passing all of my tests (they are weekly) and am about to start up on clinicals, (my program is a mixed front-loaded integrated program, we go to clinicals more and more as the program goes on and drop off on classes until we are only in clinicals in the end). I know I'm a "newbie" in the anesthesia schooling world but so far so good. I definitely am a believer in regret the things you didn't do rather than the things you did do. Follow your heart, apply again and see where you end up. Good thing is you love your job so you're not really losing out. Good luck!

You'd do best to shadow a CRNA to see if *you* feel its a good choice for you. What if you take a position in ICU and hate it, but stick with it, only to 2 years later find out you HATE the idea of being a CRNA? I was encouraged by my parents to be a pharmacist. Didn't mean I was going to go through with it. Do what makes you happy. Find a nursing career you love and stick with it.

Hmm.. I disagree. I would personally take the level 1. Chances are you would spend sometime in the SICU even though you'd also be taking care of Step-Down pts. I'd ask the manager how often you are required to go to step down. The smaller community hospital can only help a *sick* pt. so much before they transfer them to a level one. In the end though, if the community uses gtts, CVVHD, does complex procedures and it's patients are brought back from the OR sedated and intubated, you're golden there.

Guys I wish you the best. What have you been working as in the down-time? Or has family been work? My nurse manager asked me (3 months after graduating and 2 days before I was scheduled to take the NCLEX) "Why did you wait so long to take the NCLEX?

It's true, there are positions in ICUs all over. Just where do you think Anesthesia and some Acute Care NP programs get their students? Anyway, I also did my final rotation in an ICU. I applied to about 6 places (3 were ICU), interviewed at 4 (3 were ICU) and eventually got into the one I did my final rotation in.

Yeah, find a new job fast. This nurses is established in her position. You, as a new nurse, should go back to school, like they expect us to do and earn more $$. Come back and smile all big in her face

I would think EMT experience would help land a job in ER more easily than ICU... You have a way to go, 2 years. Grades are just as important... as is passing that little test that actually let's you get a license to work. If anything, get a job as a aide on an ICU you'd like to work on, this way you can boast about having experience drawing off lines, transducing, documenting... :)

Usually for someone to be on Lanuts, it has to be established that their BG are generally elevated. Where I work, there is an order for "notify prescriber for BG

It's probably too late to get your GPA up to a 3.5, all you can do now is take grad level patho, pharm, bio, chem and get ALL As. Take the GREs, shadow and have a good reason as to why your GPA was so low

apply apply apply u never know who may want you and when... try peds icu since you have peds experience or medical icu

Well, 7-9 pts at a time would make anyone feel like a new grad.

It also just might be the unit you're on. Yes, there are the backstabbers everywhere, but why not try a floor with a different vibe? Maybe you can go into a procedural unit or a unit where the nurse to patient ratio is a little lower, but the acuity is higher. This way when you're in a patient's room, you don't have to leave, this way you avoid all the drama!!

The only "for-sure-way" you won't find a job is by not applying. Go to hospital's websites everyDAY. Because you better believe that other grads are. Apply for positions where you can at least mention the fact that, "Yeah, I did my peds/ICU/neuro rotation in a unit similar to this" and try to get your clinical instructors recommendations from that rotation. Get everything together now, recs, transcripts, copies of licenses.... this way when they call for an interview you don't have to scramble, you can just tell them, "I have everything ready, when's the earliest I can come in for an interview?" It's the little things that matter! GL August boy, I'm rooting for you!!!

I agree. Just go with the flow of your hospital's orientation. There is soooooo much to learn right now! If you try and do too much you'll be lost in no time. Just take advantage of the time you have with your preceptor, ask questions and participate and take notes in the VAD, IABP, etc... (whatever the case may be) classes.

Well, to get your first job it is important. Every new grad job or internship I applied for asked for at least 2 clinical instructors' recommendation. Some of them even want it written on their forms (like you send the clinical instructor the hospital based eval and they fill it out and send it back). You could probably still get some recs. Just shoot them an email and ask if they think they'd be able to fill out a good, strong rec for you. Even if they say no at least you tried. They may say yes and surprise you! Good luck!

Have you started applying at all to any hospitals or internships? It is possible to get what you want without having experience... most likely you'll have to go to a larger hospital. A few classmates of mine got exactly what they wanted, including one in L&D. Brush up on your resume, interviewing skills and get all of your references and recommendations together. Even if you don't want to start off in PICU, NICU or OB, it's good to have all of these things handy. The rest is about who's hiring and how well you fill out that online application and take that healthcare survey :) Good luck!!

I know how you feel. I've been on interviews planned weeks in advanced. When I got there, I felt as though I was just # 23 on their list of applicants, not Eiano, the new grad with lots of potential. Hang in there. Maybe this position wasn't for you. I do believe that everything happens for a reason... and if you're religious at all, God has a plan for you... you may feel as though nothing is going your way, but God has a road that will lead you to where you are supposed to be.

Hi. Congrats on getting an interview:) I'm sure it feels great. My suggestion to you would be to tell them straight up about your scheduel preferences. However, if you applied specifically for a FT position in the hopes that the NM would let you work PT, you're probably not going to get the job. They're pretty specific with whether they need FT, PT, PD or on-call... so you should go back and check the job posting. You said you left your job after only 2 months and haven't been employed for 9 months. This lets the NM know that you might be a risk to hire. You're going to have to do some explaining here. You're going to have to let the NM know that you will be dedicated to them and will not let this happen if s/he were to hire you. You're probably going to get a lot of behavioral interview questions, well, think about it. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Precepting? Would you have like to have mastered your clinical skills and joined some committees? Just be straight up. When they ask this question, they want to know "Does Jvrb plan on leaving the hospital after a short time, or can she make the committment to my unit?" I'd hold off on telling them about preplaned events. Like they say, don't ask don't tell... less is more. If you get hired and if and when you get your scheduel and see the conflict, you can let him/her know. Good luck, I hope you get it. If I were you, I'd practice more of those behavioral interview questions...

Diana I want to thank you for sharing your story with us, because this reinforces the fact to me, that the answer to your rhetorical phrase is "NOONE" and "NOTHING".... especially if you are having doubts. I'll make sure I learn from you.