SproutRN

Dude, how much is your monthly payment????

Yes, I do. One of my classmates, who took the exam this past January, took all of the questions and passed. So it can be done. SproutCRNA

TOM!!!!! Hey, man, I thought you forgot your ol' buddy Sprout. Go to the Fed Ex website and under the TRACK menu click on alternate reference. Then fill in CCNA as the reference, then put in US and then your zip code. If your results have been mailed then you will be able to see an estimated arrival date. See if this link works: https://www.fedex.com/AltRefTracking?link=1&cntry_code=us&lid=//Track//Pack+Track+Ref+Corp I did this almost every day after taking boards and found out on a Friday that my boards would arrive on Monday....because I am the only moron who should have paid for Saturday delivery and didn't! Anyway, try that and it should work for you. Keep me posted and let me know what you are doing now. SproutCRNA

My experience, a year ago, was that the AANA website did not add CRNA to my name until about a couple of weeks after I got my results back. However, I was able to call the AANA recert. phone line on the day my results came and found out my recertification period (meaning I passed). I knew the day my results were coming by doing a reverse search on the FedEX website from CCNA to my zip code. SproutCRNA

Congratulations...... School is a long, hard road....but well worth it! Good luck!!! SproutCRNA

Got your message, I'll try and get back with some answers tomorrow....it's been a long day! Sprout

I graduated in the first class last December! The program is awesome and the faculty is terrific. I have not met the new director, but have heard good things from current students. Best of luck and congratulations!! SproutCRNA

kukukajoo, If you really want to decide if you would like to go to anesthesia school, contact someone in the anesthesia department at a hospital to "shadow" a CRNA for the day or a few days. This will allow you to see exactly what our daily routine is and allow you to make a better decision for yourself. I'm sorry you think that noone is trying to help you. It's just that all of us that have been through CRNA school know that trying to prepare for anesthesia school ahead of time is really moot. Other than pharmacology and physiology, I'm not sure how nurse anesthesia books will help you in your current practice. The anesthesia information in the books is can be quite challenging and probably best learned while in anesthesia school and not on your own. I'm sure you know that once you finish RN school you'll need 1 year of critical care experience. Some folks recommend taking the CCRN exam. The preparation for this exam will help you with important critical care basics. Best of luck to you..... SproutCRNA

If my memory serves me correctly cAMP acts differently in certain areas of the body....just as you described. I believe it also causes bronchodilation in the lungs. Anywhooo.....sorry that wasn't much help. I don't think I'd stress too much over that topic. That is an indepth discussion that will be brought up in your biochem and pharmacology classes. I can't imagine you having a question that in depth during your interview. When I was interviewed I discussed the differences of dopamine and dobutamine. What school is your interview with? SproutCRNA

The material IS copyrighted and they make it very clear in their class that they will pursue legal action if it is found copied.......be careful! SproutCRNA

I agree with the post above....you will never be completely ready to take boards. It's more like, you are ready for them to be over! It sounds like you have put in good solid study time and will probably do fine on the exam. Just remember you will know some, you can narrow some down to two answers and some you just have to guess! Best of luck to you....... SproutCRNA

We have an "open" visitation policy in our 16 bed Trauma/Surgery ICU and have had that policy since we opened the new unit about 5 years ago. The rules are made very clear to family members upon the patient's arrival to the unit. And I think this is a crucial part of the policy. We inform our family members that the visitation policy is at the discretion of the nurse and circumstances in the unit. We allow no more than 2 visitors at a time and one person is allowed to spend the night with the patient. We also encourage our family members to go home and rest because their family members will need them more once they are moved to the floor. And many times they do go home. Overall it has been a great experience, yes there have been folks who try to push the boundaries but our nurses and sometimes nurse manager have had to intervene. At times we have had to "lockdown" the unit because of situations, and family memebers are asked to leave. Certain patient circumstances, such as neuro trauma, have set visiting times and they are very strict. The majority of people understand and want to do what is best for their loved one. We also allow family members to participate in the patient's care such as oral care, bathing, etc. It is often helpful to you and by them participating it gives them comfort. The nursing staff did not look forward to the new policy, but once we began we found that it was not nearly as bad as anticipated and now we really like it. I suggest you be patient, keep an open mind and put yourself in the family's position. I would want to be there, wouldn't you? Set the rules from the initial moment with your family and stick to them. Also stick to them as a unit, don't have one nurse more lenient than others, that just causes problems also. Best of luck!! SproutCRNA

I agree! Personally, I use ephedrine as my first line drug in decreased BP and if continued support is needed I swap to the good ol' Neo- drip if necessary. I have never seen anyone at my facility mix the drugs. Of course, now there's that pesky Neosynephrine shortage...what's that all about?! Sprout

My best wishes and prayers are with you Vinny!! You can do it!! Look forward to hearing from you soon.......stay in it! Sprout

:deadhorse We are still beating this one?! Sprout