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

The only way you find out if you passed is getting your results that are delievered by FedEx. It generally takes at least a couple weeks to get your results back. I got mine back in 20 days back in January. It was almost 3 weeks of complete torture! Sprout BTW- I had a classmate pass the exam after taking all 160 questions AND I had a classmate who failed them by only taking 90!!

I took boards in January. It is a computerized exam with a minimum of 90 and the maximum is 160 questions. You can pass or fail anywhere in between. The difficulty of the question you answer is based on the prior question. There are also a certain amount of questions on the exam that are not graded as part of your score. These questions are "practice" questions that may be used on future exams. The only way this exam is similar to NCLEX is that it is computerized. It was the hardest exam I have ever taken in my life....some questions were easy to answer, some I could narrow down to 2 answers, and some came from outer space! Sprout

My facility does not allow for SRNA's to "run" their own room. A SRNA is always supervised by a CRNA, be it across the OR room but we must be in there with them. Because of changes in Medicare and I assume other insurance providers, we must document on our chart "SRNA supervised 100% of case by CRNA". Sprout

Vinny, I remember the exact same feelings from 8 months ago! And just so you know, I had a few folks in my class take all 160 questions and they passed! So keep your head up and stay busy while you await your results! I started working the week after I took boards and that certainly kept my mind very occupied for at least 8 hours a day. The day I found out the FedEx "man" was coming to my house was SO scary. We are all hoping and praying for you! Sprout

Best of luck to you......the nerves start when you sit down at the computer! You will be fine though, keep us posted on how things go. Sprout

Took 'em in late January and got results back in 20 days........it seemed like forever. I bet it won't take that long this time of year. Good luck! Sprout

I'm sorry but are you sure you are not 12?? The statements you have made here are mindless and quite ridiculous. Who are you to decide when it is right for a person to attend CRNA school? I happened to start CRNA school when I was 36 and my children were 2 and 4. Did I miss out on some of their life, yes. Did my kids suffer psychological harm from this.....NO! I would dare say that all the folks who attend CRNA school WHILE they have kids go out of their way to spend quality time with their kids as much as possible. If you are 22 and know exactly what you want to do with your life or have attained that at 22, then congratulations. I began my career in nursing later in life (28) and spent 7 years in a trauma/surgery ICU. The door opened for me to go to anesthesia school when I had kids. Praise God! I wouldn't go back and change anything that has happened to my life. Since you have it all figured out so early....enjoy. But keep your opinions to yourself when you don't know what is going on in other people's lives. Sprout CRNA :angryfire

Been there, done that....been a CRNA six months now! You can do it too! Good luck, Sprout

Took boards in January and found that not too many of my questions came from the Valley Review. I did use both the sweat book and memory master and I supplemented that information with Morgan and Mikhail. I don't think you will ever feel totally prepared for boards. Just prepare like you have been and I think you will be fine! SproutRN

I'm pretty sure you won't find any information regarding that from the AANA. I would find it hard to believe they endorse a course that is partly based on information from individuals who provide them with board questions. I did take the course and highly recommend it. I had several "ah ha" moments during the course, suddenly things that sorta made sense became much clearer. This was also the case for most of my study group members. The information they provide was an excellent source for organizing my board preparation. SproutRN