haa

Hi, I am currently a full-time student in US(not in nursing). I got my BSN in China and I have got my RN license here. I want to graduate soon and begin to work as a nurse and apply for H-1C and green card. Do I need to do visa screen? currently I hold a F-1 visa. Thanks, haa

What do you usually use in a cvicu(open heart)? central lines? PA(swan-ganz)? a-lines? CVVH? chest tubes? Bloon pump? intubation? thanks, haa

I am interviewing for a position in cvicu. The nurse recruiter said that I will have a pre-employment testing. It includes 50 multiple choice questions. Anyone knows anything about this test? Please give me a hint. Thanks, haa

I am interviewing for a position in cvicu. The nurse recruiter said that I will have a pre-employment testing. It includes 50 multiple choice questions. Anyone knows anything about this test? Please give me a hint. Thanks, haa

Thank you, Gump It is very helpful! haa

I have aplied for an ICU position. But they have no oppenings for me. Some rural hospital offered a position in a small ICU with 6 beds(they do open hearts). Will that kind of ICU experience to be qualified since CRNA schools require you to work at a big teaching hospital? thanks, haa

one is cardiac, another is neuro, thanks,

I was offered one job on step-down, and another on Telemetry. Which one do you think will be better experience, if I want to work in ICU in the future? Thanks, haa

Pleasetakeme, javajunkie Thank you very much!

Could you tell me where I can get a training class or books for preparation? How can I register for the exam? Thank you in advance for your input! haa

Could I be ACLS or PALS certificated without any working experience? Thanks, haa

I have a question: should all these classes be in graduate level?

"...a county hosptial that lets you get your hands dirty." What does this sentence mean? Does it mean the hospital good or bad? Sorry for troubling as I am a foreigner and couldn't understand this very well. haa

I am also curious about this. Hope to get replies from you guys. haa

Thank you, BarbPick and athomas91, Your advice is very helpful. But what is "Royal pain in the A**"? Thank you very much

the hospital below is good enough for a future CRNA to gain ICU experience? It is not a teaching hospital and i am afraid it is not good enough. How do you think? Thanks for sharing your opinion! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Saint Margaret Mercy Healthcare Centers 5454 Hohman Ave. Hammond, IN 46320-1999 Hospital type: General medical and surgical Operated by: Religiously operated Total beds: 624 Administrator: Mr. Eugene C Diamond, President and Chief Executive Officer Parent system: Sisters of St. Francis Health Services, Inc. Key services: Not reported Selected accreditations/memberships: Accreditated, Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) Accreditated, American Osteopathic Association -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No, BarbPick, it is not Jcaho certified, also it is not a level I trauma, teaching hospital.

the hospital below is good enough for a future CRNA to gain ICU experience? It is not a teaching hospital and i am afraid it is not good enough. How do you think? Thanks for sharing your opinion! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Saint Margaret Mercy Healthcare Centers 5454 Hohman Ave. Hammond, IN 46320-1999 Hospital type: General medical and surgical Operated by: Religiously operated Total beds: 624 Administrator: Mr. Eugene C Diamond, President and Chief Executive Officer Parent system: Sisters of St. Francis Health Services, Inc. Key services: Not reported Selected accreditations/memberships: Accreditated, Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) Accreditated, American Osteopathic Association -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How about this hospital? It is not a teaching hospital and i am afraid it is not good enough for me to attend. The good thing is it's in Indiana and only 30 min driving from my home at Chicago ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Saint Margaret Mercy Healthcare Centers Hospital type: General medical and surgical Operated by: Religiously operated Total beds: 624 Administrator: Mr. Eugene C Diamond, President and Chief Executive Officer Parent system: Sisters of St. Francis Health Services, Inc. Key services: Not reported Selected accreditations/memberships: Accreditated, Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) Accreditated, American Osteopathic Association -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you, Speculating, This is my condition: I am a foreign nurse who consider becoming a CRNA here in US. I just got my RN license and prepare to start ICU work. Now I live at Chicago (but I hold a California license) so I want to endorse my license into a Illinois one (my boyfriend is here and I do not want to leave him to California). To make an endorsment, Illinois State ask me to show a proof of two years clinical practice experience. But I have never practiced nursing in both my home country and the United States. Another alternative to make an endorsement is to take CGFNS exam (the exam for international nurse), but I am also not eligible since I didn't hold a license from my home country. So I can only endorse my license into Indiana or Michigan ones (they do not require working experience for foreign nurses) and try to find ICU job there. They are best within two hours driving distsnce from Chicago because I want to drive back to my home at Chicago everyday. But when I make some investigation, I find that there are few large teaching hospitals with good ICU in Indiana. And the only ones with good reputation are located at Indianapolis--they are too far from Chicago. So could you give me some advice? or make some suggestions about good hospitalsI ignored? I am really lost, puzzled. Thank you, anyway, speculating haa

no one give me a reply? :o

Dear llg, What you said is what I am thinking about. The tradeoff between money and flexibility/autonomy is a factor I am always considering. A lot of my friends from academia have quite good life. They may not be the ones who make big money. But they have flexible working hours, time to spend with family, and the most important, their autonomy to do what they like in their work. I see all these as hidden welfare/goodness in the jobs. They should not be ignored because they have an effect on your "life quality". For me, a doctoral degree would offer me more access to this kind of choices. But I am still not very familiar with nursing academia here in US. Do the nursing professors here get a lot of fundings for their research? Their work emphasizes on teaching or researching? In my country, professors in nursing department are always busy with teaching. There seems not so much resources(money) and time for them to conduct research. haa

CRNA teacher, Thank you for your kind reply. From your post I got to know that anesthesia program also need educators badly. So, a CRNA can teach in both traditional nursing schools and anesthesia programs if he/she has a doctoral degree. Yes, it is really a good idea. I know, this will be a long process for me, and it is not easy. But I will try. Also, good luck to your doctoral study! I know you do it for the long run. Another question: how long could a nurse educator(say, an anesthesia educator) work? until 70 years old? and how long could a CRNA work? until 65? Thanks, haa

Ok, here are my two plans: 1. work at ICU for 1-2 years-->CRNA school-->work and part time PhD 2. PhD and part time working in ICU--> CRNA school I do want to get a PhD, but I am not very sure whether or not I will go to academia or stay at clinical settings. After a couple pf years, I might go back to my home country and I want to teach there.

Hi, CRNA teacher, JNJ, and IIg, I really like your posts on this topic. Actually I am in the same kind of dilemma now. I am 25 with a BSN degree, and I just got my RN license. I am thinking of both CRNA and PhD on nursing. One of this would offer me an exciting, challenging job(also good money), and the other could lead me to a career on teaching. I know both are excellent occupations and I like both of them. But at the same time, I admit that I don't know what I really like. This kind of uncenrtainty comes from my experience. Although I have a BSN and RN license, I have never practiced nursing before. I don't know what are the real life for a CRNA or a nursing professor(in the universities). After graduation, I came to US to study sociology in 2001. Soon I will get my MA degree. Now I want to switch back to nursing, and it's time for me to make a decision on the important next step. I am really lost, and puzzled. The lack of experience, uncertainty, and the difficulty to make a choice make me crazy! I know all of you have gone through these. You must have something to say about my situation. I am very happy if you could share your opinion with me. Your help is highly appreciated! Thanks, and merry Christmas! Haa