cherrysky

When I said "nursing school" here, sorry I wasn't very specific. I really meant RN school. I did not to think to clarify between RN school and CRNA school which I realize was a mistake considering they're really both "nursing school". So, would you not agree that a student in basic nursing school would not necessarily do well in medical school? Although I agree with you that a person in CRNA school would probably do just as well in med school--I've looked at pre-requisies for CRNA school and some programs actually have similar requirements to med school (organic chemistry, physics, etc). As far as saying in another post that "RNs work harder than CRNAs" I think once again you are taking my words out of context. What I meant is that RNs work harder as in there is more physical labor, running around trying to take care of so many patients, etc. I certainly know that CRNAs work very hard all day (they didn't get an advanced degree to do nothing!) but they are not cleaning patients, have all that physical labor, etc. It is a different kind of work. Just like a lawyer and a factory worker both work hard but it is not necessarily the same type of "hard work". (By the way, before anyone flames me, I am not using as a direct analogy here--I am not corresponding CRNAs to lawyers and RNs to factory works. It was just a clear example I could think of.) As far as all of your questioning me regarding whether or not I am a CRNA and what experience I have, well if you have read my posts (which you clearly indicate with your testy questioning of the "hard work" statement) then I think it is pretty clear what my status is. Also, you ask if I think if a CRNAs salary is too high. LOL are you crazy? Again, if you have REALLy read my posts instead of picking just one random one then you would see that I am in SUPPORT of CRNAs. I do not think their excellent salary is too high, I think it's FANTASTIC. Lol I am really not sure what problem you have with me, considering everything I've said pretty much seems to be in agreement with what you have said. Also, one last thing...I am not understanding such tension towards me as I have done nothing but be supportive of CRNAs. I don't think I've ever said anything harsh about them on this forum so I am not really understanding why you got so testy all of a sudden, as if I was being critical of CRNAs. Or maybe you need to take a minute to digest what you read before you get all crazy because I think anyone who has read my posts would agree that I am in favor of CRNAs.

I know a lot of people will give others flack for saying that but I really don't understand what's wrong with that statement. Giving someone flack for wanting to become an RN "only" so they could become a CRNA is like giving someone flack for someone "only" wanting to get an undergraduate degree in political science so they could go on to law school. In fact, not only would the political science major NOT get flack, they would get encouragement for seeking graduate-level education and wanting to continue their education. No one would say that he's only doing it for the money (which seems to be the response future CRNAs get), people would praise him for having such a great goal. I just don't see what's wrong with clearly stating that someone wants to become an RN because what they really want to do is go on to become a CRNA. I think it's great to have that goal and work towards it.

Lol, Umm....I'm not sure where you're getting that, what you're saying is 100% wrong. Anesthesiology one of the MOST competitive specialties to get into. Never have I come across any data, or even an opinion piece, that suggests anesthesiology is one of the "less competitive specialties". Here are a few links to information (from universities, scholarly papers, interviews, etc.) that you can check out to see why and how anesthesiology programs are competitive. http://www.medschoolready.com/app/specialtychoice.asp http://www.asaabstracts.com/strands/asaabstracts/abstract.htm;jsessionid=48DAEC96C90B841906D97A46814AD84C?year=2006&index=12&absnum=1381 http://www.mayo.edu/msgme/anesres-rch-faq.html http://www.physicianscholar.org/print/id/708083 http://www.co-anesthesiology.com/pt/re/coanes/abstract.00001503-200302000-00001.htm;jsessionid=LJNG1dLTGkQr12WXLQ2XDpJ7SgkmSvwGy0PxsJrX4JWNqP1ZMRnB!523807009!181195628!8091!-1 (you can track down the actual article for the previous URL) http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/7475.html#Anesthesiology

To be honest you just sound like someone that is attempting to show off on a nursing forum. If you dislike mid levels (a title I have no problem with) so much, then why do you spend so much time posting on a nursing forum? I will however mention that I'm impressed that you were humble enough to let on that you do not own the practice in which your work---I would have expected you to fabricate something much more grandiose :) For anyone else that is falling for this person's delusions, go check out the rest of his posts. All of them are demeaning, he even says in one post that nursing school is a joke. Does anyone on here really believe that any doctor would be so petty to spend his free time on a nursing forum trying to degrade people? It's good that you have such an active imagination about your "medical career" though. Much love.

Every single complaint you read on this forum holds true for every single profession. Maybe the intensity is upped a little in nursing because you have so many women stressed out and forced to work together, but I don't think it is really any different from any other job or career path.

Wow! Congratulations on the new job! I'm excited for you : ) Hopefully it will be everything you want it to be!

The schools I've looked at have a validity period of 5 years on GRE scores.

First, it is possible to become a CRNA within 5-6 years: 1year LPN, 1 year additional to become an RN (at least around here), and then 1 year accelerated BSN and while you are actually doing your 1 year BSN you could be working ICU then apply for the CRNA program of 2-3 years which gives you ONLY an educational investment of 5-6 years after which you get an EXCELLENT paycheck. Now, let's say you took it a little slower: 4 year RN/BSN during wich you get your 1 year of ICU experience and then you enter a 2-3 year CRNA program--you still finish within 6-7 years which really is not that bad considering doctors face 8 years of schooling followed by multiple years of residency where there pay isn't that high. Now, you say that an MDA makes much more money....well, YEAH! Have you any idea how hard it is to 1)get into medical school, and 2) get into an anesthesiology program? Both are INCREDIBLY competitive. One of my closest friends is an MDA and I've seen a lot of what it's like to not only try to get into med school but then to try to get into an MDA residency. Also, beyond the time investment, let's just look at how hard medical school is to survive when compared to nursing school. I know nursing school is not a walk in the park, but it sure is not rocket science either--whereas med school kinda is. In regards to lawyers, like the previous poster said, an average lawyer does not receive a considerably higher salary than what a CRNA does. And again, like the previous poster said, who outside of MDs and the top 1% in certain professions really make more than the AVERAGE CRNA does?

I completely agree, plus in medicine there are years of residency where again the doctor is making much less money.

I would say as far as retirement, make sure to put every penny you can in a 401k, max it out if you can. Does your employer match any portion of your contributions? Even if it does not, you should still try to max out your contributions because any money that you put into a 401k account is tax free, which means that not only are you saving money, but you're also making money by investing. Also, read Suze Orman's The Money Book for the Young, Broke & Fabulous. You definitely don't want to be foolish with money now because that means when you are 45-50 you will be kicking yourself for not building enough of a retirement fund and will end up in a pinch trying to make up for the years you lost. At least that's what I tell myself to make sure I'm wise about money. Also, I suggest that you not make a lot of silly purchases that you will have nothing to show for after the purchase, whether it's that day or 5 years from now. For example, you go out and eat and after you eat the food at the restaurant and pay your bill, you will never see that money again and you will have nothing to show for how you spent that money. You could have bought clothes, and you would immediately have something to show for the money you spent, BUT in the long run you will replace those clothes and have nothing to show for your money. Of course you need to once in a while you need to treat yourself to a dinner out or new clothes, but make sure it is a TREAT, meaning it is not something that occurs regularly. However, if you bought a house for your money, in a few years you will have a HOUSE to show for your money AND your house will (hopefully) be worth more than what you paid for it. I think a house (at least saving for one, at this point) and a 401k are the two best investments a person our age could make. You end up funneling your money to your house and investments instead of having extra cash laying around to spend on clothes and nights out. As far as how much of your paycheck should go towards housing, I have read that you shouldn't allot more than 30-36% of your gross (pre-tax) income. If you are renting, I would try to be as frugal as possible without being in a totally rundown place. If you are renting that basically means that you are working to pay off someone else's mortgage so they can get a free home in a few years, thanks to you. So, spent as little as possible and save for your own home! Also, try to work with what you have; don't try to rush out to buy a brand new car (if at all possible), etc. Take these first few years to save save save and once in a while treat yourself. I would rather drive my current car, save as much as possible, and treat myself to a nice vacation somewhere every year than go out now and buy a car which means I would have extra payments to make each month and, unlike the house, the value of the car would only depreciate! So, for now I suggest that 1) you invest the maximum you can afford into your 401k, 2) set up a direct deposit account so a) a portion of your check goes directly into an account for saving up for a down payment on a home and DO NOT touch this money not matter what!!! b) a portion goes into a savings account, and c) the rest just goes into your checking, 3) make a budget and stick to it--Suze Orman's book can help you with that. Don't make any large unnecessary purchases for now--wait to buy the living room set of your dreams for when you can happily afford the house you want and settle for just some decent furniture for now...you get the point. Also, definitely read a couple of books on personal money management. What good is having a good salary if you squander your money? Best wishes : )

Just remember that some of the schools that make GRE optional do so only if you have a certain minimum GPA. Make sure you are clear if there are certain conditions which affect whether or not he GRE is optional. Also, like a few previous posters mentioned, if your GPA is not that great the GRE might be beneficial to you (if you study enough) in showing that you excel in a certain area.

That is one of my pet peeves on this forum! As soon as you say you want to become a CRNA a bunch of RNs get on your case because "you're in it for the money". I genuinely think that they may be a little bit jilted because for only 2-3 more years of education, someone else will be making 3x more than they are. Also, I think they believe that they work harder than CRNAs--which I think on some level is actually true. I absolutely know that CRNAs have an incredible amount of responsibility, but I think it's a bit different because they are not cleaning up patients, changing bandages, etc. I think the impression for the most part is that CRNAs give some anesthesia and just sit there. Also, I think MDAs get a lot of flack too. I have a lot of close friends that are MDs and one mentioned that he felt that they lazy med students went into anesthesiology because it's easier. So, I think this weird perception of those providing anesthesia is found everywhere in the medical profession. Also, if anyone said that they wanted to become a doctor or lawyer, I don't think they would get nearly as much criticism as those that say they want to become a CRNA. I think some people out there believe it's a get-rich-quick scheme or something and they don't like it because the time you have to invest in it to get an excellent paycheck is relatively short when compared with other people that make similar incomes.

I definitely want to go on to become a CRNA but I haven't heard anyone else other than my sister (and one of her friends) say that they wanted to become one. I've heard one person say they were considering becoming an NP but that's about all.

Wow! What is the name of your book? Is it about nursing or unrelated to your profession? I want to start reading some books, whether fiction or nonfiction, about nursing. Sorry about your experience.

Someone here said something like "foreign nurses are willing to work in horrible conditions which means the conditions will never change for us". GIVE ME A BREAK. Those "desperate" nurses from the Philippines and Africa are used to walking MILES just to get some fresh water. They are merely more adept to working hard than Americans. Let's face it, as a society we are extremely lazy so when we see some foreigner that's willing to work his or her butt off and not complain in order to achieve the "American dream" all of a sudden everyone gets defense because THEY start to look bad. Don't get me wrong, I know many Americans are overworked, especially nurses, but for the most part we are an extremely lazy society so don't go blaming hardworking foreign nurses as the ones that are not allowing conditions to get better in America. "STOP FOREIGN NURSES"? Let's stop our ignorance and laziness instead.

The OP just sounds racist.

WOW!!! Just wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS!!! I'm really happy for you, hopefully I will soon join your ranks! :) CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

Am I the only one that thinks it's odd that the OP is all of a sudden coming up with all this info? It started it with just a bunch of vague assumptions, hearsay and a few pictures posted online to all of a sudden (after criticism from they forum) they share an office, there's $75 worth of gift cards missing, etc. If it's all true, then yeah, I'd go to the supervisor...but this all seems odd to me. Also, it occurred to me that this woman may be the OP's supervisor...she said the woman was being hired as a clinical coordinator so she may not like it that this woman is above her...? Somehow I doubt we're getting the whole story.

She's 42, so she's not exactly green as far as life experiences but she does say she is a new LPN

I know a great majority of schools require at least one year of critical care experience to get into the program and my question is would PICU or NICU count for this or is it ONLY ICU? What kind of experience did you all have...how many years, was it only in ICU, etc. Thank you

You mentioned she's a new travel nurse (at least at your facility), maybe she has jet lag? Jet lag combined with night shift can wreak havoc on your body. If it's a consistent thing maybe it's just because night shift is hard for her. Like another poster mentioned, I wouldn't jump the gun and think that drugs were an issue. Let us know how things progress...

I absolutely was not trying to put down her age or attractiveness (although now I see her age). I didn't call her old or ugly. It many cases if someone is maybe younger or prettier than you you may feel jealous and this may lead to some sort of behavior such as this. I was just really trying to figure out why in the world would someone put someone else's job and LICENSE on the line for having some pics of her kissing her bf and having a bf that was a substance abuser. I don't think I said anything that was out of line or immature...I merely asked questions (rhetorical as they may be) in order to understand her actions. Wouldn't you feel outraged if someone put your job or license on the line? That woman isn't even here to defend herself (thank god the OP didn't post her name and pics here!). Look at the title of the thread "She is sleeping with a patient.............", that in and of itself makes it look like some nurse is having a sexual relationship with a patient she was nursing and on her breaks is going to his room to sleep with him. Personally, I would be outraged...as should everyone else.

If you've taken practice tests and you have absolutely no doubt that you'll pass, then I would not worry about missing it. However, if you have any doubts or you feel like you haven't really mastered the material, then I would cancel the trip...you'll have plenty of time to go on trips later, it's better to just take the test and do well the first time than mess up because you went on a trip.

I completely agree with everything you have said. I think this is the type of person people on here complain about -- the person that has some problem with you and you have no idea why, they kind of person that tries to make others look bad. BEWARE EVERYONE -- any person that works in any sort of environment should know that there are ppl like this out there that will try to take you DOWN. This person was considering notifying the BON with something that was absolutely not her business and was not a health care concern! She was willing to needlessly put someone's license in jeopardy because of her own pettiness! BEWARE!

Fournee, you sound really spiteful. Why in the world would you take someone's pictures and e-mail them to your director? I understand they were online but if they weren't doing anything bad...which I don't think being on vacation and kissing your bf constitute being bad....then why the would you take it upon yourself to spread her pictures around? Maybe she is younger and you guys are a bit jealous? Maybe she's prettier than you guys? Or maybe it was because she was married to a doctor? Or maybe you're just angry that the director didn't listen to your group and made her own decision anyway? I can't think of any other reason why you would do that. I don't know how old you are, but if you have kids then I suggest you go online and check out what THEY are posting. What you did was incredibly immature and I think it stems from jealousy.