Jbrock718

So recently there was a report that came out that said Radiology Dr's get together to create test file (not the exact term) for those coming up to use to prepare for Boards. These Dr's would go immediately after they took their Boards to write down as much as they could. They too signed some sort of honor agreement. HA's tend to only be as strong as organization enforcing it. Exclusive: Doctors cheated on exams - CNN.com

So the reason for this poll is becuase my wife has applied to a certain university the last couple years. She got interviews both times and has not gotten in. The frustrating part is that she has not received an email, a phone call or a letter telling her she did not get in. She has been told that the letters this year to those accepted and rejected, were mailed over 2 weeks ago, but still haven't gotten one. She has had to call both times to find out her status. I am of the opinion that she needs to contact the program director. The purpose would be to very tactfully let them know that while she was disapointed in not getting in, not even getting a letter to inform her was more disappointing.

How did you find out? Did you get a letter? An email? Was it helpful as to WHY you did not get in? Or was it just a standard rejection letter? I would think that if a school has you for an interview they would have the courtesy to send you something.

I am still waiting to hear from Barry- as one of my schools has taken their time sending my transcript. Any info of interview process, what to expect (i.e more personal, or technical) would be great! I interviewed with FHCHS last week and thought it went really well...here's hoping!

My wife once answered an ad for a school nurse (paid) in the local school system. She didn't get the job but asked her if she'd be interested in volunteering. A month later another person that had applied for the same job, was volunteering in the schools. About 3-4 months after that they had a FT job with the school system. What about doing some sort of volunteering at a local hospital or free clinic? Not a given that you will get anywhere but you never know who you might meet.

My wife got a recruiting card in the mail last week from Baptist Health in Montgomery, AL. I don't know anything about the hospital. http://www.baptistfirst.org/home/

My wife got her letter too. She did not get an interview for Huntsville. The letter said that there were only 8 granted interviews...so maybe 4 slots? GRE scores were probably the only thing she wasn't competive on... Good Luck to all!

Just saw this: http://main.uab.edu/Shrp/default.aspx?pid=115698 It looks like they added some clinical locations, Tuscaloosa and Montgomery. Or did I miss this earlier in the year?

Any news? My wife is getting antsy...to tell the truth so am I.

Cak---I would vote on the honest approach. The rest of your grades, GRE Scores and certifications look strong. Many schools look at the last 60 hours and your science grades more closely than the overall score. Each school is different in how they look at the package. There are several threads with stats that people got into CRNA school with. Here is one: https://allnurses.com/pre-crna-inquiry/stats-got-you-432229.html

There are tests developed and approved that can differentiate. The only reason I know is that it was in our local paper. Who knows how much the test costs though. Diatherix....from the article: "The test can differentiate between H1N1, Influenza A and B, meningitis, staph, strep, pneumonia and a host of other bacterial and viral illnesses in less than six hours." http://blog.al.com/breaking/2009/10/fda_gives_emergency_use_author.html

They site I looked at said the the Continued Demo. of Qual. Exam is taken every 6 YEARS not months. http://www.anesthesiaassistant.com/AnesthesiologistAssistantEducation.html

Jdog--- Taken in context from the OP: "most crna programs want their future students to work in micu for 2 years or one year. does it matter if i have an AA or BS in nursing?" I for one read that as asking about whether or not a BSN or Associates degree IN NURSING was preferred for working in the ICU setting. But you do bring up a good point about the Anth. Assistant programs. According to their site they are in 18 states. OP Here is the link: http://www.anesthesiaassistant.com/ Probably start a flame war by saying this but...CRNA isn't the best path to being an Anth. provider for all people. If one has a BSN then the CRNA has more flexibility and school options. Without a BSN the Anth. Assistant programs add to the options of where you can apply. Granted the difference in scope of practice needs to be investigated and determined individually to see if that is what you want versus a CRNA. Good luck OP

Sleepeasy---Do you have any info on the other clinical sites? Applicant # and # they accept?

Angela, If you haven't already you should read the 'sticky' post here: https://allnurses.com/certified-registered-nurse/read-first-crna-26690.html Read in particular the sections on working and paying for school. Most, but not all, CRNA schools require GRE (Graduate Record Examination)scores. It is a general test but one that a person can prepare for. Hope this helps.

This is what it says on FIU's website about it: Upon completion of the program, graduates will be eligible to take the National Certification Examination to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) as well as apply for the Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP) credential with a specialization as a nurse anesthetist, from the Florida Board of Nursing. Methinks that meandragonbrett is correct and all it means is that you can then be credintialed by the FL BON to practice. Pass the program and take the CRNA exam, pass the CRNA exam and can be credentialed to practice, crededtialed to practice as a CRNA then can work (as a CRNA, not NP) in FL. It is just how FL BON chooses to credential CRNA's, as an Advanced Practice Nurse with Anethesia being the emphasis.

Brooke, The OP states that he/she HAS a Bachelors's degree already. It seems to be a common misconception that you need a BS in Nursing in order to get into CRNA programs. That is NOT the case as has been discussed in several other threads such as this one: https://allnurses.com/certified-registered-nurse/does-matter-if-423076.html I listed a couple programs that look at applicants with degrees other than BS in Nursing. Others did the same. OP---That being said I would agree with Brooke that a RN-BSN would allow you to bring up your grades. Having the BSN allows you to apply to other CRNA programs that do NOT look at apllicants w/o a BS in Nursing. Brooke is also correct that getting into an ICU setting would help your cause tremendously. I have seen many schools list that PACU is not acceptable experience. Good Luck!

mclover22----While it is true that NEW CRNA's will have BS and MS degrees that hasn't always been the case. Just as 20 years from now it will not be true that all CRNA's have Doctoral degrees. The profession is moving that direction and NEW CRNA's 20 years from now will be required to have go through a Doctoral program. I think that Paindoc is pointing out that not all CRNA's graduated under the requirements of today, there are still some working that may not have Master's degrees and perhaps not have BS degree's.

Working in the Federal Gov't contracting realm as an engineer I have seen similar things happen. However, the companies that win in my area must have a history of work in our area in order to be taken seriously and have a chance to win. Most of what I have seen is companies bidding based on people working >40hours per week. As salaried personnel we are not guaranteed overtime payment, in fact more likely is that we will not be paid OT. Thus that extra work (over 40hrs/week) we bill is $$$ that goes to beef up the profit line. When asked to work an extra 4 hrs. per week, one of my coworkers asked if he would be paid for it. THe answer was no, it helped the company stay 'competitive'. If the pay, after the 22% cut, is competitive with what CRNA's in your area are paid, then I am not sure what you are complaining about. If the pay, after the 22% cut is NOT competitive then you have an opportunity to go seek greener pastures.

however the gre is not a test that is tailored to the knowledge that they are teaching in crna schools. it is a general knowledge exam. being bad at geometry and therefore getting a lower score on the gre doesn't mean (imo) that you won't be able to pass the cetification exam. if there is a paper out there that discusses gre scores to pass rate on the crna exam i'd like to see it. it seems like if what the program director told you were true then the admission committees would be very intrested in how applicants did on the nclex. specifically, how many times did the person have to take it to pass it? my wife passed the nclex in one try, after 80 questions, and she is notoriously bad at standardized, and computer adaptive tests. gut feel is that nclex results is a better indicator as to how well a student has learned the specific nursing material assigned to them and their ability to interpret that material and apply it back to another situation. i am not sure that the nclex is set up to report that. additionally ccrn and scores on that test, i would think have more to do with crna success than a high gre score. there are papers regarding grad school success, but this is across all majors and disciplines. from wikipedia (and the research paper i link to): "an analysis of the gre's validity in predicting graduate school success found a correlation of .30 to .45 between the gre and both first year and overall graduate gpa." http://web.uvic.ca/psyc/lindsay/teaching/499/readings/kuncel.pdf according to the paper there is some correlation, but it is not a direct 1:1 correlation. it leaves a lot of room for error when looking at gre as a predictor for crna school success. as someone else pointed out schools set a minimum that they will accept. some set 900 as the min, some 1100. as long as you are above the minimum then don't worry about it. it is what it is, right or wrong, it is one part that admissions comittees use to determine who they let in. the best you can do is make your package as strong as it possibly can be.

Does anyone have an idea of when UAB lets people know if they will have an interview? I read some older threads on UAB and saw some people having interviews as early as November, but have also seen Huntsville candidates having interviews in early February. I am hoping and praying my wife gets an interview...she is great in those situations; standardized tests not so much.

Crxtech included the link to Texas Weslyan's admission. Where do you see that it says you need a BSN for admission? I didn't see that on their website. This is what I see: http://web3.txwes.edu/nurseanesthesia/admission.htm "Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia (MSNA) Applicants meeting the following criteria will be evaluated for admission to the program: A baccalaureate degree from a fully accredited college or university"

I am assuming that you were responding to my post that included a link to MCCG's CRNA site. That quote is the first sentence, however you left out the next sentence in the admissions requirements paragraph. Feel free to go back and read it again, but I am including it here, underlined for emphasis: http://www.mccg.org/crna/admissions.asp "Admissions Information Degree, Licensure, and Work Experience Applicants are required to have a bachelor's degree in nursing. Registered nurses with a bachelor's degree in another appropriate major will be considered individually."

Most, but not all require a BSN. Some will take a BS or BA in a 'related' field, but it is up to the individual schools. I know of one in Georgia that does not require a BSN. http://www.mccg.org/crna/admissions.asp Duke Doesn't either: http://nursing.duke.edu/modules/son_academic/index.php?id=121 If you have questions about particular schools you can research it here: www.aana.com go to the 'Becoming an CRNA' then the 'Accredited Programs' section to research the schools you are interested in.

UAB looks at GPA's of both 60 hours and the required science courses, then averages the two.