tswim

Here's a link to the forum ssrhythm mentioned that can provide you some insight on anesthesia work: https://allnurses.com/student-registered-nurse/a-day-in-278092.html Also, wtbcrna is spot on about the math needed for crna school. And, to correct the misinformation, organic chemistry does not require any math.

Westminster seems like the type of program you're looking for. Since there aren't many (if any) other programs like this, you needn't limit yourself to that one program as it doesn't necessarily save you any time- though it would be nice to not have to worry about getting accepted to a CRNA program. Having an ADN already you're path simply requires that you get into an ICU, apply to and complete an online ADN to BSN program, and apply to and gain entry to a CRNA program. You can apply to CRNA schools while you're finishing your BSN so long as you're also already working in an ICU (to meet the minimum 1 year requirement). Good luck!

I don't know much about these programs personally, but the following list of (11) Texas DNP programs accredited by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing is short enough that you can browse each school's website and decide which might work for you: American Association of Colleges of Nursing | Program Directory I have heard second-hand that Texas Tech has an excellent nursing program with user-friendly online learning resources.

Most programs require that the year of work prior to entering anesthesia school be full-time in the ICU. That means at least 3 days a week in ICU. So, no, the weekend plan will not likely meet the requirements for applying to anesthesia schools. Also, those 3 days a week would be providing you opportunities to obtain knowledge/skills that will be useful for CRNA school; this is why the minimum ICU requirements exist.

Just so you have all the correct information: Texas A&M has the highest NCLEX pass rates in Texas (among BSN programs, averaged over the pass 5 years) and UT Houston has the highest NCLEX pass rates in Houston. You can find these results via the TX BON website. If you want to work in Houston after graduation, it is likely that TWU is a better option (vs. A&M) in terms of being able to get a job there. This is a matter of location - at TWU you will do clinicals at the top hospitals of the Texas Medical Center, and can thereby make connections that might help you land your first job. Good luck.

When it's all they know, people begin to believe it's how it ought to be.

250 bed hospital, 24 ICU beds (MICU+SICU), 1 charge nurse, 1 rapid response nurse; neither takes patients. Charge has both roles when short-staffed.

Exactly Raider. And there are actually 5 CRNA schools in TX, 3 private, 1 public, and the Army program. So, the only school where a TX residency would help you get lower tuition is UT Health Science Center-Houston. Cost of attendance there is significantly less than the 3 private schools, but it is also one of the most competitive for admissions.

I second what PMFB said in his/her first post, and what Esme said about getting a job as a new grad. Stick with Loyola. Enjoy your college years, and focus on getting good grades. Work as hard as you need to keep at least a 3.6 gpa as none of the grad schools you apply to will know that the B+ you got at Loyola was a 91%. And after you graduate, continue living like a student and focus on paying off your loans as quickly as possible so you can save for grad school thereafter.

Choose CV Recovery. After a year there you'll likely also be able to work in the CVICU, and could then transfer or split your time between the 2 areas. This way you will have the "ICU experience" needed for those schools that don't accept Recovery. And congrats on getting those offers as a new grad.

Thanks. sent u a pm

I only ended up applying and interviewing at 2 schools because I got accepted to my top choice. I don't know that my Biochem degree made a big difference in whether I got an interview. But I feel it contributed to the overall strength of my application. In general, getting an interview is not about a single part of your app, as admissions committees take into account the whole package. Yet, because of the science-based nature of CRNA curricula, I'm sure most programs find a previous science degree appealing. One of my interviewers did ask about my biochem degree, and seemed to like it. I was premed previously, so I just had to explain why I had changed routes. And fyi, from my extensive research on programs, pretty much all of them accept a basic stats course to satisfy that pre-req.

HenryH, You actually might not need to re-take any of those courses, depending on the schools you apply to. I completed a BS in Biochem in 2005 and my BSN in 2007. Applied to schools this year, and of the dozen or so that I was considering, only one of them required an O. Chem or Biochem course within 6 years. None of the others had time limits on how long ago pre-req courses were taken. Also, dunno if you took Statistics, but many programs require it as a pre-req.

Xristina, your biggest weakness is lack of experience. If you will have 1.5 years of experience when the program starts, that means you will have ~1 year when you apply, and you have only been in ICU for a few months currently. I'd say, overall you're an average applicant- (see Mmmm gas' comment). If you work for one more year before applying, get your CCRN, and do the extras missnurse01 wrote about- then you'd be a strong applicant. That said, if you manage to get an interview with your current stats, then it just becomes about impressing the panel in the interview.

Re-take the course if you get less than a C. Otherwise, just move on and make sure you get A's in A&P and Pathophys courses. luck

Our ICUs are closed 6-8am & 6-8pm. No children under 12. Flexible. Pretty happy with this as it allows time to focus on learning about patients and getting good baseline assessments.

If you could possibly change your grad program to part-time or delay a semester or two, then that might make moving into ICU more doable. ICU experience will only help you become a stronger nurse in your current and future roles. But you'll have to decide how much stress you'll be able to handle as you try to balance work, school, and family/personal life.

So, did you apply yet? If you can handle 6 or even 5 patients on a cardiac-step down, you'll have no problem in ICU. Sounds like you're a great candidate... I say, go for it!

paycheckcity.com -- click 'Hourly Paycheck Calculator' You can enter your location, hourly rate, hours worked per week/s, and even deductions to get an estimate. e.g. at $25/hr in TX (no state income tax) for 72 hrs per 2 week pay period --> ~$1390 Remember this does not include benefits: medical/dental, retirement savings, etc.

Know it's all subjective but here goes: 100-250 small 250-500 medium 500-850 large >850 x-large >1200 ginormous Bed numbers don't necessarily correlate with 'Trauma' or 'Academic' designation either. I've worked at a ~250-bed level II trauma center... And Houston has 2 hospitals with over 700 beds that are not trauma designated at all.

hey there N> Sorry to hear about your situation.... My advice is that you stay in your position at least through your orientation. In the mean time, you should talk to your manager about whether extending the orientation period might be possible as most good ICU orientations are 3-4 months. If 6 weeks is typical for that unit, so many people are leaving, and they wont officially offer you a full-time position, then that ICU is probably not the best place begin your career. On the other hand, if they're giving you only 6 weeks because you had a preceptorship there previously, then bringing your concerns to the manager should help you get a lengthier orientation. At the very least, you should make sure you'll have a 'buddy' after orientation. Get to know who the strong nurses are on nights, and if there's one who's especially helpful, let your manager know that you would like to be paired with him/her for the first few weeks post orientation. Also, if you aren't already taking time to study critical care concepts when you're not at work, you definitely should. Look through the "Critical Care" forums here for suggestions about which books and websites to use as resources. If you read through these forums much, you'll know that most new grads have a rough time adjusting their first year; being in ICU with poor resources only compounds these frustrations. Best

hey learning2b, Great advice from jadelpn. What you're experiencing is completely normal for a new nurse. Nursing is stressful, and taking care of unstable patients makes for a special kind of challenge. If there's something u don't know ask someone about it or look it up. In 6 months or so you'll begin to feel comfortable, and by a year you'll feel like a pro- just recognize that that wont actually b one, and always seek help when you're unsure. About the blown line - D50 has a very high osmolality and a low pH (~3), so it should b given through a central line when possible or with running IV fluids. Don't know if your patient was awake, but - for future situations- if they are awake enough to eat/ drink, start with milk, PB, graham crackers; juices (simple sugars) bring glucose up rapidly but also stimulate insulin production... check your protocol. Best

I agree with the others, and add: Assess, assess, assess, and assess again... Know that a full assessment isn't done in 2-3 minutes, but over the first few hours you spend with the patient. It's extremely important to get a baseline assessment, and then to continually reassess for changes, big or small... flank bruising there before? new crepitus? cool/pale extremities? Forgot to assess these earlier? >> how do you know if it's getting better/worse Work on developing solid physical assessment skills, and you'll learn to catch problems (including those caused by mistakes) early; maybe even before they affect the numbers we like to watch on the monitors

"The Ed Show" on MSNBC interviewed a NICU nurse from NYU on the evacuation. Ed describes her as "one of the hero nurses" that night. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45755822/ns/msnbc-the_ed_show/#49651768

So, I have to chime in... First, congrats on getting the jobs! But I'm wondering about the CCT transport job... If CCT means Critical Care Transport then, unless you've been a paramedic for several years, you are severely underqualified and likely unsafe to take on that role. The reason the job listing had 2 years ICU experience as a requirement was that as a CCT tranporter you'll be transporting critically ill patients. That means they can be on pressors, ventilators, and might require advanced life support resuscitation. We recently used a CCT ambulance to transport a patient (per family request) from our community ICU to a large hospital on the other side of town. The patient was on a vent, no less than 7 drips, and was in multi-organ system failure. We had the family sign the MOD with a notice saying that he might die during transport. I can't think of any new grad who would be qualified to handle that safely. Heck, I was just hoping that the paramedic really knew what he was doing. If CCT means something else, you might be okay, with a lot of training nonetheless. I just wanted to make sure you know what you might be getting yourself into- putting your license on the line.