MHaffer

I have had the same concerns, and would love to hear from some CRNAs or SRNAs who know enough to answer your question. From all that I have heard, CRNAs are supposed to be increasing in demand over the next decade or so. But who knows, that's what they say about RNs, too, and it seems like RN jobs are harder and harder to come by. One thing I have thought about is that although it seems like EVERYONE wants to be a CRNA, only a select few will get into CRNA school each year. There are only so many openings. So perhaps the graduation rate is in closer proportion with the demand than the amount of RNs who would love to be CRNAs is to the available jobs??? Just a thought.

Do you mind me asking what your stats were that got you into Case? And how was the interview? Case is my #1 pick for a CRNA program, I grew up in Cleveland and have dreamed of going to Case for years. I would be honored! I am still working on my BSN and I have studied up on all that I need to do (GRE, CVICU/MICU/SICU, CCRN, ACLS, PALS, and obviously good grades). But I would love to know what is "good enough" for Case! Congratulations and good luck!

You know you're in nursing school when a Saturday night with your significant other consists of practicing assessment skills :)

I am going to the book store tomorrow and was thinking about getting some books to supplement my textbooks for nursing school. I don't have specific problems in any areas, but I would definitely like to get an NCLEX review book to start studying (I still have about a year to go before I graduate, but I figure it doesn't hurt to start early). What is the best NCLEX book for someone looking for general review? Also, anyone take the GRE? I would like to go to grad school after my BSN and need to take the GRE at some point. What are the best study books for the GRE? Are there any other great books out there that have helped you through nursing school? I have textbooks out the wazoo and pretty much every handbook Mosby's offers. Thanks!

I am SOOOO GLAD to hear you say this! Before I started nursing school, I can't tell you how many nurses and nursing students tried to scare me about it and tell me it's the hardest thing and NOBODY gets A's, etc. and I got really nervous about it but thought to myself, is it really that bad? And now that I am in nursing school, the answer is NO it's not that bad haha. Sure I study and I go to class and clinical but that's what school is all about. I don't think it's really very hard. So when I hear all the horror stories about being a SRNA, I am getting scared again...it has been my dream for years to become a CRNA, and I would tolerate just about anything and stick it out to become one, but I have been getting nervous from hearing about how terrible it is. I have NO DOUBTS it will be much harder than my accelerated BSN, but it should be! I can spend every waking moment studying, but I can NOT survive on 4 hours of sleep a night, which is what most CRNAs/SRNAs on here make it seem like the norm is during school. I am really glad to hear you get 8 hours of sleep a night, I am a much happier and more productive person with that much sleep. Aren't we all? :) BTW, may I ask where you go to school? Haha :chuckle I want to go where you go!

ICU: I think I will prefer having one or two very acute patients better than lots of not-so-acute patients. #1: Neuro ICU, #2: CVICU, #3: SICU. I would also like OR... But like most have mentioned, with this economy, I'll take what I can get! I also know that many hospitals require experience for ICU and won't hire new grads

Having your parents around to help you is HUGE! :) That's how I did it when my dog was a puppy, and I couldn't have done it without them. It's nice before an exam to let the dog sleep with my mom so I don't have to get up with her to potty at 5:30 haha! I know, I know, she shouldn't sleep in the bed...she's spoiled, I'll admit it . But I wanted to clarify that I WOULD have gotten my dog from a shelter had I intended to get a dog at all...it was a very spur-of-the-moment kind of thing, my mom and I just could NOT leave that pet store without the puppy, and all we had come in for was some bird seed! :chuckle Oh well, I am not an evil supporter of puppy mills, they are terrible, and I wish I had gotten a dog from a shelter, but I love my dog more than anything and I'm sooo glad I have her. And sometimes I think about this: what if someone who couldn't afford the surgery to fix luxating patella had bought my dog, and then returned her to the pet store because of her congenital problem to get their money back...What do you think the pet store does with returned dogs? I HATE to even think about it... those poor things. So in my mind, I sort of rescued my puppy from the pet store, haha!

Doggie daycare is fantastic! Before my puppy's surgery, she used to go to doggie daycare once or twice a week. She LOVES it! The dogs have such a blast, and the place I take my dog has constant live video of the dogs playing so you can go online at home and watch them play! It's addicting, haha. My dog is really looking forward to when she is completely recovered in 5 more weeks and she can go back to day care!

My dog is my beeeeeeest friend :heartbeat!!! She actually just had surgery last week for luxating patella, so she's getting lots of special attention during her recovery. That's a little warning for you, too: don't get your puppy at a pet store! My mom and I fell in love with my pup when we were just looking at a pet store one day (with NO intention of getting a dog) and we ended up taking her home, haha. I love her like crazy, but she does have a congenital knee condition that required expensive surgery and has also caused her significant pain and frustration. The pet store would refund our money and take her back but honestly who would ever give up their puppy!?!? NOT me. I have heard that hereditary disorders like what my dog has are very common in pet store puppies. So just a little warning for you if you were debating about where to get your puppy! You don't have to worry about the early puppy stage lasting that long. My dog isn't even a year old yet and she has been out of the difficult stage for several months. I think house training and leaving her alone during the day and getting up in the middle of the night were only issues for about 5 months. BUT, I am in nursing school now, and I wouldn't count on having "plenty of time" during school!!! I am in an accelerated program, but I am in school or clinical 7-5, Mon-Fri and I'm usually studying during my free time. I would have never made it through the early puppy stage if I didn't have help with her. As for the 12 hour shifts, I don't know since I'm not working yet, but I definitely think dogs need to at least be let out during those 12 hours. I'm lucky that I live close to my mom and we "share" the dog, so I would probably just drop her off at my mom's for the day. Having a dog is a huge stress reliever and they are just a joy to have around! I highly recommend it!

I think it all depends on where you feel your weaknesses are. Have you had any experience with stats, even in high school? I think it would help you to have some stats knowledge, and if you don't take to math like a fish takes to water, then I would definitely recommend taking stats. You will need good math skills for nursing school and especially for CRNA school. I took stats online and it was a breeze, so look into that if you want to take the class from home. I think the same goes for chemistry, if you feel like it was difficult for you in high school then it will only help to get a little more experience with it. I took Gen Chem I & II and also Organic Chem I & II, and I would definitely recommend taking Gen Chem before you get into Organic, I thought Organic was much more difficult than Gen. If nothing else, at least having a few extra classes under your belt will make you feel more confident and less overwhelmed when you encounter these things down the road. Good luck!

I am not a CRNA or even an SRNA (yet) but it has been my dream to become one long before nursing school, since when I worked as a surgical assistant for an oral surgeon and I got to see the work that CRNA's do. So I don't have first-hand advice to give, but I have perused these boards and picked the brain of every CRNA I come into contact with so I think I can help answer your questions. While money and scheduling should definitely not be your only motivation, any CRNA would by lying if they said it didn't impact their decision to go into the field. However, I think those who use it as their main reason for entering a CRNA program are the same ones who drop out after first semester. I think the rule of thumb should be: would you want to do the job of a CRNA if you made the same $$ as an RN? For me, the answer to this is YES. I just find anesthesia to be fascinating and I would rather do that than just about anything, regardless of what I made. The $$ will be a welcome perk of the job, though! And really, CRNA's deserve it with the responsibility and stress of the job, not to mention the tens-dare I say hundreds-of thousands of dollars they probably accumulate in student loans. Another thing to consider: do you work in critical care now? If so, do you like it? If you thrive off of the really acute cases then you probably will like being a CRNA. If you hate ICU, you might hate being a CRNA. As for your question about seeing your kids during school, look at one of the several posts about "a day in the life" of a CRNA. There are quite a few parents who have posted their daily schedule and how much family time they get. The impression I get is that something's got to give: it doesn't have to be your kids, but maybe your sleep, haha!? Good luck to you!

That happened to me once, too, totally out of the blue. I did not think the surgery I was watching was gross and I wasn't hungry, but all of a sudden I got really hot and everything went black! :sstrs: Don't be embarassed, I know it has happened to a lot of nursing students. I have had scrub nurses tell me stories about how it happened to them, too, when they were in school. One bad experience in school doesn't mean you should choose another career! By the way, I have felt it coming on again since my incident, and I found that it really helped if I loosened my mask a little. I put it on as loose as possible now to begin with so that if I'm getting a little woozy I can take some deep breaths out the side of the mask and actually get a little oxygen in haha! I've also found that I get "the feeling" less if I am cooler, so while I normally wear a T shirt under my scrubs, I skip it for the OR and I stay a little cooler

So you're saying, there IS a nursing shortage, but hospitals can't afford to hire the nurses they need? I'm assuming this is because of the current state of the economy. I am wondering if this is just slow to hit Cleveland? The Cleveland Clinic is still holding weekend visit programs for RNs to tour and interview and from what I hear many nurses are offered jobs that day. I am hoping that if Cleveland is doing better than the rest of the economy in terms of nursing jobs, then they stay that way until I graduate!!! I'm also wondering why the nursing faculty are blowing smoke up our *****???

I am currently enrolled in an accelerated BSN program, and my class was told by a professor during orientation that every one of us would have jobs lined up before we even graduated. She also said that most of us would start out making around $58,000/year. Naturally, I was thrilled to hear this! I had heard all over the place that nurses were in very high demand all over the country but especially in Cleveland (where I live). Based on this, I was under the impression that my job search as a new grad would be easy-breezy and I would probably have my choice of several good positions. After reading countless posts about new grads struggling to find jobs, I am pretty confused about this so-called nursing shortage. So many people on here are complaining about having trouble finding jobs. ARE nurses really in high demand? Is it difficult to find a good position as a new grad or not? What areas of the country need nurses and what areas are saturated with them? Please help me get to the bottom of this!

You should contact the admissions department at schools that have wait-listed you or turned you down, and ask them what you could improve. They may tell you that it isn't your GPA at all that is holding you back, it may be something else. If you don't ask, you will never know, and the worst case scenario if you call and ask is they just won't tell you. Hopefully they will give you some useful feedback that can help you make the changes you need to get in! Good luck to you!