MollyS

Actually, I am an SRNA and it is not true of all places that the rate you sign on at is the one you are stuck with. The hospital I signed with has had salary increases and I will get those as well. My biggest word of advice, don't sign on too quickly, wait until you have had a few clinical rotations so you can compare pros and cons. Good luck

I am in my senior year currently and it seems that the people who have made the wisest decisions are those that know what kind of a clinical environment they are getting themselves into. If you are looking for job satisfaction than that should be your focus, most places offer some kind of sign-on or incentive. So before you sign on somewhere I would make sure you like the site first. I did not sign on at the hospital I worked at because I had worked in the OR there and compared to the hospitals I have done my clinical rotations at the "team" environment at that hospital was rotten.

Advice that I can give you is to know (obviously) that you are competing with the cream of the crop (as I am sure you are too!). What things can make you stand out? It sounds like you are going in the right direction. Experience is a very strong asset. I am a former Abbott employee who is now in school. I did not get in on my first try. I looked at my strengths and weaknesses. My second attempt I added experience as a charge nurse, preceptor, added more educational experiences via critical care seminars, etc. involvement in my professional organizations. I also made sure they knew I was working full time. It is definitely a complete package that schools seam to look for which includes a personality that will fit in with the school. I hope this helps you. Good luck, I know it is the best decision I have ever made!

Thanks for clearing things up...it's easy to get hung up on words and being a kinetic learner I know this gumbo of info will congeal when I can put things into a real context

I think my brain is turning to mush, I have been reviewing my MAC lecture and cannot quite put the concept together. I am sure someone can help My understanding is that Meyer-Overton Rule says: Anesthetic potency correlates directly with lipid solubility. MAC measures anesthetic potency. The MAC value is inversely proportional to its potency. So when we say Methoxyflurane is the most potent inhalational agent we are talking about this in terms of solubility in the blood (blood:gas partition coefficient) and insolubility in lipid? So if I look at Methoxyflurane and correlate it with the Meyer-overton Rule it is saying that it has low potency because it is not very lipid soluble? I am confused because I would think that if I go by the Meyer-overtin theory then Methoxyflurane would have low potency and desflurane would have high potency due to its high solubility in lipid. Where am I getting screwed up here?

Thank you,jwk, for educating me about the role of an AA. I do appreciate it. :wink2:

As a nurse who worked in the OR for about a year and a half, I don't think I ever saw the AA do anything more than bring supplies to the OR rooms and change tubing, etc. I was quite ignorant as to their purpose. I still am not sure exactly what they do here in the larger MN hospitals. I don't think the hospital I work at now utilizes the services of the AA. As I am a professional, I do believe in being respectful to others and to learn. Being a staunch supporter (and 3 weeks away from being an SRNA) of the CRNA practice, I think that the reason the profession has maintained its strength is obviously its history, and the unity of the individuals involved. When I read an earlier link that was part of a student MD forum I realized how angry I became listening to the cocky MD student fighting with the nurse who was in on the thread. After hearing his/her retarded rebuttals about his/her quest for money and power I realized that that was his/her purpose and he/she was obviously an ignorant individual. I sometimes find the more inciteful comments interesting but ultimately it comes down to plain old respect.

One of the many reasons that I chose to start on the path (starting August 05) to becoming a CRNA is due to the fact that there is that great solidarity and strength that has greatly escaped some of the other nursing specialties. Not that I think it is fabulous that nurses always have to fight for respect and justify what we do. It would be awesome if so many other areas of nursing were as politically motivated. I do, and will continue to, keep my watchdog eye on what is happening and will be happy to go to bat for my profession.

Interviewed in 2003 at MSA in MN and was alternate. Reinterviewed in 2004 and will start this August 2005. I haven't seen anyone else post from MSA. Anyone else out there starting this fall? Good luck everyone!

I will be an SRNA in August but I just have to tell you that I am expecting all of that because I trained to be an OR nurse for 5 months and it was enough to drive me completely mad. Except not only was it CRNA's, it was surgeons, scrub tech's, other circs. You name it every single person had their way and I just came to realize that there is no way around it listen, do, develop your own technique,and ultimately try not to tear your hair out. I know that doesn't answer your question but it just reminded me of the environment I am returning too. The OR in particular is the most unique environment and with it comes "unique personalties" and ways for doing everything.

Thanks again, apaisRN. I think I am going to look into doing that course too! I really want to be a little more up to date on my chem.

Thanks apaisRN! Will definitely keep in touch. I am in the same boat except my chem was 3 years ago. I keep pondering taking org. chem online as well. I feel like I am having a mental mind war with myself....follow advice and relax..brush up on chem..Where are you taking the online chem? Good luck and keep me updated

Thank you for the tips, it really helps to visualize what will be studied so I can at least think about what I know and maybe where I will have a harder time. Thanks!

Thanks for the tip. I went to the AANA bookstore site and I am not sure which book it was that you were talking about. Do you know the title? Thanks!

Okay, now that I've gotten in and I am beyond excited to start my classes in the fall, I am also nervous at the same time. I am taking the advice from my previous post and I am going to take it easy until school starts. However, I wonder if you guys can give me a little heads up on what your didactic portions were like when you started your program. I mean how does your chemistry, etc. tie into everything. I can see knowing gas law equations and having a solid fundamental knowledge of chemical principles but I guess I just have that apprehension from not knowing. Are there chem labs? Are you balancing chem equations? I know all programs are different but the curiosity is driving me crazy!