hypnos

You will hear the opinion that the "Trauma ICU is best" or "CV ICU is best" and so on. The fact is the admission committee's will tell you it doesn't matter. What matters is the acuity of the unit you work in, your experience, and skills obtained. For instance, you'll have better odds of getting accepted if you work in a unit where you care for patients with Swans, central lines, vents, potent gtts, etc than if you work in a lower acuity setting. The more certifications the better, and even though most schools will accept someone with only 1 year experience most anesthesia clinical coordinators at the hospitals will tell you that they prefer students who have more ICU experience prior to anesthesia school. At least that's the feedback I've obtained in my program. Good luck!

Talk to the schools because a lot of my classmates have graduate degrees and I believe that their grades might have been considered. Afterall, they look at your last 60 hours of work regardless of the degree level it was obtained at. You'll need your CCRN, so about 1 year into ICU you can take that exam. Take any certifications you can & work the highest acuity pt's you can. The CCRN review book is great to study for the interviews. Good luck!

Don't be offended. When I interviewed I was asked all those questions too. So were most of my classmates that were married and/or had children. Here's the bottom line...it's a very, very expensive and time consuming venture for you and for them when you start a program. I had 2 people in my class drop first semester because they couldn't hack being away from their kids that much. They both readily admitted that they had not realistically thought about the true time committment and when reality set in it was just too much time away from the family. I know that you may be in the same home with them studying, but trust me when I say it is nothing to spend 16 hours a day studying on your day off. You are lucky to eat a meal with the family much less spend a lot of quality time. However, it is doable but difficult. Being very organized is the key. Think carefully though and understand that you will be giving up a lot of time with your spouse and children if you commit to this program. The school is investing a lot in your success and if you decide to drop part way through because the stress of not being with family or possibly because financially it's not something your wife can do, then it costs them a lot of time & money too. Lastly, consider the fact that on average you'll be spending probably around $15K a semester and it would be really horrible to spend that money and then have nothing to show for it. I wish you the best of luck though. Just think it through carefully.

Studying tonight for 2nd test of the week after spending 16 hrs Sat and Sun studying. Could never, ever do this with a baby. Just me but I think it's hard enough as it is. I wish you the best of luck, but I do know that someone in my class left for medical reasons at the beginning of our program and she is returning in the fall.

You lucky dog. Yes, I was once a army nurse & know full well that they will go to any length to retain their people. Some of my most memorable years were spent with the army (& I mean that in a very good way).

Starting this Friday. My sis is a college professor & she said that the first 10 days of her program are focused on "weeding out the weak." They hit hard & heavy to see who is really prepared for the stress & commitment so that they know early on. She said it's not based in cruelty, but rather that's pretty much the time limit to get even a partial refund of tuition. They want people who realize it's too much to be able to get money back if they drop.

I've heard from others in your situation that they had to complete the entire CRNA program regardless of their NP. Most CRNA programs won't accept grad classes that apply to the degree from other programs. I suggest calling the programs you are interested in & talking with them personally.

You're so right about the interview. I know people with fantastic CV's who don't interview well & didn't get accepted.

So you wanna be a CRNA.....well....first things first: 1. While in undergrad you need to keep your grades up. The 2 anesthesia programs I applied for had average acceptance GPA's of >3.6. 2. After graduation look for a ICU with a good internship that will really take time to train you. 3. Be selective where you work. Anesthesia schools favor trauma centers. You'll need a high acuity ICU with lots of exposure to vents, drips, cardiac monitoring, etc. It doesn't matter what specialty the ICU is (some will say cardiac is best, others medical....doesn't matter...it's the acuity that counts) as long as the exposure is there. 4. You will need at least 1 year ICU experience to qualify for a anesthesia program, but most people have more. 5. Certifications, certifications, certifications. The more the better. Many programs require that you are a CCRN prior to application. Some will even ask for your score on the test. 6. You'll need to have ACLS & PALS prior to application. 7. GRE or MAT will be required to apply. 8. Excellent references are required. Typically from a supervisor, a physician, and a prior instructor. 9. Competition is still for admittance & many people have to apply multiple times. Be very aware of your "package" and make it the best possible. It's just like building a resume. Good luck!

Ok, don't stress. First of all, I did the SAME thing. Took the test the same week I registered for it without studying. I think my score was like 800. Am horrible at math. So I applied to TWU with that. Then when I prepared to apply to TCU found out that they will also accept the MAT, which has NO math. So I took that and scored really high. Well, I was accepted to both programs even with the stupid 800 GRE but TCU liked the fact that I had the higher MAT score. I don't know what your whole "package" looked like for TWU, but I would focus not only on a higher GRE score but also on any other improvements you can make to look more appealing. For instance, do you have your CCRN? Even though TWU doesn't require you have it, it does add to your overall "score." Same goes for any other certs as well as more extensive experience. Don't lose faith, it's almost time to apply again! Good luck this go round!

I can't speak for all the schools out there, but I too was a neuro ICU nurse who had worked as a traveler & in prn positions prior to applying. In fact, when I was accepted I'd been working prn in a Level I trauma center TICU. The main thing they looked for in my interviews was the clinical experience I had such as vents, gtts, etc. They loved the fact I'd worked in several Level I & II trauma centers as a prn nurse. I was accepted to both programs I applied to & am starting class in 1 week. Also, a big bonus for me was not only having my CCRN but also my CNRN. As a neuro nurse you should consider this certification. :hngon:

I had worked in Neuro & Trauma ICU for about 17 years when I applied. Much of my career was either as a traveler or float pool. I just hated the politics of the FT unit stuff. When I applied at 2 schools (both of which I was accepted at) I'd been a float pool nurse at Level I trauma center for a couple of years & had the supervisor of the service write one of my letters of recommendation. I can honestly say that as a veteran ICU nurse, CCRN, & CNRN I was NEVER given the easy assignments (it was a county teaching hospital where few pt's were easy anyway). Anyway, at my interviews never once did anyone question my experience. In fact, one of my interviewers commented on the fact that as a float pool & contract nurse I displayed the ability to be extremely flexible in my environment, a quality they seek in applicants. I'll be starting the program I chose in August.

I actually just bought a Blackberry 8900 for school. I have found that most of the anesthesia related programs for PDA are also available for BB. I also found that instead of having to download to your phone memory there is product you can buy that allows you to download these programs onto a memory card just like you would use for photos, music, etc so you don't have to use all your phone memory. It's great. Someone at T-mobile told me about it but it's not their product. So at this point the programs I can put on my phone are endless.

I started in ICU also. My advice is to find a hospital that has a critical care internship for new grads & apply.

The hospital I worked for when I applied also made a scholarship offer. However, the starting salary was significantly lower than the surrounding job market for new grads (between $10,000 to $25,000 lower!). Also, mandatory overtime is required & no time-and-a-half if paid. I foudn that out from other CRNA's there, it wasn't in the fine print of the contract! It may sound good up front, but be aware that that money isn't free...they are going to get it back somewhere down the line!