FST6

Definately agree with this. Remember, the Army will get their pound of flesh out of you in exchange for that tuition reimbursement and the other benefits. If you and your family can accept that and make personal sacrifices when needed, then Army nurs...

I have applied to this school for the Fall 2011 class. What about it makes it so awful? Any info you have will be appreciated. Thanks!

Hmmmm. What is wrong with getting two years of a solid critical care background? It will only help you down the road. Not to mention, it will give you the exposure to many different facets of critical care, the chance to titrate an ungodly number of ...

Could also be he only has 1 1/2 years as in ICU nurse. The applicants he was competing against may have had more than that on average. While most programs say 1 year is the minimum required, I'm sure most applicants to CRNA programs have 2 years or m...

Here is a general outline that may help you prepare: 1. Complete nursing school (if you haven't already). 2. Find work in a good ICU. Spend at least three years there learning and working with critically ill patients. 3. Take ACLS, PALS, NRP, and TNC...

Have to agree with elkpark on this.

I took around an $8.00 per hour pay cut from my previous ICU job to become a flight nurse. Not so great. Since my wife is also a nurse, I can handle the pay cut. The upside for me is only having to work 8 24-hr shifts per month. I also like the auton...

Consider the educational preparation. As a CRNA, your expertise will be the administration of anesthesia and management of the peri-operative and immediate post-operative patient. This does not necessarily translate to the knowledge needed for managi...

Excellent response! I couldn't put it better myself. ED + Critical Care experience makes for a well rounded flight nurse.

SBT85: Hello there. I am one of those nurses who has been on the front lines with a forward surgical element. Yes, it can be scary. Yes, there is always the chance you could get hurt. And yes, PTSD is always a concern for anyone who goes to war. Th...

Speak to your unit S-1 if you have an questions. He/she should be able to access your permanent records through HRC to check what awards you have. However, in your case, if you have not deployed, were recently commissioned, and have completed OBLC, a...

Getting Hawaii or Germany out the door as a new officer is difficult, but not impossible. I would suggest a large medical center like San Antonio (BAMC), Ft. Lewis, WA (MAMC), or Walter Reed Army Medical Center to get your basic nursing experience. T...

Can you cite your source on this? I took my commission when I had my ADN, and there were no issues or shortages in available slots. When you look at a unit manning roster for a nurse slot (66H), it does not denote the education level for that slot. A...

You might be missing the bigger picture here. Consider the variables that affect your BP: 1. Preload (volume present in the ventricles prior to systole - think of it as the amount of volume available for the heart to push out) 2. Afterload (...

Yes, there were times I was in danger in Afghanistan. We went through rocket attacks and when I left the base on missions, I never knew if I was going to hit an IED or not. You learn to deal with it. In some ways, the dangers are no worse than everyd...

You can expect to work 4-5 12 hour shifts per week plus one on call day.

I have been in the Army Reserve for the last 14 years. During that time I have been an LPN and RN. I will list the pros and cons I have encountered along the way: PROS: 1. No other nursing experience like this in the world. The humble pride that come...

I spent a year at Lanstuhl Regional Medical Center ICU. It is a decent sized hospital with plenty of business from Iraq and Afghanistan. If you are looking at continuing to enhance your clinical experiences,I would recommend seeking an assignment the...

You are definitely ready to move on. If you stick around on a unit in which you are losing interest in, you may burn out or start dreading your shifts. No one wants to be unhappy at work. It takes guts to leave an area that you know and step out into...

Don't forget some of the other important axioms of the ICU: 1. All bleeding eventually stops. 2. If the patient wasn't at risk for sudden death, they would not be in the ICU. 3. Your patient in the ICU will either live or they will die. Those are th...

The hospital will provide ABU colored scrubs. You just need to supply your shoes. Sneakers or clogs will do. There are also locker rooms for you to change in, but there are not enough lockers for all nursing staff to have their own. If you really wan...

The PAWP is just one number in your patient's hemodynamic profile. When looking at your patient's situation, consider all the parts of the puzzle, not just one piece. By this, I mean how does the PAWP compare to the CVP, PA pressures, blood pressure,...

To help you out with your quest for knowledge: 1. Slow down. You will not be able to know everything in your first year. One mistake many new ICU nurses make is getting the idea that they can read about all there is to know in critical care while st...

No problem. Happy to be able to help. I know how confusing the loan repayment process can be.

The loan repayment will start after your bonus is paid out. The way it works is you will get a loan payment 1 year after your eligibility date starts. The loan you ask them to repay must a federal student loan (Stafford, PLUS loan, etc.) and must be ...