Wapanther11

I would recommend "The Little ICU book" by Marino. It pretty much covers everything you need to know when caring for the typcial "MICU" patient. A lot of the residents at my hospital carry it around and it is a good reference when learning how to manage a patient.

I'm replying to this per your request on another thread of mine. I took the GRE last July. I had just finished my junior year of nursing school and wanted to "get them out of the way". I purchased three books to study. The first was by Kaplan, which included the 500(?) most frequently tested GRE words. I made notecards and memorized them in about a month. I also purchased two Princeton Review books. One was just test taking strategy (which I didn't find too helpful -- other than the 5 practice tests included which did help me gague my expectations and where I was at in my prep.) and the other which I would HIGHLY recommend was the 1014 practice questions. I went through every math question and answered it as though it were the real test, and then would understand why I got certain questions wrong. I did have an extensive background in math, albeit that was in highschool. I earned AP Physics and Calculus credit and was on numerous math competitions in highschool. The first PRACTICE test I took I scored a 560V and a 600M. On the actual exam (after studying), I scored a 530V, 760M, and a 5 on the writing. I think it is much easier to increase your math score than your verbal. My first word was "jingoism".. smh. Other than the obvious studying, the biggest piece of advice I could give you is that the test is a literally war of attrition against your brain. I was too nervous to eat before the exam and this definately hurt me more than anything. I was pleased with my score and don't plan on retaking it. I apologize for the lengthy response, but best of luck and if you have any questions, feel free to PM me.

I am graduating with my BSN in 2 weeks and will be starting in the MICU at Allegheny General Hospital as a new GN in June. I took the GRE last summer and was very pleased with my score. The reason I took them is because I know most programs typically require scores within 5 years of applying. My question is: Do you think my score on the "old gre" will satisfy the admission requirments or do you think I will have to retake them?

I'm not sure what you mean by "career coach". I would recommend going to the aana website, looking up accredited programs in the area you would like to apply, and then looking at what their admission requirements are. Basic requirements usually include completion of a BSN program with a gpa > 3.0, >1 year of current ICU experience, and a GRE score (not all, but most programs require this). If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Good luck! God Bless.

I have a question in regards to how much weight admission committees place on GRE scores. I am going to be a senior at the University of Pittsburgh this fall. I understand the requirements for most anesthesia programs (min 1 year/2 perferred in an ICU, 3.0 GPA, 1000 GRE, successful interview), but I was just curious about the GRE score. I took them yesterday, because I know the scores are "good" for 5 years, and scored a 740 math and a 530 verbal. I also agree that GRE scores are not really a good indication of abilitiy, especially in nursing specialities. I have a pretty solid GPA(3.8-3.9), but was just curious what weight this GRE score might have on my chances of getting in. Hope all is well and God bless.

As a senior in a nursing program, I believe two nursing uniforms would suffice. I found that gave me enough time to wash them in between clinicals. Good luck with nursing school.