pedimac

I'm with lunarjuice. Be careful and you won't chip a tooth. Open the mouth as wide as you can, take your time, take slow deep breaths, easy progression with the blade, lift up and out. The last thing you want to do is get nervous/jumpy and start pounding teeth with metal or rock back on the handle. For your last point, I'm not a fan of putting anything in the mouth that can fall and occlude an airway. And whether the teeth look bad or not, don't hit them.

Very true.

So you gave a summary of what it takes to be a supervising physician, not the legal requirement for them to be present for induction/emergence. From NHIC (the Medicare Administrative Contractor for Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont), Medicare Part B, Anesthesia Billing Guide, effective October 2010. http://www.medicarenhic.com/providers/pubs/Anesthesia%20Billing%20Guide.pdf "CRNAs and AAs may bill Medicare directly for their services or have payment made to an employer or an entity under which they have a contract. This could be a hospital, physician or Ambulatory Surgical Center." "The physician and the non medically directed CRNA (or Anesthesiologist Assistant) are involved in one anesthesia case and the services of each are found to be medically necessary." "The CRNA/Anesthesiologist Assistant should bill using modifier QZ, CRNA/Anesthesiologist Assistant services; without medical direction by a physician, and modifier 22, with attached supporting documentation." So if the CRNA in Massachusetts can directly bill insurance companies using a QZ modifier (by the way, MDAs use an AA modifier to designate when they do the anesthetic) to designate there was no medical direction or supervision of a case, where is the law to show there must be a doc in the room for induction/emergence? Curious.

Esme12: Prior to making declarative statements regarding a field you do not understand well, do some research. I won't talk about flight nursing or how deep sea welders should do their job. You do the entire nursing field a disservice with your incorrect, misguided statements. To the OP: wtbcrna is a great anesthesia resource for this site.

Dropped mine when I got into school. I agree with supporting organizations, but a CRNA is not a critical care nurse. Different mindsets, different practices, different political issues. If you want to continue to support the AACN since you have been part of it for so long, that's your decision (kind of like supporting my alma mater), but the AACN does not support and fight for CRNA practice.

A little over a month. Just so much antediluvian language I can tolerate.

I worked nights, and studied on my off days. I'd get off, go to bed, wake up around 3 pm, go get lunch and coffee, and sit for a couple of hours each day. Just like exercising, you have to make yourself do it a little every day. I didn't even study until after I scheduled my test. That way, I had a date on my calendar that was quickly approaching. Any motivation helps.

I'm with morificeko on this. Learn the job of a critical care nurse. That will help you more than anything. Then, once you're accepted, "enjoy your free time, travel, spend time with family. After school starts you will wish you had."

No. Med surg is not psych, is not critical care, is not ER. Do what you want, learn your field.

A few free ones I have: Gas Guide ACTc Lite Epocrates MedCalc I'm trying to get away without paying for any, but I do need to invest in a better drug guide than what Epocrates offers without a subscription.

I graduated with my BSN at 22, and am now 25. Worked in a pedi-ICU. #1 - The only issue that came up in 3 years was a Muslim family asked for female nurses to clean their daughter. My coworkers helped out, then I helped them with their patients. Easy enough. #2 - My coworkers and I were all in it together. I was the youngest (by age) on my unit, but I started with 5 other new grads. The nurses with more experience helped us out, answered questions, and wanted us to succeed. Regardless of age and experience level, we all have something to bring to the table, with different personalities. Age never came up until it was my birthday. Even when it did, it was usually "Congratulations on knowing what you wanted and going after it. I wish I did that." #3 - Just started anesthesia school. If I don't go everyday, I fail. But I love it so far. I appreciated bedside nursing, and I miss my friends on my unit. But after about a year or so, I knew I couldn't stay in the ICU forever (which was my original plan). I know some people say they have problems with older nurses getting on the younger ones. That isn't nursing in general, that is an individual making a conscious choice to be a jerk. Don't go in thinking you will need to be standoffish. That will just set you up for failure; it'll increase the chances of a knee-jerk reaction being the wrong one. Enjoy it, have fun, let stuff roll off. Good luck on your career.

Dress well, eat a small breakfast if it's in the morning, don't drink a gallon of coffee prior to it, listen to some calming music on the way to your interview. Look up some information about the specialty you're interviewing for. Be respectful. Oh, and positive thinking works wonders.

I just started my program in NC. I was not excited to take out more loans, but that's what has to be done. My wife and I took out all the loans offered by the school, and so far it's worked. But there are the personal loans you can get if the need arises (but much higher interest rate than the Stafford and PLUS loans). Remember, too, there are scholarships out there. The AANA has quite a few different scholarships they give out every year. I also found a few smaller ones ($250-500) from various other sources. I just did a google search for graduate nursing scholarships. 250 isn't that much, but every little bit helps. And that 250 doesn't get compounded. Phil

Well, you shouldn't be gassing yourself, I'd imagine.

Because that's what we've done since 1863.