future_anesthetist

I agree with everything that has been said and I believe you should move to the SICU full time. I don't necessarily think moving after a year is a downside from a manager perspective. Are you concerned about the LOR? I would ask your Neuro ICU manager for one if you leave after a year and apply to a CRNA program with that. They should have a pretty good idea of your skills and ability to critically think, etc. and it definitely shouldn't set you back a year. There is more that goes into acceptance to school than your manager's letter (depending on the program - some rely heavily on letters but interviews are typically the last deciding factor). That brings me to my next point, I wouldn't wait a "couple of years" before applying. Plenty of people, like myself, apply and are accepted after one year of ICU experience. Some other ideas to "bolster" your resume (if you haven't already done so): -Join ICU committees and code team; become charge or preceptor, etc.; i.e.: leadership roles -Shadow as much as you can and write down things you've learned. If they ask you about your shadow experience during an interview be prepared to respond further with details about the profession and give additional proof (beyond your personal statement) that becoming a CRNA is your passion. -Look into becoming an ACLS instructor or Critical Care educator at your facility -Reach out to program directors and introduce yourself in a professionally appropriate way - just get your name out their and ask any questions you may have about their program (I personally didn't do this because I didn't want to schmooze” but many people do and it supposedly helps). -Save money and mention in your personal statement that you are financially prepared -Request LOR's from people who you have built relationships with and who will be happy to see you get accepted into CRNA school.

Ever since I was introduced to the field of Nurse Anesthesia in High School at the age of 16 I made it my mission to pursue it as a career. I always knew I wanted to be a nurse but I was specifically drawn to the excitement of not only being a nurse, but a highly skilled and independent nurse. I planned out my journey step by step, year by year. I presumed I would simply go through the motions in my rock-solid plan and emerge as a CRNA. Boy was I wrong. I am now 24 years old and will begin a Nurse Anesthesia Program next month. A couple weeks after I sent my enrollment letter and the dust had settled I began to ponder over the last eight years. As I reminisced about the hundreds of people I've met and the amazing experiences I have had, my heart was filled with warmth. I realized that my journey had changed me as a human being and shaped me into a confident, knowledgeable, and highly respected professional nurse. The funny thing is, I only realized this recently. I finally took a step back and saw how significant my responsibilities were and how much of a difference I was making all along. I remember talking to one of my nursing professors a couple years after graduating and I said something along the lines of: "I've been really lucky to get where I am." Her response was: "isn't it funny how the ones who work the hardest keep getting luckier." At the time I attributed the 'work hard' part to the fact that I had created a career plan and stuck by it. Yes, that may have a small part to do with where I am but after seeing many specialty-focused colleagues trample through I now believe it is something deeper. I began at an assisted living community at the age of 17 where I quickly took a liking to the elderly population. Inspiring stories of their lives poured out with every interaction, humor was a commonplace and I quickly became a shining star as I had a sense of humor that was refreshing and real. Many widows jokingly called me their boyfriend; I held the hands of lonely residents who hadn't seen their families in forever; I provided their daily cocktail of medications and encouraged them to stay active and healthy; I got beat-up many times by dementia patients who saw me as a threat; and performed the Heimlich maneuver on one of my closest residents who later relied on me for support after her husband passed away. I think I related so well to the elderly population because of my close relationship with my grandmother, who died over a period of two-years as a result of a rare nervous system disease. Meanwhile, I completed all of my nursing prerequisites in High School and was accepted to a very competitive Associate Degree Nursing Program. Throughout my nursing education I excelled in my studies and often tutored those who were struggling. I did excellent in clinical thanks to preparation, hard work, and passion. In my first semester of nursing school I landed a Float CNA position at a Hospital where I quickly became known for my tremendous work ethic and kind personality. After graduating nursing school, I had many managers request my application to their floor and I had the luxury of being able to choose. I then spent 6 months on a Medical-Surgical unit, quickly rising to the top of the pack and receiving many accolades for my work ethic, leadership skills, and the excellent care I provided. I remember getting a letter and award (which I later found out was normally reserved for those with many years on the job) from the SVP of Nursing who commended me for a job well done after he had received numerous patient letters mailed directly to him. Of course, at the time I just thought it was kind of cool. One day my manager mentioned that I really belong in the ICU, and that gave me the confidence to continue. I attempted to apply locally but wasn't even able to upload a resume without a Bachelor's Degree - which I was finishing up online. So I expanded my search and set my sights on a couple of excellent hospitals. I flew out and interviewed for an ICU Internship at a large University Health System and was accepted the next day. As I was preparing to move, lo and behold an ICU internship at my own hospital was rebooted so I leapt on that opportunity and was accepted to the CVICU. They told me that these internship spots were usually given to those with more experience but they were willing to give me a chance because of my "confidence, knowledge, and glowing recommendations." In the CVICU I started out slow and quickly progressed to the sickest patients on the unit. I would end up relating many situations to my experiences of having a younger brother battle bone cancer, and my aunt - who was my second mom while my mother basically lived in the hospital - dying in a tragic accident. I truly began to understand how precious life is. I excelled in every aspect of this role and began receiving more responsibilities including precepting and committee work. After about a year and a half I felt confident as an ICU nurse and applied to my top five Nurse Anesthesia programs. I was granted interviews at all five programs and I ended up interviewing at four of them; I was accepted to two and waitlisted to two. The programs where I was waitlisted eventually had a spot open up. This granted me the "problem" of having to choose between 4 highly regarded programs. When I began thinking back I saw how everything was connected. I noticed a simple pattern from day one that explained everything: I showed up each and every day with a smile on my face and a genuine desire to help others. I respected and built professional relationships with each and every one of my colleagues - whether they were a CNA, nurse, Doctor, cook, housekeeper, receptionist, Manager, Instructor, or Dean. This resulted in various awards/recognition and great letters of recommendations which allowed me to pursue amazing opportunities. My reputation was built by working hard and always finding other ways to help out. It helped that I was never one for politics or gossip but knew when to laugh and have fun. I was a team player and encouraged others to be their best. I made an effort to expand my own clinical knowledge and gave back by mentoring those in need. And most importantly, I pulled from my own past experiences to empathize and support my patients while at the same time growing stronger from their strength. This gave me a humbling confidence as well as experiences to draw from for interviews - which are vital. You see, every single step I took was a natural progression of opening doors, NOT a checkbox on my list. And although I want to thank my 16-year-old self for starting me out on this path, I never could've imagined how this journey would have such a profound impact on my life. I feel truly blessed and also believe there is a higher power that played a role as well. After thinking about all of this, I have come to the conclusion that the pathway to getting the most happiness and success out of one's nursing career relies on your own intentions and genuine desire to care for every patient at the best AND worst times in their lives. Whatever your ambitions are - if you aim to specialize in a certain area such as Anesthesia, become a nursing professor, a CNO, or stay at the bedside, please remember this: although there are necessary steps to get through to achieve your nursing career goals, you must always be cognizant of the fact that what you are doing today whether big or small in your own view, matters a lot. It matters to you so be content and slow down to smell the roses, it matters to your coworkers who deserve a solid individual committed to the team, and most importantly it matters to your patients. A patient on their death bed isn't going to be impressed with your aspirations, they instead deserve somebody who is in the moment. A respectful, strong patient advocate with the capacity for empathy. A nurse who understands that life is fragile and although it may be a regular ol' day for you, it is perhaps the worst day of your patient's life. And of course my journey wasn't all rainbows and butterflies, nor is it over! But this article's purpose is to hopefully help those who are just starting their story, those struggling with where they are, or those possibly taking their current position for granted. I hope my reflections will inspire you to be the best you can be and encourage you to put 100% of your energy into the here and now - because the rest will truly follow.

You might consider doing your ADN at this college and later doing a RN to BSN program. This will save you a lot of money, but you should check with your local community to see if many employers are wanting a BSN for their new hires. If you want to go straight to a BSN program you will have to apply and meet their specific requirements. Maybe apply to both programs and see what happens! Good luck to you on your journey! :)

That's so awesome, keep up the good work!

I got a call at the beginning of the week for a second interview for ICU

Thank you both for your reply ---was helpful. I have another question to add to that. When asking for letters of recommendations do I have to say it's for nurse anesthesia school? As in does it have to be directly addressed to the school or could it be sort of a general letter. I guess it also depends on if the school requires the manager to send it directly... Any thoughts? Thanks!!

Hi all, I'll soon be starting an ICU internship with a 2 year commitment and I need clarification regarding asking managers for letters of recommendations. I'm finding that CRNA programs usually have their application deadline about 1 year before the program starts. Meaning, if I was to follow through with the 2 year commitment, I could apply at the end of my first year, and hopefully start the CRNA program at the end of my 2nd year on the job (ideally). So, when asking for letters of rec's, has anyone found managers to be angry or unwilling to write the letter due to the lack of 2 year commitment at the time of application? I don't want to work the two years and then apply because that would technically be 3 years experience once the program starts. Obviously I understand that 3 years wouldn't be a BAD thing, but I'm just trying to figure out how to do this in the quickest way possible. I mean, technically I could apply right away because that would be a year once the CRNA program starts. But I want to be faithful to the ICU and commit to two years. I know that If I don't get accepted the first time then I can try again. I want the best odds is all! Thank you!

The University of Louisiana Lafayette has an online RN to BSN program with no clinicals. I am almost halfway through and it'll take 1 year total. Books are cheap, I rent them on amazon. Total cost is $8,500. Regionally and nationally accredited. Certain states are no longer accepted to compete the degree so contact them. Good program so far.

This is disgusting...I hope they get busted.

My community college's ADN program is very well known to produce top notch nurses, so I like to think I graduated from my area's "Georgetown" so to speak LOL:). I think there are good and bad programs, some undiscovered gems out there, but for the most part, top ranked like VCU produce very strong clinicians due to their challenging programs which provide the most hours, best sim experiences, and diverse clinical experiences due to their access to great hospitals. Big-name schools likely have more resources available to provide great education. List of top CRNA schools: Best Nursing Anesthesia Programs | Top Nursing Schools | US News Best Graduate SchoolsHow they rank the programs: Methodology: Best Health Schools Rankings - US News and World Report Medical University of South Carolina: #26 University of Detroit Mercy: #11 Georgetown University: #17 To OP, like others have said, do your research and figure out what program provides you with what is most important to you...cost, convenience, clinicals, degree awarded, etc...Good luck!

Throughout my short span as a MedSurg nurse since graduating, I've learned that taking "constructive criticism" is a very very important thing to do. The advice these posters gave you was very good and you should not feel it is a personal attack on what you did wrong. One of the worst qualities a nursing student or a new graduate nurse could have is not being willing to listen and appreciate advice and shared knowledge from nurses like Esme who have YEARS of experience. The fact that you call them enemies (or reference them as such) scares me. I'm glad the outcome of the hockey player was positive but it could be the exact opposite next time.

see below

Here are some attachments that may help you. I'll keep looking through my old notes, etc. This will be good for me too because I am starting ICU in a couple of months. ABG ebook.pdf ReportSheet-Allen-CVICU.pdf

I bought some books on Amazon that weren't that amazing but had some good basic information. Also check out icufaqs.org Quick reference to critical care Critical care notes: clinical pocket guide I want to buy: House officers guide to ICU care AACN essentials of critical care nursing (new edition coming out soon) Manual of critical care nursing: nursing interventions and collaborative management

Nope. No interview at all. I guess my ADN is worthless...not really but anymore it seems that way. I'm thankful to have a good job in a hospital right now. ICU will just have to wait.

More reason to finish my darn bsn: "This email is to let you know that we have elected to not move forward with your application at this time. Our program places a strong preference on BSN-prepared candidates and we invite you reapply once you have completed your degree." What a bummer.

Hi there- Yes you are off to a good start. Your Sciences are good, ie your pre-reqs, and they are what most schools are interested in in terms of grades (what I've heard from lots of people). And by taking each course as a personal challenge saying to yourself "ok I have to give this my all or kiss CRNA school goodbye" will really keep you focused. Also a couple points I wanted to share based off what I've been doing and what I've heard from others: 1) You may not graduate nursing school and go directly into ICU, even though it's what you want. I was fairly naive to think that I was going to get directly into ICU. I even completed my Senior Practicum there but boy was I in for a surprise when I graduated. I ended up taking a Med-Surg job and it's already been 7 months. Here I thought I would never do Med-Surg for a year. Things are looking good now though and should be starting ICU very soon. Just be willing to change and adjust in order to meet your goals. 2) Make sure you are super involved in your school and the community. CRNA schools like active, diverse students (again, from what I've heard and researched) so you have to be constantly staying even more busy than you already are in school. Some examples: I was President of my schools Nursing Association, organized a blood drive, mentored newer students, mentored skills in skills lab, etc. Maybe you could volunteer in the ICU at a local hospital. Be genuine in your involvements and be somebody that people look up to. I wish you the best. Like others have said, it's a long journey ahead but will be worth it! I too had your same ambition from the very beginning and it's gotten me pretty far...I'm not there yet of course but it's a process... Good luck!!

Absolutely get any nursing position you can get. After one year goes by and you have not had one RN job, you will be basically useless to potential employers. There is constantly new grads being produced. I've heard this advice from a previous instructor who was a RN manager for years. But, protect your license if you are in a facility that stretches it's staff thin, just be careful legally speaking. And yes, you will use your nursing skills. More so than any non nursing job:)

Thank you all for your great advice. I was offered the position and it starts in January. I have a lot to figure out before then!!

So far I honestly must say it has been very good. I've been fortunate to get good teaching assistants who grade thoroughly and quickly. I do know of one student who has not gotten feedback on a paper for quite a while and that is irritating for her but it's a hit or miss with TA's I guess. The main instructors for the classes are very good about getting back to you with questions on a timely manner. I am in my second term (love 7 week terms!!) and it is fairly easy. So far there has been similarities between the two classes. There are weekly quizzes which are about 10 to 20 questions each. There is usually a discussion board every other week where you have to also reply to another student. Those require nursing journals for references but again are fairly easy if you've had a lot of writing experience. And then there's usually a couple of larger papers only about three pages each though. Again so far the program has been great. And the cost is very reasonable. Any other questions let me know. I know this is very general! Oh and to add to this I honestly don't know much about the capstone project. I'm sure it's just something we have to do at her workplace.