CRNAinTHEfuture

Thanks again to all of you. I can't stress enough how much I appreciate your input. I also can't stress enough that it's not going to break me down if I get B's. . .and there's nothing for me to get over about myself. I don't give a rat's patooey about tenths of a point. Parenting. . .it wasn't easy to begin with (I have a 2 and a 3 year old). I don't really have a philosophy to offer, because I believe you have to evaluate your situation and figure out how to strike the balance between family, work and academics. There are little things I do to be sure that my girls know that they're important to me and that I'm interested in what's going on in their worlds. 1. When I talk to them, I'm sure to bend down to their level and look them in the eye when I'm talking to them. 2. Though my M-W class (6-9pm) doesn't allow me to be at home for bath time, I'm still able to be home for dinner. We sit as a family at the dinner table and talk to each other. My 2 year old is still a little difficult to understand sometimes, but she certainly rambles along with us. 3. My girls have a "bath, back rub and book" routine every night. When I'm not there, Dad takes over (and likes it, actually).This is a perfect time for snuggling!! 4. I use nap time on the weekends for studying. My 3 year old, soon to be 4, doesn't nap anymore. But, she does "study" with me - she does arts & crafts/coloring type things at the kitchen table with me while I'm studying. She's not always interested in doing that, so I readjust my study time when she gets bored with that. The important thing (to me, at least) is to remind yourself that children don't really care that you have exams, projects for work or notes to rewrite. They care that you're attentive to them and you're offering lots of affection. I read somewhere that, regardless of your schedule, you should "get down on the floor" to play with your kids for at least 30 minutes a day. And no, your child will not be scarred for life if they go to a day care....that's a whole other topic, though.

Mattsmom...no, you did not offend me. You responded to my question, and that I appreciate. The posts that have anger in them were intended for a "slobgob". This person decided to offer personalized assumptions and nasty comments rather than an opinion of the subject at hand. :angryfire Slobgob...where did you get that I have already taken med/surg/ortho classes? I haven't even started clinicals, and I don't know about yours, but my school won't let a person in clinicals without having taken A&P I and II first.

Just a couple things for the record, Slobgob.... 1. I could care less if they like me. I just wanted to know why I was being made out as the bad guy. 2. Why is it obnoxious for me to kick myself for missing a exam question that I knew the answer to, but had a brain fart during the exam? You're assuming that I go on and on about it, but in reality, the only person who would know about something like that is...ME. 3. Do you really want a nurse that asks you "Which one is that?" when you tell me that you have broken your femur in the past? (Crude example, I know.) It's got to be killer important to know BASIC A&P to be in the field of nursing. You don't know my attitude. You don't know anything more about me than what you read in two posts. You don't know my plan for getting through school while still being a good mom. You don't know the amount of time my husband and I spent discussing this before I ever registered. You don't know that my tubes were tied before I even learned that such as thing as CRNA's existed. My point?????? You have made some harsh assumptions about me just by reading my words. I wanted an opinion, not an attack on my character. (Which you also don't know....)

Okay, it seems that I've ruffled some feathers in the way that presented my question. Thanks to all of you for your input. 1. I know my average in the class is a 99.5 because that's what was shown in our mid-term report The fact that I told you what the actual average was doesn't make me obsessive - it makes me observant. And I don't judge my classmates. I just don't think that some of them are aware of the scope of what is required of a college student. I think some expect to be babied, and they're learning the hard way that college students at any level (pre-nursing or not) don't get babied. They're happy with their C's and D's...fine. Let them be happy with that. The mentality of it is what I don't understand. Do I care about the .5 of the 99.5? Not at all. As a matter of fact, if the grade is within the range that will put an A on my transcript, I'm happy with that. Am I going to have a break down if I come out of the class with a B? No!! I'll be disappointed, sure, but only because I know my own capabilities. 2. There is no curve to kill in this class. As a matter of fact, I haven't encountered a prof in a good, long while that will even CONSIDER a curve. You either know it or you don't. 3. I don't brag to my classmates about my grades. After the first exam and lab practical (that most failed), I was asked by my lab partner how I was doing in the class. I told her, she made a big scene about it. . .We have somewhat of an unspoken agreement to practice the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. They don't ask, and I don't tell. 4. I don't want to be in Anesthesia SOLELY for the money. True, the money will be nice, but this is a field that interests me. I first heard the term "Anesthesia Awareness" about 6 or 7 years ago, and it freaked me out enough to do research for my own personal knowledge. Since then, I've been fascinated by it. And to be perfectly honest, I didn't know that such a thing as a Nurse Anesthetist existed until about a year and a half ago, and I only found that out through an article in Reader's Digest. Besides the fact that it interests me, the nature of the job allows the autonomy that I'm looking for. 5. I'm not missing out on my kid's lives - my 3 (soon to be 4) year old tells me before I leave for class on Mon. and Wed. nights to "Have fun in you class, Mommy. And no time outs, okay?" As a matter of fact, my husband appreciates the time he gets to spend alone with them. Yes, there are people that don't deal well with what they consider to be failure. And it's a shame. I just wanted to know other opinions of those in the field. I don't cry over B's, but I know what it's going to take to make it, and I know that I have the capabilities to make it happen for me.

Thanks so much for responding! I have 2 little girls, ages 2 and 3, and it's difficult somedays to strike the balance between my children, my husband, my job and school. I feel stretched at all ends sometimes. But, never would I allow the time I spend on studying to interefere with Paint Time or baths or books before bed. If nothing else, the more time I spend with my children and husband just makes me more focused when I do get the chance to sit down and study. I'm not inhuman - I do have a life outside of school. But, I do keep myself focused on what needs to be done to accomplish what I want to accomplish. Thanks again! B in SC

I have somewhat of a statement, somewhat of a question. First, a little background. . . I'm an ADN student, transferring to Carolina in Spring 2006 to get my BSN. My terminal goal is Nurse Anesthesia, so I believe going ahead and getting my BSN out of the way would be the best plan for me. The problem?? My A&P classmates at the Tech school I'm attending now. I made the "mistake" of telling them after the second exam that I wasn't accepting anything less than an "A." (Which is true - my average is 99.5). I am FULLY aware (thanks to many of you on this forum) of what it's going to take from me to get in NA school, and I'm doing the best I can to make myself an attractive candidate for when the time comes to apply to NA school. Did that explanation work for my classmates? Nooooooo.......The class average is 67. 67!!!! These people are going to be nurses and they can't identify a femur from a humerus??????? My question for you is this: Is it REALLY possible to overacheive? In my case, it's basically a mindset. I want to be a Nurse Anesthetist and nothing, nothing at all is going to prevent me from diving full force into my studies to make it happen. I need A's in A&P, Micro and other science courses, right?? Fine. I'll do what I have to do to make that happen. I don't feel like I've been rude or arrogant to my classmates - actually, I've felt kind of embarrassed to share exam grades and lab practical grades with them, because...well....most of them are failing. I don't feel I need to explain myself to them any further, but I still get the sideways comments (teacher's pet, goody 2 shoes, know-it-all). I'm sure they are said in good fun, but why does the A-maker in the class have to be the one to catch crap for making A's???? Anyone with an opinion? B in SC

WOOSH!!!.....is the sound of my magic wand passing over you, giada 23, to make all bad things good. You must have incredible superhuman powers that the rest of us could only dream about. Not only are you dealing with the stresses of raising two children on your own, you're attempting to fulfill a dream with no support other than your own. It's easy for me to tell you to hang in there, but it must be hard for you. We're supposed to lean on our loved ones for support when we need it. But, what do you do when there is nowhere to lean and you have to continually squeeze the support sponge within yourself, even when it feels like there's nothing left and you're tapped out? I don't know. I wish I could give you that answer. They say that what doesn't kill us makes us stronger....think of how proud you'll be of yourself when it's all fiiiiiiiinnnallllly done. Think about the respect your children will have for you, knowing the hardships you've had to overcome. You have an incredible network of support here on this forum - lean on US!!!! I'm more than lucky. I'm downright blessed. I have a husband who is not only willing to take over the parenting role (and does an incredible job!! got 2 daddy's girls), he understands what sacrifices will have to be made while I pursue my dream (CRNA). God chose this life for all of us, for reasons unknown. Again, I will wave my magic wand....SWOOOSH!!!....and hope it works for you. If not, I'll continue to keep you in my prayers. :) Like many have said before me, it's next to impossible to study with young children vying for your attention. Even though all I want to do when my girls go to sleep is do the same, I crack open the books for note reviews, read a chapter or two. . .Both of mine are still young enough to nap, so I catch some study time when they nap on weekends. Best of luck to you all!! Thanks SO much, Moms, for offering advice!!!

I'm one of the ones starting over after a couple of years hiatus from the institution of higher education. After 4 (or was it 5? ) changes of major, I'm set on making myself the most attractive candidate for Nurse Anesthesia school. Even realizing that it will likely be a while before I have all the qualifications to apply, I'm excited! My past coursework wasn't exactly wonderful, but at least I don't have to take some of the gen ed courses again. I hear that undergrad science coursework is one of the most important for NA school admission, rather than the english/history classes. Any thought on that? Wow! What a wonderful place this forum is for future and current nurses! I'm so excited to be working on my place in this profession. . .can't wait until the day that I can (hopefully) announce my acceptance into the NA program at Carolina!!! Anyone out there want to compare notes, so to speak? I'm retaking A&P this January (it's been 7 years since I took it last).

I've only just begun the ADN program, so grad school (and CRNA license) seem to be far in the future. Having had a couple of years off with the births of my 2 children, I'm ready to give this my all. I've been researching for about a year now and nurse anesthesia is my final goal. During this research (in part, coming from this forum) it seem that the time I spend learning anesthesia will place big demands on myself, my husband and children. I've already talked to my husband about the time I'll need to put into school and the loss of income while I'm in anesthesia school. This is an issue we'll have to revisit before I begin, I'm sure. What I'd like to know is what happens after graduation? What options does a CRNA have that will accomodate the desire to be close to your family? Does it "get better" after graduation? Thanks for your help!!!!