genmac

I just recently started working in medical ICU (MICU) this past April 2011. The program to which I am applying requires a minimum of 18 months of current adult ICU experience. I am applying for the FALL 2012 class. Consulting with the NA program in my city, in particular, with one of the clinical coordinators/instructors, I was told in a nice way to, basically, not beat around the bush and go ahead and apply to the program, considering I have 5 years of previous CCU experience before transfering to the PACU (does not count but what ultimately inspired me to consider nurse anesthesia)...before transfering to the MICU. Here is my agenda into the application process: working in MICU, take GRE this June 30th with score goal of 1000 or more, prepare and take CCRN by January 2012, shadow a CRNA once a week (to total 50-60 hours of shadowing time). My big question is: Can,...do..., applicants really get accepted into nurse anesthesia school after one year of adult critical-care experience versus a more seasoned critical-care nurse who has worked on the unit more than 2 consecutive years?? Any advice, wisdom, encouragement...is welcomed! Thank you!! :)

I can't really reply to say "go ahead and take the current GRE," because you have already taken it and have done well. Yes, your GRE scores of the current version will count towards your application to graduate school, granted you apply within 5 years. **My sources of this knowledge is both Kaplan and The Princeton Review books. And by the way, they are the same sources who strongly recommend taking the current version versus the "revised" version (August 2011), no matter where, what stage one is in their education, i.e., freshman in college, post-bachelors,...because how realistically more difficult the revised test will be, even though ETS (the makers of the GRE) states how the revised will be more "user-friendly." Wapanther11: Can you give me any tips, advice, on GRE preparation, if you have any, for me, since I have scheduled to take the GRE this June 30, 2011. If you get a chance, please read my posting (dated 5-11-2011) regarding GRE preparation and study time. I, also, just started working in medical ICU (MICU) starting this past April, night-shift, 7P-7A, 3 times a week. Good luck with your plans! genmac

Hello to all who have taken the "current" GRE, either as preparing to apply to nurse anesthesia school, or already a SRNA or CRNA! The program to which I am applying requires at least a 1000 composite on the GRE. I am scheduled to take the GRE on June 30, 2011. As far as reviewing goes, I have been studying word lists via flash-cards from Barron's Essential GRE Words and flash cards from Kaplan, knowing that the verbal section (except reading comprehension) is "verbal-words" intensive. For the math section, I have covered only the math review from The Princeton Review book. However, I have not taken any practice tests yet. Since this past April, I started working night shift, 7P-7A, 3 times a week, in medical ICU (MICU), which means: I only have 4 OFF days (including weekends...when not working the weekends) and the day-time-before-going-in-to-work (reduce sleep time?). So, here is my big question: Is there,...do I have...sufficient time to study, prepare, and take practice tests, to get a score of 1000 or more on the GRE this June 30th?? I also have a "back-up/alternative" plan, which is to re-take the GRE, if needed, in July 2011, before the "revised" version of GRE takes effect in August. Any advice, wisdom, encouragement...is welcomed!! Thank you!! :)

The routine you had for studying/reviewing on "off" days and after work is great advice. Even if I just started working the night shift and have never worked full-time nights, I can see how useful and effective it is to "do a little every day." Like you, I have heard many others mention how motivating and inspiring it is to study/prepare after scheduling for the test. Hopefully, I will be feeling like "this," since I will soon register to take the GRE for a June test date. Thanks, pedimac! :-)

I have been studying, preparing for the GRE since early March 2011. But since I started working night shift (7P-7A), 3 nights per week, in medical ICU, on March 28, 2011, I have temporarily stopped studying. Trying to adjust to the new "time," that is, the sleep/awake (...even when-to-eat...) cycle, has been challenging. Fortunately, I am beginning to adjust, and I must say, it's not that bad! Where I am concerned is that I want to get back into a consistent studying mode, like I was in prior to working night shift. However, I am still highly motivated and enthusiastic about my GRE preparation, espcially since I plan to take the actual test this June or July 2011 (may be, both months, depending on June scores), instead of preparing for, taking the "revised" version of the GRE, which will start in August 2011. Does anyone, or know anyone, with this similar experience, dilemma, that is, working night shift and preparing for a major admissions exam like the GRE? :)

I wanted to find out if there are medical ICU nurses who got accepted to nurse anesthesia school, or if there are SRNAs and/or CRNAs with various critical-care experience who knew of others with MICU experience prior to entering a NA program. I recently started working in MICU with the advice from a school with whom I've been communicating to get my "current one year critical-care experience" and apply for the Fall 2012 class. Previous to MICU, I worked 3.5 years in PACU. And prior to PACU, I worked 5 years in CCU, where I took care of many ventilated surgical & non-surgical patients, on multiple cardiac and vasoactive drips, and applied/observed/measured advanced hemodynamics. Working in the PACU, communicating with CRNAs, getting report from CRNAs on post-surgical patients, administering post-operative/post-anesthesia pain medications...is actually what inspired me to apply to nurse anesthesia school. Prior to applying for a MICU position, I made 5 attempts to applying in CVRU, only to be told, each time, by Human Resources (who communicates with the CVRU manager) that the position had been filled with an applicant who had prior CVRU experience. CVRU was ultimately the experience I wanted, because of nurse anesthesia programs high regard of its students with this background. So, when I spoke to my school of choice, its clinical coordiator/instructor/adviser, told me to not make a big deal of not being able to work in CVRU. He added it's the applicant's "intellectual curiousity of his critical care unit, his patients" that is the most important. He said working in MICU is fine, get your one year "in," and then apply to the NA program. Did you MICU nurses find your experience in critical-care (versus those with SICU, CVRU background) adequate to the NA program you attended?? :)

I have recently accepted a job offer to work in medical ICU, which starts Monday, March 28, 2011. Currently and for the last 3 years and 5 months, I have worked in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). Prior to working in the PACU, I worked 5 years in a Coronary Care Unit (CCU), where I learned and developed a great understanding of critical-care nursing, working with patients on mechanical ventilation, vasoactive drips, and advanced hemodynamics. The PACU experienced introduced me to the world of anesthesia,...the CRNA's, SRNA's, anesthesiologists, the pre-and-post-anesthesia drugs, and most importantly, the post-anesthesia care--the RECOVERY--of the surgical patient. And it is this PACU experience that has given me the ultimate curiousity of nurse anesthesia and has greatly influenced me to apply to nurse anesthesia school. I have my BSN and I'm planning to take the GRE this summer. Communicating to a couple of nurse anesthesia programs in my home state (taking my background into consideration), I was advised "literally" through my inquiries to get my one-year critical-care experience in MICU (higher acuity patients, more advanced hemodynamics), include previous CCU experience & current PACU experience/inspiration, take the GRE, and apply for the Fall 2012 class. I'm excited with the advice I have received, but a little overwhelmed, like WOW!...this is great!,...things are happening fast!,...this is real!!

Hi! I just read your read your posting, which is still recent. How was your interview session with the CMC/UNCC "panel"? And when do you expect to hear "results"? I am interested in applying to CMC/UNCC NA program, FALL 2012. Good luck!

I was recently granted an interview session (scheduled on Thursday, December 30, 2010) with the CVRU manager of a large teaching hospital and Level 1 trauma center. This CVRU occasionally hires non-experienced nurses, which is where I fit in. Currently working in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) and for a total of 3 years, I worked, previously, 5 years as a critical-care nurse in a Coronary Care Unit. Now that my interview is fast approaching, I wanted to get supportive advice and comments from CVRU/CVICU nurses from the kinds of questions asked during the initial interview, a time when no experience was yet obtained and before the official hiring. I am a little nervous with this upcoming interview, but more so, I am excited to take on the new challenges of CVRU and see the transition from PACU to CVRU to be an adequate one.