Salutations

I am also awaiting a reply. I am hoping to be wait listed- I know I need more clinical experience. I only applied to FIU this year, but will be applying to UNF, USF, and FIU next year, if I don't get in this time. I'm looking to move out of Miami eventually, so this could be a catalyst. (Trying to look on the bright side after the interview. . . )

Submit everything else, if you have it. I was told that there was *some* leniency on the LOR getting in on time.

There was a time that I was being floated every other week to either tele or the ED, which was very frustrating. It's been several months since I was floated to tele, and when I was floated there last week, the cobwebs were firmly in place! It all comes down to the fact that you're comfortable at home, and may even have personality traits that led you there. I have some OCD/control traits, but am not very organized (Read: I like to know as much as possible about my patients and advocate for treatments and alterations in plans, but am terrible at managing 7 patients or dealing with the revolving door of the ED). The nurse who relieved me when I floated to tele was floating from the ED. She was exceptionally upset "I hate this place!" to which I responded "you hate this floor, or this hospital?" It was intended as a joke to lighten the mood, but actually upset her further. It's 12 hours, and if you can lean on the people you're working with while providing safe patient care, I think it'll make you a more rounded nurse to float every now and then. (My mantra whenever I float!)

Anyone apply for FIU's CRNA program for January or August 2016, or been through the application process in the past few years? I just received my invitation to interview email and am exceptionally nervous and excited!

GaMommy- Were you able to get everything in? I am still waiting on the LOR from my manager, but everything else is in. They're already scheduling information sessions with interviews!

When is the deadline? I had some very serious family health concerns, and was a little out of it. I'd love to apply this round though.

That's awesome, MatyIce! Congratulations. Would you be willing to share anything about the interview experience or about your application stats? I just took the GRE, and scored a 161, 161. I'll have about a year and a half in the ICU by the time I apply, and an thinking about studying for the CCRN.

I hope your interviews go well! Positive thoughts being sent your way :)

I really needed to see this today. I'm a few weeks away from my "nursary," and feel like I can keep my head above water. . . most days. I still have so much to learn!

Thank you all for chiming in. My unit has been going through a lot of changes - the ICU director and nurse manager were just replaced, and the CNO was replaced a few months ago. The suggestions are great- we currently get our own blood as we have (some days) one CNA for the three units. We also draw and bring up our own labs. The charge nurse usually does not have his/her own patients, and that was the case. Unfortunately, the report I normally receive is "no drips are going to run out while I'm gone, no calls out." The doppler is kept on the crash cart, which was just outside the room. My grabbing it may have wasted 10 seconds. You're right though, Been there,done that, I should have started bagging/compressions right away. I'm still learning, and know that it will be a career-long process. Any other suggestions that I can bring to my conversation with the nurse manager? What is the typical ratio for the ICU? I know I'm new, but I tend to feel a little overwhelmed with 3 patients on vents/drips, which most of our patients are.

I am a fairly new nurse (this month will be 1 year), but I am starting to notice things in my unit that concern me. As a for instance, this week: 3 ICU units in the hospital, each 8 beds. My unit had patients (one code bed for the hospital). Three nurses staffed, which meant that two of us only had two patients. One nurse went to CT with one of her patients, and the other nurse left to get blood. Neither gave me any type of report on their remaining patients. Alarm goes off in one room, I see that he's on levo, so I brought the doppler in with me to confirm no pulse. Thankfully, the charge nurse saw me pulling the crash cart, and a nurse from another unit heard my call for help. My question: Is it really safe to have only 3 nurses in the unit, and how do I keep another nurse there with me when both were carrying out stat orders?

When are your interviews? I am going to be taking the GRE at the end of this month, and starting the application process for next year. I'd be very interested to know what the interview process is like, and what your applicaitons looked like. :)

Just an FYI on vitals. I was a little confused by how the lab instructor in my class explained patient body positioning for BP. It's completely outlined on page 104 in Nursing Interventions & Clinical Skills. Amongst other things, the patient's arm should be supported, and the legs should not be crossed because it alters the reading. I can't find anything that tells us what we're supposed to read for Nursing Skills Lab. . . does anyone know where I should look for that?

I hope everyone enjoyed their first day as much as I did! All that stress, and I am quite comfortable with our first two professors. I even purchased two uniform tops for 1/5 of the bookstore price. I'm hoping tomorrow goes as smoothly as today did, and that I'm not jinxing anything (I'm Irish- we have to think about luck

Hey guys- I too have been trying to work as much as possible in order to save for the 16 months to come . . . I'm going to continue working, but they scared me into cutting back on hours during at least the first few months. I have a few questions for you guys though- I purchased a stethoscope from Medisave USA over 2 weeks ago, and the order is still 'processing.' Did anyone else purchase a stethoscope from them? I'm worried that i won't have it in time for our first lab. Has anyone received syllabi from classes other than Fundamentals of Nursing? I received that one and *will* read for the first class, but I fear that I will be behind in the other classes since I have not received word of any reading that needs to be done prior to the first class.