statABG

There are not online crna programs. There are some programs with distance learning programs, but all require that you spend a significant period of time on location.

I personally think you should go to the STICU. A different experience will not be looked at as a bad thing. You already have the required experience from the MICU. The only thing is getting good letters of recommendation from your new boss, being that you will be asking only a couple of months after getting there. Good luck

It certainly wouldn't hurt, however, keep in mind that this is a way for the school to make money; and your acceptance is not guaranteed if you take the classes. There are a few other schools that out there that "strongly encourage" candidates to take a few of their core courses to strengthen their application and I personally know several people who took the classes only to be handed a rejection letter in the end. I would focus more on strengthening weak spots in your particular application. 1. If your science GPA is subpar, retake the science courses you performed poorly in. If it floats your boat, take them at the graduate level. 2. Make sure all of your required pre-requisites are up to date prior your interview. Many schools require statistics, chemistry, and research classes to be taken within a a certain number of years (5-10). 3. Get all of your certifications. BLS, ACLS, PALS, CCRN prior to interview. The CCRN is becoming more and more important to schools. 4. If you get nervous easily in interview settings, make sure you practice. Take a public speaking course. The interview is the most important part. The stats and pretty numbers get you there, but the interview gets you the acceptance letter. Thats about all the advice I have. Good luck.

This is supposedly the last interview for available seats. There will potentially be interviews in february/march for alternate seats.

They don't make final decisions until about April, from what I am told. Keep the faith!

Just found out yesterday I was accepted to Case Western starting in Fall of 2013. I'm very excited and nervous! Anybody else out there hear anything?

I agree with RealNurse. I would call.

Hey there, just had my interview today. Seemed to go pretty well. Everyone was very nice and welcoming. Very general questions and only one clinical question (some people get basic math questions). Just relax and be yourself. I think that is the key. We will see though, not in yet!

I was there on September 18th. It was an all day event, but they make it enjoyable. Start the morning with breakfast and a meet-and-greet with the faculty/staff and current/other prospective students. They give you a presentation on the school, the clinical sites, the profession, and what to expect from the program. They talk a lot about what they expect from their students as well. Around noon you get taken to St. Vincent College for a tour of the campus and lunch with the faculty that teach the didactic portion of the program. Very nice people. After that you get taken back to Latrobe hospital and take the clinical test. Think CCRN. If you passed that exam then you should be fine for the clinical exam. Then the interviews. I lost count of how many people were in the room, but they do a good job making you feel comfortable. No clinical questions, general "get to know you" sort of stuff. Just be confident yet humble. They want people that are eager to learn, accountable, and that will represent the program and the profession well in the community. All in all, it was a good day. Good luck to you.

As hard as it is to find a job these days, I don't think you did the right thing here. You can't just walk onto a unit unannounced and uninvited. I know you want to show that you are proactive and a "go-getter", but this is just unprofessional. It is a process to land a job, and I had trouble out of school as well. You first start with calling HR to follow up on the status of your application about a week or two after it is submitted in full. Ask if you can arrange a brief phone conversation with the hiring manager. See where that takes you and leave it at that. Take this as a learning experience. If you want to stand out, make yourself stand out in a positive way. Demonstrate maturity and professionalism. I cannot stress enough however that your action was...misguided. Good luck and message me if you would like to discuss this further.

hello all, I just received my notice for interview request at Case Western and was wondering if any other prospective students had as well. I'm also wondering if anyone knows exactly when interviews are being conducted this year. Based on what I have read, they started interviews in November last year, which is a little later than when they had conducted them in previous years. Okay, feel free to keep this topic going and/or PM me. Thanks!

I just finished the CCRN and passed. Personally, I would recommend getting the book from the AACN. I actually had a significant number of questions on the CCRN exam that appeared on the practice exams in the book. The Pass CCRN! CD is nice as well. I also attended a review course offered through my hospital. Good luck!

The GRE is not as bad as you might think. Just study hard for a month or two and you will be fine. It is a frustrating test to study for because you get bogged down in the technicalities of it. I would recommend getting the Kaplan books, particularly the main book (it has CD and an online access for additional practice) and the math workbook. The math workbook does a more thorough job breaking down how to solve the problems than the main Kaplan GRE book. For the Verbal portion, do not get hung up on the vocabulary. Study it some, but you will never memorize all of the vocabulary words in the GRE word bank. If english is your first language, you should be able to hobble through the vocabulary exercises on the GRE fine. Practice the reading comprehension portions more. Do a couple of practice essays, but don't go crazy on that section. That is my advice. Don't stress about it too much.

I agree with everyone else. You should apply this year. Take it from personal experience, I was in your boat last year and decided to wait. I don't necessarily regret waiting another year and getting solid CVICU experience but as the saying goes, life happens while you are making plans. Good luck!

thanks a lot for the input. I'm almost done with mine. I'll give the brief once it's complete. Thanks again!

So, I have everything assembled for my applications to anesthesia school and I am totally stumped on the admissions essays:banghead:. I don't know why I am having difficulty with this part of the process and it's frustrating the heck out of me. I don't even know where to start. I keep writing the first paragraph and deleting it because I don't like the way it sounds when I read it out loud. Anyone have any pointers? Any ideas/suggestions for a good way to open the essay? Any advice is welcomed and appreciated. Thanks!

I would apply. Your overall GPA is a little low but if you get an A in your advanced patho class that would put the admissions committees' minds at ease about your ability to succeed at the graduate level. Having your CCRN is good as well. What kind of ICU experience do you have?

thanks, same to you. Good luck on the GRE. Get the kaplan books and you will be fine!

Reno/Sedatetime. That makes sense and I've decided to set up some OR observation time with a CRNA. Thanks.

Just got my GRE scores today: Verbal 550 (156 revised score) Quantitative 680 (153 revised score) AWA 4.0 So that is a total of 1230 (309 revised score)/4.0 AWA. I was hoping for closer to a 1300, but I'm going to apply anyway and see what happens:)

Thanks clintcron. Just putting the finishing touches on applications. @lily. You should be fine. Just report the ranges so you have something down on paper. They should receive your scores from ETS within a few days of scheduled mailing date. Good luck!

Clintcron, you are correct. And I am fortunate enough to be working in the CVICU at one of the largest hospitals in the country. My experience there, though short, has been incredible. I feel that my knowledge base has expanded exponentially due to the number and variety of surgical cases we receive every week, as well as the willingness of all the surgeons, MDAs, CRNAs, nurses, NPs, etc to teach and take time to answer questions and make sure that care of the patients is done correctly and safely. I definitely have a lot more to learn, and I am taking that challenge on with a lot of excitement. So although I am looking to the future, I am also focused on being the best critical care nurse I can be. There are no guarantees in this life and I'm definitely not overlooking the present opportunities that I do have.

Stats look good. I'm in the same boat as you at the moment trying to build the confidence to apply for CRNA school. I just took the GRE last thursday. If you study you will be fine. Focus more on the math portion than the verbal portion would be my advice. Don't be nervous. Good luck!

thanks for the input. We will see how things go, I suppose.

I know what you mean. I am just hoping it is something that stands out a little bit and gets me to the interview phase (which is what seems to be the main arena for most schools in regards to who they accept/reject). At this point I am only applying to 1, maybe 2 schools and just seeing how things play out. This is a huge weight off my shoulders though, that's for sure.