A038773

I meet all requirements for entrance except one.....ICU experience. I work in an acute care hospital but not ICU experience. I am wondering if this automatically takes me out of the running if I applied. Is anyone a student or was a student who got in without ICU experience?

No I am not kidding. I am merely wondering. Obviously this is in the beginning stages. That is why I am asking for advice. I have done some research and looked at many sites but am wanting personal advice. Some people I talk to say they like the job and think it's easy. Some say it's really hard and they don't enjoy it. I even talked to someone who is CRNA but doesn't work as such because she hates it. So I am just looking for more advice of the same. Reading online information isn't the real world. I want to know the real world. I will try to shadow some at the hospital I work at. I talk with the CRNA's during C-sections and watch what they do. I like the idea of a very specialized area of expertise. Yes it's a lot of information but it relates to a very narrow field which I like. I am steering away from the broadness of something like FNP. I just worry about acceptance due to my lack of ICU experience. My GPA is 3.9 so that is not a problem. I wonder what the experience was for other people in the class you all were in.

I am thinking about advancing my nursing career. A few friends are wanting to do a FNP program. I was initially into it but have talked to many people with their FNP who cannot find jobs that are worth it (ie: bad hours, too many hours per week, pay isn't much better than a RN after taking the amount of hours into effect, etc.). I am not sure I really want to do it either. So I am not real jazzed about the concept. If I go through a master's program, I want the job to be a significant financial gain, not $20,000-$30,000 but with 50-60 hr work weeks. I work great hours in a hospital and love my job. I feel like it better be something worthwhile for me to give up what I am doing now. A few people told me to do CRNA because the financial gain is huge. I am just not sure I would enjoy this. School seems like it is really hard and time consuming. I am concerned about being able to pay for school and working at the same time. I would have to do loans but we are a 2 income household so I need to work. Also, I don't have ICU experience. I have worked in OB, pediatrics, and newborn special care nursery for 7 years. Would this make me an automatic no if I applied? Is the job fun? What is the job market like? Any advise would be helpful :) Thank you!