boynurse2

wow, after reading these who would want to do this? it's scaring me and i am done with my first year. my program is 28 mos like most. we started clinicals with class after an 8wk crash course. our first year schedule goes like this: mon- group a (half the class) clinical from 0600- 1200 while group b sleeps in or goes to lab on their off morning . 1300 the whole class meets for class till 1800. tue- group b (the other half of class) clinical from 0600-1200 while group a studies/sleeps in/recovers/catches up/etc. 1300-2000 class for everyone. wed- group a clinical 0600-1200 then class for all 1300-1900 thur- group b clinical 0600-1200 then class for all1300- 1900 fri- group a clinical 0600-1500, group b off for three day weekend/ no classes on fri. the following week group b has clinical m_w_f while group a has clinical t_th. classes are always from 1300-whenever 5_6_7_or_8pm. and everyday there is a quiz or test for each class! every 2wks i get a 3 day weekend to study "some" and spend with my family. my wife feels like a single mom of 4 kids from ages 9_7_6_4 currently. i get shafted if i study too much so i first spend some time with her then study when she goes to bed at 12am. i get to sleep in just about every other day. i don't study as much as my classmates though. i still have around a 3.7 or something like that. who cares, this is a terminal degree:yeah: we get grades for some easier courses and clinical which help my overall gpa. next month i will start my senior rotations and will be done with classes:bugeyes:. my schedule will vary at each hospital but basically i will be at the hospital from 0600-0630 and leave when they say i can. do not ever ask to go home early or you will raise some flags!! go and be useful to the site. some sites let us run our own rooms. that means an mda or crna will be with us on induction and emergence only. the rest is up to us to handle unless we call for help or get into trouble. some of our junior rotations give us autonomy too but only a couple sites. we also pull call in addition to the classes at 3 of the sites. some people told me the classes would get easier later in the year but actually, we just got use to the daily beatings of class and testing. you will adapt. i waited soooo long to go to school and now i am just glad to be here. good times! for those of you with families- i don't know how to let your loved ones mentally prepare. my wife is a nurse and i expected her to be fully supportive (as she is kinda) but she has emotions like all women and has a hard time dealing with not working to take care of the kids and being 400 miles away from home. just make sure, no matter how hard it is, to put aside one day at least for your family. good luck everyone. we can do this.

That's just a legal hoop since they cannot verify your legally protected RN name. They love the implication of critical care nurse though. However, the site's fine print reveals it reveals hidden and legally protected name of " clam chowder reeking nincompoop" since RN was already taken and means registered nincompoop. The legal battles ensue.

CRNA2BKY, Most ICU nurses know how you feel. When I started in the unit I was young -24- and new without the benefit of a real ICU course. I was put me on night shift with only 3 or 4 weeks of orientation. The worst part about it was the hateful crew that was unsupportive and wasted their own energy to try and break me down. My stomach was in knots for the duration of 5 12hr shifts in a row with them every 2wks. Nurses on day shift quite because of the stress of giving report at shift change ( no exaggeration). I have no idea why I endured 1.5 years on that same shift. It was lonely because there was no extra help( taking 2 very sick or 3 pt's:uhoh3:) since all the nurses in town knew about them and when not to work. The unit was a general ICU so I had to cram the knowledge of neuro, medical, and surgical patients. Okay, enough of that dreaded beginning. Fast forward 11 yrs and now I am so close to becoming a senior nurse anesthetist intern. That early experience gave me the abs of steel to shake many of the haters I have worked with in nursing and anesthesia. The more hell they give me- the more I can say bring it- is that all you got? I know, it sounds like cheese but I believe that ICU experience is crucial in becoming a good anesthetist. You will meet a lot of interesting and sometimes hateful CRNA's as well as MDA's, surgeons, and even the circulators. I just smie and say thank you, you are so helpful. ( bring it on! in my head as a student of course!) I advise you to stay and gain as much valuable experience as you can. Use those residents to teach you; I would have started in a teaching instituition if I knew about the difference of a private hospital. My classmates with only 1 yr experience are smart enough to handle the schooling but inexperienced in gut reactions and identifying some things that happen with their patients. Although some are very good too. This schooling would be much tougher for me if I did'nt have the time I spent in the unit. I have been impressed with the skill level of many of the CRNA's I have worked with. They look like they are unengaged texting, soduku but know and hear every single thing happening; it's freaky sometimes. Not only is anesthesia less stressful on a day to day basis but it's way more fun :wink2::nuke:. Like someone mentioned earlier, it can be very stressful --10x more than what you have experienced in the unit at times. Anesthesia's motto is , "they have no idea what we do - look smooth!" Anesthetists make it look easy because they are very good at what they do. Hang in there. The process of becoming a CRNA sucks a$$ sometimes, but I know the career is worth the effort. If you go to that little cozy community unit you risk becoming one of the many h8n nurses who say, " I was going to be a CRNA but..."

Jillybean, Stop worrying about what people are going to think and the social aspect of it. I have classmates from 23-52. Go ahead and apply. The worst is you will gain some valuable knowledge and have to wait a year if you don't get accepted (while gaining even more valuable experience in clinical decision making). I think some of my younger classmates are immature and lazy but I still respect them. There are some very smart young minds in my class. Don't worry about the loans. You will be compensated enough to pay them off. Some groups offer huge 50-80K to pay off loans and still offer a great salary on top of the bonus. While you observe this summer you will see most CRNA's are satisfied with their careers. I asked many when I was researching and never found one disappointed soul. However, I did know of too many unhappy ICU/floor nurses. So if you are ready to sweat some blood go for it. I will never again miss my other nursing jobs! Anesthesia is way more fun.

MTSA is a great program. It is the only regional accredited stand-alone anesthesia school, the second largest of all the schools at 72 students. It is an anesthesia machine. You get a MS degree (none of those fluff nursing courses wiht MSN). It is a Christian based school. Clinicals start after 8 weeks at up to 23 clinical sites. I will go to 15 by graduation. Class average from 1000-1400 cases in all diciplines. The school actually wants you to succeed.

MTSA is a good program that offers various clinical experiences around Nashville with a possible 4-5mos of away clinicals. MTSA weighs heavily on their interviews. You can get an interview with a GPA of at least 3.0. That's great if you was not gpa friendly like me. You get 10 min in an interview of about 12 people staring at you listening to your presentation and then asking you a couple of questions. MTSA has their handbook online which has more than enough info about the school. http://www.mtsa.edu/admissions/catalog/

I have some classmates with FNP and ACNP degrees. One got her degree just to get accepted into our program. The others did not have much quality ICU experience and have to start with the rest of us. But some schools that offer an MSN as opposed to a MS will waive some of those fluff nursing courses but only one or two at most. Don't waste anymore time on additional classes. When you have good GPA's with a graduate degree it shows you can do graduate level work.

My friend's income was similar to mine and I was making around 75000 at an Army hospital. He was a Captain at the time. As a CRNA in the Army he is making low 110000-115000, and the army paid him while he went to school + no tuition. But he owes 4yrs of service. Keep in mind that the military program is the hardest one around with an attrition rate of 20%!! If you finish the didactic portion in the first year and then step into clinical hell and quit the first week then you still owe the Army 4yrs. They will put you in the unit and an overseas tour as well. You will receive an excellent education though. The VA offers a softer program that has the didactic portion with the military and then clinical mostly in Augsta, Ga with some on the Army base. You get your salary while you go to school and owe the VA 3yrs at which ever VA sponsored you. But you have to be working at the VA for a year when you apply. Not many people apply. I talked to the asst chief, Star, and she told me (a couple years now) less than 10 people apply for 3-4 slots.

That's true that admin treats you like a credit card bill as a regular staff nurse but there's more to the story. I worked 10yrs before starting anesthesia school and thought everyone loved anesthesia. Not so. In the OR it's always our fault no matter the circumstance from the circulators to scrubs to the surgeons and even anesthesia techs. There are a lot of jealous people who think they should be doing our job. They are better than us and hate that we are making a killing (or going to). But for some reason, the doctors deserve good pay but not anesthesia. The income has shrunk and so has the job availability currently. There is an anesthesia group in Nashville that use to pay for schooling once a student was accepted into school but not currently. Starting pay in Nashville and Atlanta is humming around 110000 if you actually find a job. Locum tenums (PRN) is non-existant unless you go over an hour or more away. I love practicing anesthesia. It's an enjoyable career. After I pay off nearly 60,000 in school tuition and over 150,000 family living expenses because of no work with school, then I will enjoy the income.

MTSA has received a 10 year COA accredidation.

I wasted some time. At that particular school the director once told us undergrad students at the time he was only interested in nurses with 10-15 yrs experience. So I worked awhile for experience and life happened. 10yrs later I was worried about approaching the too old age for the school since the new director did not like the "numbers" from the older students. Go figure. As I posted earlier, the older students at my school 30's-50's are doing just fine.

Anywhere you can get a variety of sick patients and lots ot titrateable drips. Micu/Sicu/openheart. The DOD is great with better working conditions than the civilan side usually. Some units like Ft Gordon usually give only one patient no matter the acuity which leaves some time to learn what and why you are doing what you are doing. Beaumont in TX has a level one trauma wich is like a civilian hosp. But Ft Benning would be a bad choice since it doesn't have a real ICU. Also, work in a teaching hospital because there will always be a resident around that can help teach you. Sometimes you become the teacher. The DOD will also pay for your undergrad schooling and send you to conferences on TDY and pay for your CCRN class/test on scheduled work days. The ADN-BSN part was hard and dreary for me. I like the CRNA schooling better even if it is more demanding. Good luck on your journey. Stay focused, you can do it.

There are some programs that grant MS degrees which require a BS or BSN. The MSN programs are going to require a BSN. Look up MTSA. A MS degree means no fluff nursing courses like nursing theory.

You definitely have some research to do. Be ready for a life challenge like no other. You have to really really want to do this! Don't buy any big purchases and be ready for those Ramen noodles again. There are NPs in my class and they say that program doesn't come close to what they are going through now. However, it can be done. I have met idiots that have made it through and they inspire me.. If he can do it, so can I.

I have classmates from 23 to 52 and some in the middle like me at 34. Everyone is doing just fine so far. I have 10 years exp. and feel very comfortable in clinical so far but evertything will be new to you no matter your exp. You'll do silly things like put on BP cuffs inside-out and forget up from down..hey it can be stressful when everyone in the OR know you are the student with the patient's life in your hands and is watching you very closely. You just want to look smooth. Some schools I know of do not like students over 40 saying they are slower and have a more difficult time learning, tire-out from the 60hr week blah blah blah but I know that's BS for a motivated individual. Someone on an admissions committee told me this info x2 different schools. So go for it but do look at the school's student body to make sure there are some older folks. I don't want you wasting your time. I know of this guy age 52 or 54 that had excellent scores but was rejected for 4yrs in a row. He brought his lawyer to the interview and was accepted. I bet he has a harder time at that school than if he woud have went to a school more accepting of older students.

I waited 10yrs before starting school this Summer. I have classmates form age 23 to 52. Yeah, I wish I was a CRNA by age 25 but that wasn't right timing for me apparently ( God's timing is perfect!). I uprooted my family with 4 kids ages 3-8 about 400+ miles from home. My wife and I had built a beautiful dream home we contracted out as the builder and laborers too. I'm talking 7000sqft under roof,4000sqft finished. My wife is a lpn nurse but she cannot work right now because of the huge transition. I am renting my house out with a loss and using the large equity as a loan source in addition to maxing out all available student loans. My loan debt will be around 200K when all is said and done. I don't worry about since I will have the opportunity to pay it off easily after school. My wife has always known about my desire to go to a good school. (Did I mention I bypassed the school in my home town?) She is aware of the large load and stress that is custom to all anesthesia schools. She has been told by many " it's like you will be a single parent". However, she is also aware of the lifestyle payback it will afford us to actually pay off that house and pay the expenses of 4 kids, more time off etc. I am on my way and could not be happier. I also have some classmates that have made some tough choices like commuting home on weekends so their families would not be uprooted and seem to be doing well. Several have a NP. You have lots of choices and none will be easy..nothing is. Hope this helps. Good luck.

Anesthesiologists have it good compared to other doctors and pay range is 300K to 450K with not much more of a burden of malpractice ~4000-8000yr depending on location. CRNA's also eat cake and icecream with incomes I personally know of 300K to 350K but thats working independently as your own contractor and just a few days off per month. Starting incomes depend on location but expect packages of 150-180K starting out. A CRNA's total school averages at least 7.5yrs including your year of working experience which is just like school since there is so much to learn. I worked icu for 10yrs and still did not learn it all. My nursing anesthesia education is going to cost me a grand total of around 200K. But hey, i'm just rambling. It's hard hard work with a good pay off no matter which route you take. Ask any MDA or CRNA if he is satisfied with his job and you will almost always hear a "yes!".

Excellent! They love strong science gpa's. Go for it. Focus on critical care nursing with lots of drips and sick patients. You can apply before you have one year but I think a little more experience is better. Some programs require 2yrs exp. Keep at least a 3.0 gpa in nursing school. You may have to take the GRE or ACT but no big deal with your science courses. There are a lot of MD's that wish they took the CRNA route as well. Good luck.

Work some prn like mad if you really want to rid it, however, don't let a year pass just because of small debt. In the overall picture, if you finance your education then what's an extra 12000 to the 100K to 200K debt you will have at the end of the program. You will come out starting at 150K easy with a ceiling of 300k range if you work locum tenums frequently. Waiting a year will put you at least 150k in the hole. Get started. What are you waiting for? Deciding on the right time for anesthesia school is like trying to decide the right time to have kids. Besides, many anesthesia groups will sponsor you or pay a bonus to cover the cost of your schooling. 50k range is not unusual.

Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia (MTSA) has a great program. It is christian based and does require taking a religious course, however, you are awarded a MS and not MSN which MSN requires taking extra nursing fluff courses like nursing theory etc. We pray before class with a 15min devotional. The staff and people in the community are very nice and encouraging. Unlike the schools near where I was from, they actually want you to be successful and will help you however you need it. Most students will have well over a 1000 cases- twice as many as some programs. Clinicals start very early-in only 1.5 months into the program. Also, the school is a stand alone institution not tied to the policies of one hospital such as a hospital based school or a large college which allows independent decisions of the anesthesia based board. The school is currently going through the COA renewal accredidation process and is not on probation. I encourage you to contact the school and investigate it further. Their website provides a lot of information including the student handbook. You do not even have to be christian or seventh day adventist to be accepted.

hahaha:rotfl:

Hello lifeisbeautiful, I agree with you. Do not compare "caring, compassion" etc in the same topic with pay- there is no link. I care about my patients, but I also care about making some $$$. Hospitals would still pay me 13.62/hr, my starting pay back in '98 if I was willing. I work in nursing utopia in Augusta. I make over 80000g, I usually take only one patient in ICU wether it's a level2 or level 6 patient, I get cleaned scrubs to wear usually, no parking issues, great people to work with (including the docs:)), 10 paid holidays even if I'm not at work and the list could go on. But the scheduling is poor- who cares. drop me an email. see you soon.

C'mon Peace1! don't be ridiculous. Why are you working towards an RN? Ohh, I see, you want to make more money. Well good for you. congrats on working on a ASN or BSN. You can start out making 22$/hr as a grad RN here in Augusta, GA- remember, your LVN experience does not count as "RN" experience according to administration of most hospitals. Alas, my friend who was a very competent LPN with 8yrs exp just finished getting an ADN and most hospitals did not want to pay for LPN exp. but with a dialogue with other nurses and admin. he's making nearly 30$ base pay. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS BE WORRYING ABOUT WHAT OTHERS MAKE! THIS IS WHY MEN MAKE MORE MONEY- WE TALK ABOUT IT. YOU ARE ALWAYS WORTH MORE JUST AS WELL AS THE HOUSEKEEPER. I spent 6yrs cleaning a nasty autoshop. I chose to change my profession to earn more money and so could the housekeepers. I currently gross about 82000g/yr working a cush 40hr ICU job in Augusta, GA (with 6yrs exp, but that's irrelevant- it's the skill level that is).