Lucy54

Pronunciation is the key. I may not be spelling all of these correctly, but working as a travel nurse in a Los Angeles ER provided me with a few triage phrases that may help. wake up: abre los ojos (open your eyes) abre la boca (open your mouth) respire profundemente (take a deep breath) tiene dolor (do you have pain) then point to throat or surgical site and say "aqui" (here?) hace frio? (are you cold?) Pre-op tiene alerjias a medicinas (do you have any allergies to medications) tiene problemos medicos? (any medical problems?) altopression, diabetes? (high BP, diabetes) tiene dolor in el pecho? (do you have pain in your chest?) tome medicinas (do you take any medications)

I had 4 years of ER experience and a few months of ICU experience before applying to CRNA school. They gave me a pretty hard time for not having a full year of ICU, but I was accepted to the program. Usually depends on the school you're applying to.

That's true! Just goes to show how different all of these programs are. That's why it is really important to speak with the particular school that you plan on applying to before making any big decisions.

zoozoo, you think MICU is better than CCU????? RNCRNA2B, you need ICU experience regardless. In my opinion, CVICU provides the best preparation, but that is just my opinion. Is there not a hospital closer to home that has an ICU position available? You may not be very competitive if you have only "cross-trained" in an ICU, but talk to the school to see if they will still consider you before you make any decisions. Good Luck!

You should meet with the director of the program you plan on applying to and ask what he/she recommends as far as retaking classes. I can tell you from my experience that most programs will reqiure you to have at least a B in all of your science classes, so you may not have a choice. Even having a B average overall probably won't cut it. You will have to replace any C you have with a B or higher before even applying. My view is of course limited to a small area so you should definitely check with the school. Retaking a few classes is a small price to pay! Good Luck!

I was a travel nurse before applying to CRNA school. It can definitely add many positives to your application as previous posters have mentioned. The only thing that was a problem for me, was finding a good reference. You will need a reference from a co-worker and from your current supervisor. As an agency/travel nurse, you don't form those strong, long-term relationships with your co-workers and your nurse manager. While they will probably gladly fill out the reference form, this isn't always enough. Other applicants will have letters from nurse managers that have worked with them for years and know first hand what an excellent person/practicioner they are. You will really need to find someone that will sit down and write a long, sincere letter to the school. It's hard to ask someone that has only known you for a short time to do that, and most schools will want a rec from a current supervisor. I still think the positives outweigh the negatives, but just keep that in mind when you go to apply.

Sent you a PM

How much time you spend in the lab with your cadaver is entirely up to you. Well not entirely.....you will have mandatory hours during class time that you must spend in there. That amount of time is sufficient for some, but no where near enough time for most. At most schools, you will have access to the lab at all hours day and night so you can spend as little or as much time as you want. It's an incredibly challenging course for which you will need multiple resources including atlas', dissection manuals, and if you can find any online dissection videos, they will be extremely helpful. Good luck! Our anatomy teacher likened the class to opening up the yellow pages and memorizing it front to back!

Hey Phishininau, your PM inbox is full. Is that at a hospital in Alabama?

I had been an ER nurse for 3 1/2 years and had about 8 months of ICU under my belt when I applied. They actually did give me a pretty hard time. I had a good GPA and MAT but they didn't like the fact that I only had 8 months of ICU, despite almost 4 years in the ER. I ended up getting in as an alternate. There are some schools that say they will take ER, but if you're up against someone with the same GPA that has ICU experience, they will probably take that person over you. It also depends on your GRE scores, recommendations, and interview skills, but experience probably weighs the most. Get into an ICU asap. Good luck!

I figured you knew that, I just didn't want any other readers to get confused :) sent you a PM

Just a little FYI. Joe Williams is the Program Director for UAB. Michael Humber is the Director of Clinical Education. Wouldn't want anyone to get confused as to who they were interviewing with :) Dr. Williams is the head of the entire Nurse Anesthesia Program, Mr. Humber is the head of the clinical education portion of the program.

It Matters To Me!!! How Insensitive! Risk free? Mr. SWAT, you know absolutely nothing about my career and I know nothing about yours, but I'm not on a SWAT team member post now am i? Do you even know that all of us put in many years working as RN's in an ICU and then spend thousands of dollars trying to further our knowledge to insure YOUR safety when you need a life saving procedure. What you do is very honorable and YES you should be paid better, I'm not bashing your career, so please stop bashing mine. And wishing that I get sued........I would never wish that on anyone

Hey Kiteman, I don't know what you do for a living, but get back to us when you've put in 45 years of practice with people's lives in your hands. I'd love to see you sweat when someone's airway is gone and everyone looks to you to get a tube down their throat to save their life. Or when their blood pressure bottoms out to a level that is incompatible with life and YOU are the person who has to decide, within seconds, what drug to give to save them. Seriously, who are you to "put someone in their place" You do your job and we'll stick to ours. Are you a CRNA?? Obviously not or you would NEVER criticize an older, most intelligent practictioner who was just giving insight to a young person trying to decide what they want to do with their life. You need to go back and read that post again with a little less preconcieved bias.

1) front loaded program (all classwork for 2 semesters and then 18 months of clinical rotations), very high intensity. 2) Instructors are all highly qualified experts in their clinical field. The curriculum is very challenging, and you are required to maintain a B average. 3) Strengths are numerous, but a couple off hand are: flexibility of clinical sites in and around Birmingham and also in several other parts of the state; UAB has an incredible reputation for all aspects of medicine and the CRNA program has proven itself as one of the best for many, many years . Only weakness I can think of is that your class size is very large 60-70 students. I think Samford only has about 25. 4) It is a very competitive program. Make sure you have plenty of critical care experience and at least a 3.5 GPA (they ask for a 3.0, but you really need a 3.5 to rank among most applicants) Good luck!

I see what you mean. If you take the BSN route and then don't get into CRNA school, are you going to regret not going ahead and getting your MSN (nurse educator) in 1 year when you had the chance. If you really want to be a CRNA and don't get in your first try, you just keep trying! You will get in eventually. It is competitve, but you still have a few years of school left to get your grades up and make it happen. I think the majority of the applicants for CRNA schools across the country have a BSN only. Out of 70 people in my class, only 4 are already master's degree nurses (NP's). The ages range from 26-50 years old. I don't know how old you are, but you have plenty of time. If it were me, I'd say, I'm going to be a CRNA and I'm not going to waste another year on school and tuition that could be spent in the ICU and applying to CRNA school. It's a tough decision. Good luck.

To be honest, I would not spend the extra tuition and time it takes to obtain 2 master's degrees. Right now it sounds like you just know you want to obtain a Master's one day, but have no idea which route to take. Nurse educator and CRNA are 2 COMPLETELY different professions. Wait until you are out in the clinical world and shadow a CRNA and a nurse educator, then make your decision. I don't see any way it would benefit you to do both unless you just wanted both degrees and the extra knowledge.

Interview at UAB was very laid back. I don't remember being asked any clinical questions. Mainly stuff like "why do you want to be a CRNA?" "Tell us a little about your nursing experience?" (this is a good one to throw in some clinical information just to let them know you know your stuff) "What do you think will be your biggest challenge during school?" "What have you done to prepare for this program?" "What are your strengths and weaknesses?" etc. I can't think of any more right now. The director is very calm and nice, he will basically look over your transcripts and work history, and he might ask you a few questions about that, but his interview is very short. You'll have 4-5 interviews that day, each lasting 5-10 minutes. Just relax, dress nice, and be professional, sell yourself. Good Luck.

Never give up on something you really want. It may take a little longer than you had hoped, but it's still an obtainable goal. Re-take those C classes, and get into an ICU ASAP. In the meantime, set up an appt. to meet with the director of the programs you hope to apply to. Ask questions about their program, it's requirements, length of study, classes you'll be taking, etc. This is just a really good way to get your face recognized prior to interviewing. They'll remember your face and know that this is something you've thought long and hard about and really want. Good Luck.

Just a little funny story pertaining to titles. I graduated from nursing school and immediately started a preceptorship in the ER while awaiting my NCLEX results. My badge read NGRNP (new graduate registered nurse practicing) I coulnd't believe they put that on my badge. Every time someone would ask me what it stood for, the nurses would say, "new girl, really needs practice"!! Oh well, I've recovered, and now I'm back in school with another student title. Just for the record, I'd rather be known as a Nurse Anesthesia Resident, but my school uses SRNA.

Corvette Guy, some schools will still let you in with a GRE score that does not meet their requirements. They realize that the GRE is a standardized test meant to test your ability to be successfull in ANY graduate program. It is not focused toward any particular degree. Some schools will let you in on a probationary status which means you have to maintain a B average in every class (not just in the program overall). I don't know too many details and it will of course be different for every school, but if you're worried about your GRE scores this would definitely be a question to ask an advisor. As for schools that will waive the GRE, Georgetown is the only one I can think of.

I'm in my first semester but I'll tell you what I know. My program is front loaded, meaning we do all classwork for the first 2 semesters and then start clinicals. We start in August and take 16 hours of classes during the fall, and 15 during the spring, then we have a May miniterm and start clinicals in June. No summer vacation This doesn't account for the endless hours of studying and lab time, so don't be misled. If you want to know what classes you'll be taking, check the websites of the schools you will be applying to. They will list the classes for you and also explain how the semester should flow. Good Luck!

I know this was posted a while ago, but I also understand the stress of being a nurse with a DUI, so I figured you might still want some information. My husband and I are both nurses. He was already a nurse when he recieved a DUI in California just prior to renewing his Alabama liscence. He completed all his classes, paid his fine and kept proof of everything. When it was time to renew, he disclosed the incident and sent copies of absolutely everything he had that documented his cooperation during the entire process. Since the arrest he has recieved a nursing liscence in 3 other states (we were travel nurses at the time). You should still be able to become a nurse. You will need lots of documentation of the incident and also letters of reference from 2 or 3 people. Most importantly, do not attempt to falsify anything. If you are honest about your past, your future should not be compromised. Unfortunately, you will have to disclose the incident on every job application you ever fill out, but my husband has held multiple jobs and has never been questioned about any of it as long as it was disclosed on his application. Hope this helps. Good Luck!

I've used Progressive Nursing and ConTemporary Nursing. Both good agencies to work for.

I am currently attending a CRNA program in Alabama and need a way to supplement my income with some per diem type work. I have never worked in Alabama so I don't have a hospital that knows me to let me work like that. Does anyone know of any agencies that will let you give your days of availability and call you if you're needed during that time. I was a travel nurse for years and even did some agency/contract work during that time but I was always in a big city with lots of opportunities. I haven't been able to find any of those opportunities in Alabama. Any info would be helpful. I just want a place where I can come in, work 12 hours and make a little extra cash during the times that I'm not having to study too much. I want to work where I want, when I want and I want to be able to name my price. I mean, is that too much to ask?? Can you feel the sarcasm? I'm kidding, but any info would be helpful! Thanks!