LNsrna

I have to admit that I was getting a little concerned during the past couple of days re: TCU's latest flamings. Many thanks to everyone with the positive vibes. Lord knows we need it. In the end I believe it comes down to attitude. As for me, I believe that this is going to be an adventure of a lifetime. Hey TexasCCRN, I loved your signature the first time I saw it (Attitude is the difference between ordeal & adventure) and I like it even more now! Looking forward to meeting everyone out there in Texas.

I applied to 4 programs for 2005. None required handwriting. I scanned all applications into pagemaker and filled my application from within pagemaker. It makes for a very professional presentation. It takes alot more time but it's worth it. My way of thinking was to have as close as possible to perfection. I applied to one program for 2004 and did not get in. After assessing my situation, I decided that nothing short of an "A+" effort would do. I'm happy to say that an A+ effort is allowing me to begin school in August. You are endearvoring into a very competitive environment. Whatever you do, I advise striving for perfection. At a minimum, I would type. Good luck!

It will be pretty stressful being a rookie ICU nurse learning some pretty intense stuff and taking classes which require time and energy. It's possible if you're a natural A student. Depends on the individual. When I was a rookie some 13 years ago, I took off one semester after getting my AS in order to focus on learning ICU. After one semester, I felt I had enough ICU knowledge under my belt to continue working toward my BSN. Be aware that you will be learning to care for critically ill patients. Your patients will be the real deal. As a rookie, this takes an enormous amount of mental energy. Personally, I would wait a couple of years before applying. This will give you plenty of time to bang out all of your prereq's, prepare for GRE, and work on the application process which in itself will take much of your time. Good Luck

By the way, I used Kaplin private tutoring. Very expensive but a good investment. Kaplin has many options for prep. I recommend you look into these options. Also, don't wait to the last moment to prepare. Need to start preparation NOW! September applications are just around the corner and you have alot of work before you.

I, like you, dreaded the GRE. Because of this, I only applied to Kaiser last year. Unfortunately, I wasn't accepted into their program. I can tell that I was pretty devastated. Because of my dread of the GRE, I was not to be in the class of 2006. After some soul searching, I decided that limiting myself in this way was not productive. I have been listening in on this forum for some time and if I've learned anything, it's that becoming a CRNA is very challenging. The GRE is but a small challenge when compared to getting through CRNA school. My advice to everyone out there is to not limit yourself in anyway. Getting into CRNA school is extremely competitive. If you're passionate about becoming a CRNA, you need to do everything you can in order to improve your odds. If you feel you're weak at GRE, do what ever it takes to improve it. In the end, it's about improving your odds. By not taking the GRE, I believe you're decreasing your odds of getting accepted dramatically. As for me, I'm proud to say that I'm a member of TCU's class of 2007 and it wouldn't be possible without the GRE. Do the work necessary to accomplish your dreams. Good luck.

You mentioned other areas that you may be interested in such as surgery, etc. Medicine would certainly be the way to go in this regard. You also mention that you want balance in your life. I would stay away from surgery and the like if this is a priority. Anesthesia, whether it is as a CRNA or MDA is the way to go if you want a life. I work at a large level one facility and have seen several people, primarily female, switch from surgery to anesthesia because of the flexibility it affords them. As for CRNA vs MDA, you can find alot of material by doing searches with key words on this forum. Good luck to you on your great adventure!

Texas Christian University. Start August, 2005.

I work in a Trauma/Surgical ICU at a major medical center and have had several patients who were organ donors (brain dead). I have also witnessed several organ harvests. It's my understanding that a brain dead patient only requires supportive care such as blood pressure, ventilator support, etc., from the MDA/CRNA. No anesthetic gases, hypnotics, etc. After all, the patient is technically dead.

Reviewing the CCRN Core practice questions from the AACN is the only way to go if you're interested in not wasting time and interested in not getting bored. I took the CCRN exam twice in 10 years and this method was perfect for me. Each question has explanations for the right answer and explanations for why the wrong answers were wrong. I believe that the questions are also cross referenced to the CCRN Core book (Huge book that makes me sleepy just thinking about it) if I remember correctly. The advantage to having the huge CCRN Core reference is that if you are completely lost you can review the subject matter in more detail.

TWU will give you an expedited decision if you have been accepted somewhere else. I was told this by TWU's program director.

Being one of those older (ancient) students, I have a little bit of experience in the politics of life. I have respect for some of those who have posted here who are not associated with the CRNA/SRNA/CRNAwanabe club. Some have been informative. That being said, it is easy to be naive about people's intentions. Make no mistake, there are folks out there monitoring us just like we monitor them. There's too much at stake not to.

Thanks skipaway. Just donated on line. By the way everyone, donating on line was very simple and efficient.

Good show chaskist. I applied to only one school last year and did not get accepted. After licking my wounds and reflecting, I regrouped and applied to 4 schools this year and got accepted into my first choice. Never, ever give up. If you are passionate about what you want to become, you will do the work and eventually succeed. Good luck to all.

If you've done your homework, and feel passionate about pursuing your own dream, I say never, ever give up. There's a lifetime in everyday and you many of those ahead ofyou. Good luck!

Sounds like Georgetown is your first choice. If money is the only reason you would consider the alternative, I would go with Georgetown. Your reasons for leaning toward Georgetown make sense to me. My first choice was TCU. As soon as I got my acceptance letter, I dropped all other schools. Congrats on getting accepted and good luck!