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Hi! Some CRNA programs don't count ED or NICU as critical care experience due to the fact you're not titrating drips or monitoring a variety of comorbidities (ie heart failure or respiratory failure). For example, have you ever seen ST elevation, pulmonary edema, felt with unstable new onset cardiac arrhythmia, etc. and known how to handle it? Probably not on NICU. I would say Cardiovascular ICU is the best experience. Other than that Med ICU or surgical ICU are good too. NICU has a reputation for mostly growing babies, and that's not critical care at all. Even if they are NICU status.

WyHunt- I'm actually having a hard time remember ing my interview now that it has been so long... 7 years I think?... anyway... I believe they are looking at personal attributes, not academic attributes, when it comes to the interview. They can teach you if you are motivated to learn. But there is more to being a good candidate than motivation to learn. Have you been able to come up with a financial plan/prepared financially for school since you can't work. Have you thought about plans regarding any other responsibilities you may have (like childcare if you have children)? Are you willing to admit when you make mistakes and actively seek out a way to rectify? Do you REALLY know what it means to be a nurse anesthetist? Have you shadowed enough to understand? That type of thing. It really is a "get to know you" type interview and I believe to a certain extent they pick personalities that will mesh well in the class since you spend A LOT of time together. Hope that helps.

Yep, it sends an email to me whenever someone posts on this thread. Glad you found the thread helpful.

Congrats! As far as what to bring, I would just bring a copy of your application, CV, essay, etc. in case they for some reason don't have that or misplaced it. They really do read the essays. That's how they narrow down who to interview among equally qualified applicants. As far as types of questions- nothing clinical. They figure your application and credentials speak for themselves and they can teach you what you need to know anesthesia-wise. Their interview questions are more "get to know you" questions. What is your motivation for applying, do you understand what it means to be a CRNA, have you mentally, financially prepared for this endeavor, how do you deal with conflict. Just be super polite, respectful, and answer as best you can. Good luck ?

I'm graduating next month from Clarkson College. I hear "Clarkson students outshine Bryan and Mount Marty students" lol I think it's just a competition between schools type of thing. Our "skyped" lecture was our pharmacology lecture. From Dr. Nagelhout in California. Many CRNA programs used him as their pharmacology teacher. Why? Oh, well. You know, he just happens to be the guy who wrote the Nurse Anesthesia textbook. Literally. One of the core textbooks you will use (and all other CRNA programs use) is Nurse Anesthesia by Dr. Nagelhout... but you don't have to worry about that. My class was the last class he taught because he retired. I'm not exactly sure what they do now for pharmacology lectures. I enjoyed the "skyped" lectures because I could watch at home (they didn't make you watch on campus) and you could replay them, pause them, or rewind if you needed. Clarkson is front loaded. Bryan is side loaded. That's their main difference. Think about how you learn and your learning style and chose a program based on that. Clarkson's clinicals are 18 months. Don't count in semesters because there are no "semesters" when you start clinical. Just a M-F (sometimes weekend, sometimes call) schedule with only major holidays off (sometimes you are in clinical on those days too). Bryan's campus is nicer than Clarkson's but both programs will adequately prep you for clinicals and a lifetime career in Nurse Anesthesia.

I'm an ICU nurse whose Grandpa is not doing so good. My family's plan of care for him is to take him home on hospice. However, he's on levophed. Does anyone know if he can be discharged with a bag of levophed, I can run it, and we can take him home (ideally, take him to his pontoon boat and spend the day on the water and let him pass when the bag of levo runs dry)? I know palliative care teams in the past seem to do some unconventional things in the name of comfort and good deaths.

I think bottom line is to keep shadowing, get your ICU RN experience, and go from there. I think the advisor is probably just tired of people saying "CRNA" because of the salary. There is a small percentage of CRNAs who hate their job (too boring) and as soon as they pay off their debts, they change careers.

I know there are a lot of SRNA hopefuls on this forum, but this topic is specifically for those who have been accepted to or are in a program (SRNAs and future SRNAs). So, I'm only just starting my second semester of a front loaded program, but you know what they say. You have to start studying for the NCE exam as soon as possible. Preferably yesterday, LOL. Anyway, I noticed in my first semester, I put a lot of effort into the Advanced Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathophysiology class because it was worth 6 credits. And it's really tough, detailed, and good info to know. But I really just glided through my "Basics of Anesthesia" class, doing the readings, but not really putting in my best effort, just studying enough to pass on exams. My out of class studying probably was 90% APP and 10% the rest (Pharmacology, Basics of Anesthesia, Scientific Principles, etc). On Winter Break, I decided to look up the CONTENT on the NCE (and SEE) exams. Guess what. It's only about 12.5% APP, and 30% "Basics of Anesthesia." And something else I noticed, my whole curriculum is, essentially, derived from the NCE exam content (thank you Clarkson College!). To make a long story short, before putting a lot of work into one subject based on the credit hours, make sure you know what is going to be on the exam, and how much each subject makes up on the exam. Yes, I know that APP is a foundation for most of the "Basic" and "Advanced" principles of anesthesia, but it might be more prudent to put more effort into the portion of the NCE that is weighted the heaviest. And if you get to an APP concept while studying "Basics" or "Advanced" principles, stop and look it up to fully understand the concept. Also, note that the content wording and exam content has changed a bit, as of the first of January. So if you've downloaded the content before, I would suggest downloading the new content. Any thoughts, comments, concerns?

If you know you are weaker in some anatomy/physiology/pathophysiology areas (neuro for me), I would look at those chapters in the books you are assigned. And watch YouTube videos on the concepts. My program started off with neuro right off the bat. Luckily I had talked with some professors and knew the reading assignments a month before school started. I also had a shoulder injury, so I couldn't work and was bored. Long story short, I studied neuro ahead of time and it really paid off when we did start school. Because w anesthesia, everything relates back to neuro. Other bits of advice: work as much as you can and also take a vacation or mini vacation to relax before school. Spend time with friends and family, especially if you have kids or a spouse.

Well, no one warned us so we took it at Clarkson :/

I think they don't give a number b/c if they need to pull off the waitlist, they get together and thoroughly discuss who to pull. I was originally waitlisted. I asked yesterday what made them pull me off the waitlist, and they said they would never tell. So, my best advise is to take graduate level research on your own (not through Clarkson). Then, if you get pulled from the waitlist, you have the toughest class done and it would apply to the program you are currently accepted at. If you get accepted past January, it would be too late to take the stats class, but that is only a Clarkson requirement, I think. Anyway, that's how I would do it. It's tough being in limbo.

That's so awesome! Email me at [email protected] or at [email protected] Both accounts go straight to my phone and I would love to answer any questions you might have.

My program has 15 people, mostly aged 26-30 with two people >40.

Part of CRNA school is being in charge of your learning. What that means is you will not be spoon fed the material. So, look at the question you just asked. You're asking to be spoon fed the answer. There are many resources out there that will answer your general questions. Even in this forum, these VERY BASIC answers have been answered multiple times. Another good resource is allcrnaschools.com

Anyone get notified of acceptance? We were talking to our instructors today and they have selected 15, 3 of which they are still waiting to hear back from the individuals whether they've accepted or not. I don't believe they've notified the waitlistees. But if you've been accepted, you should hear by now.