WhiffOfGas

I feel compelled to share my experience over the last 48hrs as a post of hope for those who are in the midst of their wait, or who are about to take boards. On 12/28/16 I took NCLEX. Awful is an understatement. I received 110 questions, and virtually all the questions I could remember, I missed. I sat in the parking lot for quite a while. While I sat, I googled my last question. I had heard, if you can actually remember and look it up, you'll know you passed based on whether you answered correctly. Suddenly excited, I realized I had gotten the last question right. It was literally the only question I could remember that I didn't miss. It an insanely uplifting realization! But then, doom and gloom set in, and I remembered what Hurst said: It's possible to get a pilot question as your last question, so this "strategy" to predict whether or not you passed is a myth. Shucks. So then I thought about how many "select all that apply" questions I got. Not many. I couldn't remember, but it probably wasn't more than a handful. I thought about what level my final questions might have been (were they hard or simple). I got the last question right and missed all the others I could remember, so they must've been simple. Right? So, like many posters here at AllNurses, I decided to use the almighty "PVT" to try to re-register for the exam when I got home a few hours later. Sure, I've read one or two stories about it not working, but there are lots of posts on the internet that purport its infallibility. So, I used a card that had less than $200 on it (gotta to love that student salary!), and Pearson let me re-register. No "good pop-up." It was devastating. It confirmed what I already knew to be true: I failed. The last years of my life felt like they all rested on this one exam, and I had failed. It was absolutely devastating. BUT, not quite as traumatizing as what I did next. You see, I read that the Texas Board of Nurses updates its site at 9am on Tues/Thurs. Theoretically, if I passed, my name would pop-up. I took my test Wednesday 12/28 at 9am. Thursday morning, my suspicions would be confirmed; it seemed like lots of people were saying it works. At 0900 on the head, I checked. No name. I checked again and again throughout the day. Still no name. It was yet another sign that I had failed. It was being spelled out right in front of me. In fact, I was so crestfallen, I immediately went to my supervisor and asked for the next day off: I couldn't be at work when I received the Quick Results. I also knew there was no way I wouldn't check the Quick Results as soon as they became available. I told him I had a family matter to attend to, and was given the next day off. I spent the latter half of yesterday tearful. The pressure was immense, and my mind wasn't helping things. Why do I tell you this? Because, just now, a little over 48hrs after finishing the test, I purchased the Quick Results. To my shock, I passed. I write this because there was a post in February from an individual who also tried "the trick", and it didn't work. She ended up passing. While my frantic mind partly wrote that off as "one in a million" (there's even a website called "150,000 people can't be wrong"), it managed to give me an inkling of hope. It is my hope that this post will do that for someone. And that it will show that, even if you get more than 75 questions and the PVT doesn't give you that famed "good pop up" and even if you also look up your name on the BON website and it doesn't appear... don't fret. In fact, don't even do those things. Your mind does crazy things in that 48hr window. I read someone profoundly call it "paralysis by analysis." Well, it's true. And, at this very moment, it doesn't feel like hyperbole to say I traumatized myself. Moral of the story: You're gonna have to wait no matter how you slice it. Try your best to contain yourself. Watch a silly movie, if that's your thing. I chose a serious movie (to capture the mood), and had copious amounts of red wine. I still also went crazy trying to predict whether or not I passed this crazy test, and that was a bad idea. For those of you reading who just took -or are about to take- NCLEX, this is a lesson in patience. After your test shuts off, it's out of your hands. And, yes, it feels like the worst. But, take it from me, save the angst and devastation of chancing the PVT and/or checking for your name. Sure, these tactics might work for you, but it's totally not worth it. As someone who did both and had both let me down, it has finally dawned on me that it was truly out of my control this whole time. All you can do is your best. There's no "real" prediction. There's no way to know. And it sucks. But 48hrs will pass eventually.

Throwing in my two cents of observation because I'm interested in the responses too: The CRNA phone is the one we call when we need a central line in the unit (20bed) -and that's fairly often. When I worked as a PACU tech, a lot of the patients had PNBs done by the CRNAs back in the OR. It was my understanding that, if they couldn't get it -or weren't comfortable- one of the MDAs would do it. PA caths are typically done by the docs (or this has been my observation), but it could be because we just don't have/do a lot here. Overall, our CRNAs pretty much do everything! They're our anesthesia on-call, and there isn't always an MDA in house. They're amazing individuals!! I work in a suburban facility (100 beds), so it may not be particularly insightful. But... I thought I would offer up my observation anyway.

Friend of mine just texted that she received a letter... Sounds like some of us might be finding out today!!!

KL emailed me the info after I asked her advice last semester on ways to increase my chances in the future; she told me to take Micro and and Art Appreciation over the summer, gave me some feedback on my transcript, and sent me the changes as sort of an FYI. Like I said in a previous post, she may come off short sometimes, but she's really kind and helpful (at least when she's not busy LOL!). As far as being posted online, I imagine they wouldn't be posted on the website yet because no one can apply for those slots yet. However, if it's any consolation, I was sent an "official flyer" so it's not a secret or anything. Also, possibly worthy of note, I hear through the grapevine that KL could be leaving WC soon; I heard she has a pretty excellent opportunity in the education dept at JPS. But, the latter is just hearsay I can't confirm. @JLT5 If PM is an option on AllNurses (I've never done it before), you can PM me your email, and I'll forward the flyer. Best of luck to you!! As with all things: when there's a will, there's a way -you can do it!! @Tsouthern: I completely agree with your remarks! Actually, I was kind of upset last semester because I knew of two classmates who had several more classes than I did -but whose grades were worse- and had more points; honestly, I even complained and was like, look I'm a 4.0 student, and some of these students have more points because of class volume... so, I guess I understand the changes, but now that I'm finishing up all the BSN pre-reqs, I'm like: Don't change it yet, I take back my complaints!! Haha! As far as this semester: I'm loving Nutrition so far! We watched the movie Forks Over Knives to get us into the class, and he said a large chunk of our grade is going to be participation-based; he said on the first day, "I believe a discussion-based model is the format where students take the most away. If you don't participate, you probably won't come out of here with an A." We're actually going to have some of his dietitians friends from the hospital come in a few weeks and talk about how they tailor diets for patients with certain diseases/disorders and why, and another day we're going to discuss how nutrition can actually cure/aide issues like depression and anxiety (because of the neurotransmitters certain foods -like citrus- affect). In fact, after watching the documentary, our discussion was about the implications and connections of cancer and the Western Diet. Granted, he says we'll probably spend a whole class on just diabetes, but I think the other material is enough to get us interested; I have a really good feeling about this professor/class. Hopefully yours gets better -it seems like a class with real potential! And a lot of people really enjoy the professor you have, so hopefully it's not too bad. Now, that said, I'm also taking humanities this semester, and that's kicking my butt!! I was complaining a little while back that I had no time to read for pleasure anymore, so I figured taking a literature class would fix that... and then, my first assignment was to read this long (and somewhat boring) story in Old English!! Professor is amazing, but I was like: This is NOT quite what I had in mind! LMAO! I have a feeling that receiving a packet/letter in the mail will re-motivate me/us though!!

Yes! It's changing a lot! The focus is moving primarily to the TEAS (it'll be something like: score 83-86 on your composite score and get 8 points, 87-89 you get 11 points , and 90-95 is 15 points). That's an example. There's a few other things (like pre-reqs and co-reqs still being worth a few points and BSN classes still being worth points) that are the same, but, yeh. Things are changing. And I, for one, had a rough time with the TEAS (I passed both times, but my scores weren't anywhere near what I'm used to making on tests) -which is part of the reason why I'm hoping to get in this coming spring.

Maybe this will help explain: I was told, when applications were first turned in, that they wouldn't be getting to them until the first week or two into fall semester (which would be about now). She said something about changing buildings and offices and settling in the fall class and expecting a number of spring applicants before the point system changes again. Hopefully, like @Tesouthern said, she's just saying that she "doesn't know" or that it will take several more weeks to try to tide us over. Last fall (and I could be mistaken, so don't hold me to it), I feel like they told us that it could be several more weeks, and BAM! we ended up getting mail two days later. Whatever the case may be, History exploded onto my schedule and I'm getting antsy because only one class this semester is directly related to nursing/science. You'd think it'd be easier now that classes have started, but, in fact, I find my thoughts pervaded with anticipation now more than ever! I'm thinking, hands down, it's going to be the week of the 8th. Like many previous posters said: it's just a matter of sifting through applications and tallying points (and a lot of us, I think, applied in the fall, so it shouldn't be too challenging). Hopefully, that's it. Two weeks. We've waited this long. And we've worked toward this a lot longer than that. WE CAN DO IT!!!!! (Just, please, let us get word soon!)

Hopefully everyone's having a good start to their semester! I'm now VERY ready (though, I've been very ready) to get a packet/letter in the mail! I just thought I'd throw that out there; patience certainly isn't my strong suit.

I love that you shared this!!!!! It helps knowing a more narrow range than "six weeks"!

Haha! Well, thank you! I concur: hopefully, in a few short weeks, we'll be getting those packets (and NOT letters )! Don't sweat not coming to WCWC for Nutrition. I've had a number of classmates who've taken Ibe, and they swear he's a genius. It sounds like you'll be in very good hands. On a side note, having an MD for A&P sounds ridiculously awesome --that is someone's brain I would like to pick! I'm jealous!! Especially because it's someone who is/was in the field we're wanting to go in (or at least pretty much as close as it gets) teaching something intrinsic to said field. Also, I totally don't blame you on the convenience thing; I'm the same way! Sometimes, it's the most important thing... and being someone who takes coffee with me to class -even to afternoon classes- I totally wouldn't want to wake up and take the exact same class further away (unless the prof was just dreadful at the nearby campus) LOL! I too am quite scattered, so I totally get the typo. A part of me (though I've been waiting with bated breath for the next opportunity to apply to the RN program) is shocked that it's already almost 2015 to begin with! Hopefully, everything works out and we're all able to get into our top choice! Well, another week down. It'll be time before me know it!!

This coming semester looks like history and government exploded onto my schedule; I am taking every history I need (1302, 2306, and I'm retaking 2305 for a better grade --I took it online the first time which turned out to be a mistake, and it jacked up my GPA). I am also taking Nutrition (which I'm kind of excited about because they have an MD coming to WCWC to teach it), and Humanities (literature). After this fall, I will only have stats left as far, as BSN classes go. No, in answer to the second question, I am not planning on applying anywhere else at this time. Weatherford is incredibly convenient because it's very close, classroom sizes are small, and because everything will transfer to TX Tech (where I will be getting my BSN). I have a very definitive plan, and Weatherford's RN program is very much a part of that plan. Granted, having said that, if I am passed over this spring, I might consider Midwestern or another school or two. But, because of my current employer and many other circumstances, attending a school that is close -and because getting my RN as soon as possible is a big priority- Weatherford my top choice. It could all change, but, as of now, Weatherford is the only program I'm applying to. @Tesouthern, where are you taking your Nutrition class? Last term, they had Ebee (sp?) teaching. This fall, I hear the guy that's coming to WCWC to teach the class is an MD who's gone rouge and has decided to teach in his free time (which makes me kind of excited). Also, I think you have a very smart plan; with everything you've said you have going in your life, Weatherford does sound like the best option. Plus, having said that, I think you sound like the type of person I'd like to have as a classmate:yes: You said something about TCC in spring of 2014 in your prior post, but, since that has already passed, I assume you meant next year? In my opinion, I think the bridge is the ideal option --especially considering that we can already be working as nurses while we do it, and because it is all online. Most of my coworkers tell me the bridge is mostly just writing and putting your understanding of evidence-based-practice to work by showing that you know how to apply it; a friend of mine obtained her BSN from Tech in a little under 7 months (so, at least in her case, it was faster to do ADN to BSN as opposed to straight BSN).

Haha! Too funny! It sounds like you have the Discovery Channel LIVE at your house LOL! It's interesting, to me, that even though you explored teaching, you're still pursuing a career field where you're influencing others --which I find quite powerful! Kudos to you for going after nursing --especially with a family! I have a lot of respect for that; it's just me and my partner and our dogs (and two cats), and I can only imagine... I once met a woman in my A&P class who had a toddler, worked full-time, and was in school full-time... totally blew my mind. How courageous! I admire people who have the wherewithal to chase their passions, no matter their family situation or personal circumstances! I guess, obviously, I'll go next. I'm 25. I enrolled last fall. I will have all of my BSN pre-reqs complete by the end of this coming fall semester (except stats --math and I don't get along so well). Before now, I was never very good at school. In fact, I sometimes look back at high school, and wonder how I didn't flunk out LOL! Goes to show how much merit there is to the "direction" and "motivation" factor. With regards to me and nursing specifically: honestly, I never really entertained the idea of being a nurse until I started working in a hospital. I always saw myself doing something a little more creative, and thought, if I ever went to college, I would end up as a humanities or English major. But, as fate would have it, I ended up in the anesthesia department, and I realized how excited I was to go to work every day. "Anesthesia nurses are the creative adrenaline junkies of the nursing world," I was once told, and this is a large part of why it is so appealing to me. Working in the department, I glimpsed how autonomous, hardcore, high-intensity, and brilliant the anesthesia nurses I worked for were, and how much of a difference they could make in their patients lives. These factors captivated me! Something clicked. I realized that I wanted to do -and could do- what they did. So, I enrolled at WC. A few other tidbits: I'm big on building people up, and taking things one step at a time (but keeping an eye on the prize). I am very independent, and I also like helping others. I generally keep to myself, but others describe me as being very social. I am one of those who believes that we are only as strong as our greatest weakness, and I also pride myself on believing that in order for me to win, it is not necessary for others to fail (the whole "In order to win, someone must fail" mindset of some people is appalling to me). This is not my first time to apply to the RN program. I applied for the WC Fall 2014 program with just my pre-reqs and a couple BSN classes completed, and I was passed over. It was devastating. HOWEVER, it was a learning experience. I finally understood: big things in life don't always happen on my time. So, I've applied again for the spring, and we'll see what happens. I firmly believe in following passion. I believe this is a field where passion is the very thing that generates success --passion for taking care of people, passion for helping those who can't help themselves, passion for trying to make life better or easier for others, and/or a passion for simply being the best at whatever you choose to do. It is this passion -coupled with a lot of tenacity- that will, not only, get us into the program, but will make us wonderful nurses! Oh! And, since yall are quite possibly my future classmates, it is probably important to forewarn you that I am "that" student. You know the one. The one who often asks the most questions in class --which sometimes drives everyone else completely bonkers lmao! It may be annoying to some, however, I do this to fully understand (remember, I am not naturally adept at science), and to stay engaged in the material; I thought my classmates in chem last semester were going to lace my coffee with poison LOL! I wish the best of luck to everyone! I think AllNurses is a wonderful community, and can be a powerful resource. This forum has helped give me the information needed to craft a plan for anesthesia school, and, I've said this before (and I think it's worth saying again): people on this forum -especially pre-nursing and nursing students- are generally the cream of the crop. We're all on here for the same reason: we're passionate about nursing. I think this is an important reason why we shouldn't directly compare ourselves to one another. We're already a leg up on other folks who aren't as.... shall I say, "committed" to this goal. Maybe that sounds a bit arrogant, but, hopefully, you all know what I mean. No matter our backgrounds or circumstances, we're all passionate about the field we want to be in. Okay. So, I think my lengthy response probably has a few people yawning LOL! Who's next?

Firstly, don't take it personal, I think that's partly just KL's nature. At first, I kind of thought the same thing. But I've had interactions with her about the program since I enrolled as a student at WC, so I've been driving her crazy for a while now and I can tell you that she's just a busy woman. Also, don't be down on yourself about 35 points. You can only control what you can control. Don't compare yourself to others -especially here on the forum (typically, the best, the brightest, and the ones who want it the most are the ones on here). You're already a step ahead by being apart of the AllNurses community. Furthermore, I feel like I should remind you that 35 points was the number of points to get in last spring, so you do have a shot. All you can do is your best. So, remember that, and keep trucking along. About your TEAS: if it makes you feel any better, I forked over my hard-earned cash and retook my TEAS and got ZERO extra points. Somehow, I scored the same flippin' score that I did the first time! Guess I only know what I know LOL! In short, just remember: progress is progress. Now, all we can do is hope and wait... as patiently as our busy minds will let us haha! Try not to doubt yourself or rag on yourself too much in the meantime:yes: And, hey, we can always try to distract ourselves on here a little bit by telling one another a little about who we are (which specialty we want to go in, why we're going into nursing, or even a tidbit or two about our personal lives). We could all be potential classmates, after all:up:

I'm sure there have been at least a few more. I was at the WCWC testing center retaking my TEAS yesterday, and they said they had been "swamped" with students taking TEAS all this week --although, to note, WCWC is a smaller campus so one can only guess what "swamped" actually means. Sounds like many people (myself included) waited until the last minute to turn in their apps, though lol! A previous poster asked and I'm curious to hear as well: does anyone know what the schedule for the spring might look like --I feel like I've heard that it's slightly different than the fall. I don't know anything about the way the spring is set up -have always just assumed it would be the same. Anyone know? Also, being from WCWC, the clinical sites offered here rock (JPS, Harris, Wichita Falls, and a few others -all big city sites), and I'm curious if Weatherford Main offers the same sites. Anyone know? Best of luck to everyone!!

Amen!! You can do this!! In my opinion, so much of it comes down to dedication and tenacity! If you want it bad enough, you can do it!! Good for you! Kudos!!! Your post makes my morning -keep after it!

I typically just read this forum and absorb like a sponge rather than posting. However, after reading this conversation, I thought I’d throw in my two cents: I agree with the previous posters Mully and SoniaReb: Go with your passion! Honestly, I think you're weighing the length of school too heavily. Now, I'm not saying it shouldn't be a factor, but I believe it shouldn't be the primary consideration in choosing one field over the other. Working around doctors and CRNAs, it’s my observation that their motivation for entering their respective fields are generally quite different from each other. Medicine is not nursing. Nursing is not medicine. The majority of CRNAs I know chose that route because they wanted to practice nursing-based care/anesthesia NOT medicine; I think you’ll notice many nurses here on the forum cite this same rationale for why they didn’t go to medical school. Furthermore, I think it's worthy of asking: Are you looking at anesthesia as a specialty after med school (ie anesthesiologist)? What would be your primary reason for being an MDA vs a CRNA -what differences in the two professions are most attractive to you? Maybe my individual experience has biased me, but, it is my perception, MDAs and CRNAs do function in a different capacity; CRNAs are typically doing more of the cases and are more involved with patients than an average MDA -who is doing more of the paperwork, administrative duties, and running from room to room (said another way: I see most MDAs in front of a computer or pile of charts, and I see most CRNAs in front of an actual patient). For me, the CRNA route is the most appealing. In graduate school, you will learn the science of anesthesia, and of that particular specialty; in undergrad nursing -and while garnering necessary experience to apply for anesthesia school- the primary emphasis will be more on patient care and the basics than on the "deep science" of it all (that's where grad school comes in). In pre-med/medical school, physicians, on the other hand, will be much more science-based than patient-based throughout. This isn't to say that doctors don't care about their patients, or that nurses don't care enough about the science, but I mention all of this to point out where a HUGE difference lies. I argue that most people are driven to become nurses (and thus, CRNAs) because they want to be involved with and help patients; most people, I contend, are driven to the physician route primarily because they want to practice medicine. Which are you more drawn to? It's actually kind of easy once you put it in perspective. Frankly, I don't believe you'll find many nurses who became nurses simply because the length of medical school was more daunting than nursing school, but rather they became nurses because they wanted to practice nursing --and became anesthesia nurses because they wanted to practice anesthesia as a nurse. In short, your decision should primarily come from the heart, not the calendar. Just my (lengthy) two cents. Hope it helps!

Thank you all for participating!! It's cool to look at the results, and see where everyone was when they decided to pursue anesthesia! After meeting several anesthesiologists who became doctors to practice anesthesia, I was curious to know how many nurses went to nursing school to get their CRNA. I appreciate the feedback!!!

Take a breath. You've just finished one of the hardest things you've ever done in your life: CRNA school. Now what? There have been a couple threads posted on here about this subject, but I thought that I would ask directly, in a central thread, and look for input here. When the time comes, I'm interested in being the best CRNA I can be. I'm interested to hear what you think is the best route to take in order to become "the best" anesthesia provider you can be when you're fresh out of school. For those of you who are already CRNAs, what do you recommend to the freshly graduated CRNA, as far as getting the best experience possible? Is trying for an independent practice the best route to mint freshly learned skills (some of the new grad CRNAs at my facility believe this)? Rural healthcare? Anything you should avoid -like smaller facilities or facilities where you don't always create and execute your anesthesia care plan? Perhaps, a large urban trauma center gives you the most experience and greatest diversity of cases? Should you avoid ACT practices? Maybe you should just take whatever job you can, and not worry so much about perfecting skill because it comes more with time and cases more than variation. There are probably too many variables to count that go into selecting your first job. If getting the best experience possible is at the top of the list, where do you think one should start?

Thanks for the responses and votes! I've been curious to know what others would say for quite a while, but only just decided to ask here. I've met a couple doctors who became doctors to practice anesthesia and I was wondering about CRNAs going to nursing school to become CRNAs. I had no idea what a CRNA was before I became an anesthesia tech. Now Im going to nursing school in order to practice anesthesia. But because my circumstances are somewhat unique, I wondered if anyone else knew they wanted to become an anesthesia provider prior to nursing school. Some of the nurses I work with at my other job seem to think its so unusual for anyone to have decided to become a CRNA before finishing RN school; I thought I would ask the AllNurses community and see if it really is unusual. Thanks for the feedback!! It's very appreciated to hear about other journeys!

Did you know you wanted to practice anesthesia before nursing school? I'm curious to hear where each of you were on the nursing path (or the path of Life) when you decided: I want to practice the art of anesthesia.

I'm not sure. They're more of classmates than actual friends. The guy in my math class said 33 and the girl in chem was on the lower end with 19 points. Everything happens for a reason... Probably doesn't make it better, but one day (at least) you'll be able to look back and go: that happened for a reason. Or at least that's how I'm trying to prepare myself as well; I suddenly realize the profundity of everything happening for a reason makes it okay -maybe not "okay" but "better". Working a 12hr shift today so I won't even get to check until I get off. But I'm reminding myself that whatever awaits me in that mailbox is a part of a bigger plan. Maybe you'll apply for spring? Or perhaps get in at another school? I'm sorry about your news... Congratulations!!! I hope you have a great experience with this nursing program!!

Yeh, I was so speechless, I didn't even know what to say. And I must be a bad friend because now, sitting here at work, I'm now robotically checking patients in and thinking about my mailbox and hoping my partner is at home stalking the mail lady; it's hard to be my usual self while everything feels like it's hinging on the mail. While I try to think positive thoughts, I'm wishing everyone well -and good news for all here on AllNurses! I think this is a wonderful community and resource and I think that we all have a good shot (it's our passions that led us to this board, after all)! Everything happens for a reason! UPDATE (to avoid double post): Received another text from a girl in my chem class; she received a rejection letter as well... UPDATE #2: Received another text from a guy in my math class; he too received a rejection letter. Note: All these students I know go to WCWC so I guess I'm drawing the conclusion that the rejection letters go out first and most of them are hitting Wise County mailboxes today.

Well, one letter has gone out. A friend text this morning saying a letter that came in today saying she did not get accepted to either campus. She says she had 32 points. While this was bad news for her, hopefully it means that we'll be hearing any time now!! And considering that she had more points than I do, I'm now staring at the mailbox through the window.

Yes, I concur. It's hard to concentrate or think of anything else, actually. I hear through the grapevine that this upcoming week (7th-11th) is probably the most likely time to be getting packets/letters in the mail; I hear the beginning of the following week is also a big possibility. Now, this comes from a lot of students trying to "show" they're in the "know", (because I haven't heard any of this from KL or any other similiar source), but, having said that, a lot of the word-of-mouth coming from students already in the nursing program is that this coming week is when they started getting their letters, once upon a time. I've heard this from more than one student. Another student told me to plan for the week of the 14th just so I don't make next week miserable for myself -and the mail lady.

I received the following response word for word: You will typically hear something around 6-8wks after the deadline. Thanks, KL Student Services answer of "Around the 11th" was a little more helpful LOL!

I emailed her today... I succumbed to being THAT guy. I apologized for being annoying (it's the first time I've emailed her on this, but still) and asked if she had an estimate on when we could expect to hear something. I was tempted to ask about average points, but I didn't want to press my luck. I haven't yet received a response.