gettingthere

I'll be graduating this year with an ADN. I'm 33 and have been in the Air Force on a flight crew traveling all over the world, then came back home and became a flight medic with the Air National Guard. Worked as an EMT while attending college, not really knowing what I was going to do but I just loved the excitement in EMS I wanted to find something that paid well in that field. Nursing seemed to fit in somehow and here I am trying to finish up nursing school. I intending on going into the ER then thought of the NICU and maybe some day i'd be able to be a CRNA. Well, every clinical rotation I am faced with new decisions. I think to myself, "Gee, this is pretty cool! I could do this for a living" Then the next clinical rotation comes up and it's completly different than the previous rotation and I think to myself again, "this is a cool job" Oh my goodness! Nursing is the best degree in the world for trying new things out. It's so versitile and that's what I love about it! I'm so excited about starting but I feel that I am back at square one with trying to find "MY NITCH AS A NURSE" I mean "NICHE". There are so many awesome jobs that we can do. I heard on the radio the other day that nurses have the number one job burn out rate in America. How can that be true when their are so many different things to do as a nurse?

I'm thinking there must be a different mentality between the RN and CRNA. At least I'm hoping, since my objective of obtaining an RN is to become a CRNA. The patient care is different. The CRNA's job seems more medical, and science related with good emergency management skills. The CRNA's job seems more autonomous and skill specific which is a HUGE plus in my eyes. To me it seems as if the CRNA position was created cleverly to save alot of money but it doesn't really seem like nursing. It seems like a very intense technical skill for someone in love with chemistry, biology, A & P, emergency management (ABC's), etc.... and by the way I do feel there is definately an art to anesthesia. I also like to believe that the trend in outpatient surgery centers will create more flexibility for CRNA's in the future and CRNA's will have more control in terms of pay and hours. Am I way off in my thinking here? My goal within nursing is anesthesia, the courses that I find in the CRNA program are subjects that I like. I'm in nursing school right now and everybody talks about it as being challanging, I don't share the same feeling. They preach at as to use critical thinking but they don't really challange us to do it, every thing seems like common sense. I'm finding it hard to stay interested in the skills they are wanting us to expand on and finding myself wanting to study the details of the pathology, which is getting off track. I still have another year left in nursing school and hope that it will get more interesting. The rumor's are that it will progressively get more challanging, I can't wait, I love a good challange. I'm not the smartest person in the world but am determined to keep on keeping on until I finally get there. Even if I don't get into a CRNA program, I do feel that there are many jobs within nursing that I would love (ER, flight nurse, trauma based) so it's not that I putting all my bananas in one bag any am I out in left field here or can the CRNA field respect my thoughts? I would appreciate your thoughts on this and please be critical.

Since this CRNA program is so competitive, do aspiring CRNA's keep trying until they get in after not getting in the first try? Kinda like state troopers, they hardly ever get in their first time applying. What kind of people are applying, do the majority of applicants meet the criteria for admissions??? I was just wondering, does anyone know this???? I have another question.... is there a different mentality level with nurses and CRNA's? What makes a nurse want to become a CRNA. I certainly have my thoughts on the subject but I'm still in nursing school. Please enlighten me.

Thanks for the info. I just found this site yesterday and love it, just reading what you guys have to say is so interesting. I've got to do this, I know its for me. I'm pretty much getting my RN only to pursue either anesthesia or trauma nursing. I do live near a level 1 trauma and learning hospital, I will make sure to use it to my advantage. THANKS! Any more advice would be appreciated!

Goodness this is a busy schedule, and there isn't any reference of anything outside of school and sustaining life. Does this mean that I won't be able to do the CRNA program since I have two small children? Is this a normal students schedule?

Where can an aspiring CRNA go after nursing school to get the best clinical preperation before starting a CRNA program? Should I go into the ER, CCU or what????? Also, what is the MAT like and is it really different than the GRE? Tiffany, future CRNA (in about 100 years)

Hey there, your not alone, I am also in an ADN program with a BS (non-nursing), and wanting to get my cRNA. I've found a couple of programs that do take RN with a BS in another field in PA. Remember, you have to get between 1-2 years critical care experience before you can get into any program. That should be plenty of time to get both a BSN and extra sciences. There are plenty of of RN to BSN programs that can be achieved in a year or less, this seems to be the route most frequently traveled. I too would much rather take science classes than complete a BSN. My advice is to find the school that you want to go to and complete their admissions criteria then get whatever you can to prepare while your completing your critical care requirement. The school that I'm looking into is outside of Philly and they require a BSN. I actually have a question, do you know anything out the Miller test replacing the GRE?