Lana_K

Mentoring is great, especially if it is beneficial to get into CRNA school. I was fortunate enough to get through mentorship program at my hospital to get 82 hours of shadowing. To be honest with you: they are right in part "anesthesia 98% boredom". ? but it was very interesting and if you'll find great and passionate mentors those future mentees would be happy campers. Good luck with this endeavor, you are doing a great thing!

Hey guys, Don't want to be a bummer, but what about they are waiting for an end of this FY to announce? Budgeting and all ....

You, guys!! I don't know what I would do in this situation. I remember waiting for NCLEX results: I almost got a heart attack, a stroke, seizure, anything you can possibly imagine. It was a torture and then I went to sleep, woke up and here is my RN license! Hang on! I just received an offer for ICU position at Moffitt Cancer center in Tampa, FL. I think I will accept it despite the cut (I hope I'll make up with my VA part-time). Any advise? I hope I'll be applying for FY2022 through VA.

Hi guys, I got this email recently. If you are a member of NNOC/NNU you can attend this training. Hope this will help. "I'm happy to announce that we will be holding VA Division Proficiency Training on Saturday, September 26th at 1:30pm Eastern/10:30am Pacific time. This training will be for 3 hours, via zoom. The training will cover: How to write proficiencies, What requirements are needed to be promoted (I.e; going from Nurse 1 to Nurse 2, Nurse 2 to Nurse 3, etc..), and What an RN needs to do to prepare for promotion. The training will be led by Irma Westmoreland, RN, NNOC/NNU VA Chair. Materials needed for the class will be emailed out prior to September 26th. Here is the link to the registration for our training - https://forms.gle/1i3SXZziQ8fFcXXe6 - Please DO NOT register from a VA computer. We will cap registration for this training at 100 RNs. Registration will be on a first come, first serve basis. This class is for NNOC/NNU members only. Non-members wishing to attend the class can sign up to become a member prior to September 26th."

Brian, Thanks for the info! Good luck and have fun during program! When do you start?

Congratulations Brian! Can you, please, briefly describe the process for VA applicants, where to start, what and where send the papers, anything I can do extra or in advance to increase my chances as VA and to speed up the process, etc. Any tips will help. TIA

Hi Brian, I will apply, eventually, I'm still trying to get to ICU. I have shadowed couple CRNAs at my VA, who went through this program. They are so encouraging. Are you applying already? What VA are you from?

Smilleyza, I wish I could help, I just got promoted to Nurse II. I wish you the best.

Hi! How was it? I'm sure you nailed it!!

Kristi, check your email.

I was denied in collaboration, appealed and was granted. We have Promote committee who help a lot with this stuff. So, one of the members gave me a feedback. " *Uses group process to identify, analyze and resolve care problems. *Educates colleagues and/or students and serves as a preceptor and/or mentor". I asked to clarify (we skyped, so here is the communication thread): Me: For collaboration "Uses group process to identify, analyze and resolve care problems " Does it mean that I work in the group? Should I write that me as a SPHM Unit Peer leader collaborated with my fellow SPHM members and designed this project and delivered this to the PT team? Her: If you can write something like as a consultant or as an expert or as a lead? initiate? Me: Unit Peer Leader is not enough? Her: I think it is... and write it as the unit peer leader. I'm not sure I can share my writing here in open chat.

lindswolf, I emailed to the program coordinator, here what she replied "There is NO age limit for VA applicants : ) Typically the biggest hurdle for VA applicants is having a competitive GRE score: 300 Combined (verbal + quantitative) or higher (to be competitive, scores lower than this are not competitive) and 3.5 Writing REQUIRED (a score below 3.5 makes one ineligible for admission)." Interesting, why did she specify that this is "the biggest hurdle for VA".

Oh, enjoy your trip!!! So sad that you did such hard work to start your new endeavor and have to stop now.

I'm in Tampa, FL. Our ICUs don't hire without critical care experience, unless you are selected for CC Internship program which God knows when will be open. According to nursing ed it's up the the managers when to open the program. And according to the MICU manager they have to have multiple openings across all ICUs to hire a cohort. So, at the moment they hired bunch of experienced outsiders, because it doesn't make sense to keep open positions for 6 months or so for newly trained RNs. And I can't leave Tampa, because my daughter is in 10th grade and my parents can't move from NY to watch her. If everything works out as i planned we both will be off to college almost at the same time. By the way, through VA do you know if we have age restrictions (42 yo) as it is for "civilians and reservists" according to a booklet?

Hi lindswolf, I'm planning to apply through VA, but for 2022. I still have to get to the ICU which is a pain in a neck and I have limited time due to my age. Will see.