What to study before anesthesia school?

WolfpackRed · Feb 7, 2012

I suggest you get Morgan And Mikhail "Clinical Anesthesiology"

allnurses Guide · Feb 8, 2012

I think you should do a lot of studying of the back of your eyelids before school starts, because that will be about the only thing you won't be studying after school starts. In case that doesn't work for you PM your email address and I will send you USUHS pharmacology handbook that will give you plenty of the basics to cover before and after school starts.

Nishas22 · Feb 9, 2012

Thanks!!

3ccBolus · Feb 10, 2012

I second the Morgan & Mikhail suggestion. It's a great book to get started with. However, some of it probably won't mean much to you until you start school, and are immersed in the anesthesia world. Good luck!

allnurses Guide · Feb 10, 2012

I think Basics of Anesthesia (Baby Millers) is easier to start with than Morgan, Mikhail, & Murray (that poor Murray always get left out...lol). We had to read front to back both books in clinicals, and we were quizzed each day in morning report over our assigned chapters. We started with Basics of Anesthesia and then moved on to Morgan & Mikhail after we finished Basics of Anesthesia. I think you need a little more anesthesia background to really understand M&M.

Nishas22 · Feb 10, 2012

You guys are probably right. I feel like I know ICU nursing and it is so different than what I will be learning in Anesthesia. I assume (through the courses) that there is a lot of chemistry and biochemisty as well? That part really scares me! lol I can handle the meds, techniques, all the studying, etc...But chemistry, I need to work really hard at it.

I will definitely get the Baby Miller prior to getting the M&M&M, thank you for your suggestions!

r2410s · Feb 11, 2012

I am interested in getting the USUHS pharm handbook, but I cannot PM. If you wouldn't mind sending the link to [email protected]. I can just delete the account after I get it. Thanks.

NDHuffaker · Feb 11, 2012

I think you should do a lot of studying of the back of your eyelids before school starts, because that will be about the only thing you won't be studying after school starts. In case that doesn't work for you PM your email address and I will send you USUHS pharmacology handbook that will give you plenty of the basics to cover before and after school starts.

I would be very interested in a copy of this handbook if you wouldn't mind sending me a copy. I will be starting school in the Fall. My email address is [email protected]

Thank you,

Nathan

3ccBolus · Feb 24, 2012

One thing I kind of wish that I had done before hand is paid more attention to the Anesthesia flow sheets on my ICU patients. (If your hospital has flowsheets) It will give you a good idea of the drugs that they are using, and in what dosages. You can research them on your own from there. Also it might give a little insight into the things that anesthesia is responsible for that you wouldn't necessarily think of. You might be able to get a little bit familiar with some of the extra monitoring going on in the OR, like end tidal gasses, CO2, Train of four (you may already be using this, depending on your ICU), BIS monitors, etc. If you just kind of look over the flowsheets you might come away with a few concepts that you want to read up about on your own.

I also think it might be helpful to review the development of an action potential if its been a while since you looked at cellular physiology. A lot of the foundations stuff will draw on this basic understanding. Its hard to understand HOW a drug works if you don't understand what is happening in the cell. Maybe also refresh yourself on the different adrenergic receptors, what each one does when it is stimulated, and which vasoactive drugs affect which receptors (alpha 1, 2, beta 1,2, dopaminergic, cholinergic). Be able to say Epinephrine acts on ______, ______, and _____ receptors.

You'll definitely get all of this information and more in school-- but you may have a little less studying to do when you start if you look it over now. I wouldn't get too crazy in to it. A solid understanding will you put you in a really good place when school starts. Besides all of that, I would definitely take a vacation, enjoy your life, and scratch a few things off of your bucket list. Take care of any of those things you've been wanting to do for a while, because you most likely won't be able to for the next 2.5-3 years.

Good luck!

itsmike990 · Feb 25, 2012

Just dont sweat it. They teach you everything you have to know when you get there.

Just work a lot and save a lot of money, pull over time, anything that you can do so you have an extra dime, because you wont have the time in your program to work much.

I am at NEU and it is not bad. I work probably 2 shifts a month. I took a month off before the program started and then didnt go back to work for 4 months after the program started.

My first shift back I took a heart out of the OR and was freaked out. It all came back to me like I hadnt even been gone a week within 5 minutes. I think an alcohol pad I dropped on the ground was still in the same place I left it five months earlier. Nothing changes, its all the same stuff over again. Your clinical practice and critical understanding will come in handy at school. You'll be surprised how easy it is to get back into your routine.

But just enjoy it, LIVE, WHILE YOU STILL CAN!!!!

MCleeezy · Mar 1, 2012

hey i feel like im going through the same thing, im going to start my program in about 3 months and i want to be prepared. i was thinking about going through some anatomy and physiology and some ccrn stuff. do you guys think thatll be helpful? also WTBCRNA can you please send me the USUHS pharmacology handbook link? or if anyone else has it please send me the link my email is "[email protected]", thank you guys for all the info.