Need a dose of REALITY!!!

[mba2crna]

Hi Everyone,

I am looking for a good dose of reality. Here's my stats. Currently in MBA/MSN program, 65 graduate credits, will graduate with 3.3-3.4 gpa in May. Tanked undergrad, 10+ years ago (2.5 gpa)
7 years critical care, CCRN, ACLS, PALS, ATCN
Other certifications: Pt. Safety Officer, Pain Management
GRE pending (Currently doing Kaplan Review)
Great shadow experience, top notch references (VP Medical Affairs, Chief CRNA, Anesthesiologist Division Chief) etc.
Chem, and Biology this Summer (Upper Levels)
Planning on applying in Fall 2011.

Wondering if I would be considered a good candidate??????

[yoga]

You look very good on paper, which is the first step. However, I notice that you didn't say how you feel about taking care of patients. Anesthesia is hands on, one to one patient care and I always worry about people who think that because a patient is anesthetized that patient communication and liking to care for patients is not important. Just remember that when you are applying and interviewing.

Also, what do you do in your personal life? Do you have hobbies, stay fit, have a balanced life? This is all very important in the high stress education and clinical practice required to be a CRNA.

Good luck and let us know how you do.

yoga

[mba2crna]

Very good points. I do 50 percent patient safety, and 50 percent critical care, and I do miss the 100 percent hands on, but patient safety has opened my eyes tremendously. As a matter of fact, that is what peaked my interest in nurse anesthesia, one of the major duties of the safety officer is event review, and I kept coming across pain related event.. Bottom line is we dont have enough anesthesia staff to provide care to our patients. Which is so unfortunate......Point well taken regarding communication, I am actually in the process of researching for an article I want to write about communicating with patient undergoing conscious sedation.
Regarding balance, I am active in my local AACN chapter, as well as doing a lot of community work via my sorority. I also, have done several poster presentations at the national level. Is there anything else I can or should be doing?

[ethernaut]

...I want to write about communicating with patient undergoing conscious sedation.
if you mean communicating with a patient DURING conscious sedation, you might be hard pressed to actually utilize this in practice. most of the proceduralists/surgeons i work with usually roll their eyes when the patient is chatting too much during a procedure. they tend to "want them out".. but breathing of course.


Regarding balance, I am active in my local AACN chapter, as well as doing a lot of community work via my sorority. I also, have done several poster presentations at the national level. Is there anything else I can or should be doing?
all work and no play makes jack a dull boy

[infidel]

Hi Everyone,

I am looking for a good dose of reality. Here's my stats. Currently in MBA/MSN program, 65 graduate credits, will graduate with 3.3-3.4 gpa in May. Tanked undergrad, 10+ years ago (2.5 gpa)
7 years critical care, CCRN, ACLS, PALS, ATCN
Other certifications: Pt. Safety Officer, Pain Management
GRE pending (Currently doing Kaplan Review)
Great shadow experience, top notch references (VP Medical Affairs, Chief CRNA, Anesthesiologist Division Chief) etc.
Chem, and Biology this Summer (Upper Levels)
Planning on applying in Fall 2011.

Wondering if I would be considered a good candidate??????

I would suggest you try to pull up the grad GPA. 2.5 undergrad will hurt you in light of only a 3.3-3.4 GPA in a program that is not as difficult as you will find CRNA school to be.

[mba2crna]

Sounds like we work with the same group of providers. However, I am at a lost on how to do some type of meaningful article for IR. Any thoughts?

[mba2crna]

Thought about that, and the only option would be a second bachelors in Biology with 2 semester worth of O-chem; or repeating (2) grad classes. Not sure if it either would be looked at favorably or not? Willing to do the whatever it takes, I think refreshing the sciences will be a big help.

[J-Dubya]

if you mean communicating with a patient DURING conscious sedation, you might be hard pressed to actually utilize this in practice. most of the proceduralists/surgeons i work with usually roll their eyes when the patient is chatting too much during a procedure. they tend to "want them out".. but breathing of course.


all work and no play makes jack a dull boy

I assume he/she means communicating with the patient prior to a MAC case, which I think is a good thing. I'm so sick of reading on pre-ops "patient reports waking up during anesthesia," or "history of intraop awarness," when follow-up reveals it was for MAC cases.

[J-Dubya]

Thought about that, and the only option would be a second bachelors in Biology with 2 semester worth of O-chem; or repeating (2) grad classes. Not sure if it either would be looked at favorably or not? Willing to do the whatever it takes, I think refreshing the sciences will be a big help.

Forget undergrad courses, you want to show that you can excel at the graduate level. Take/retake a grad chem class.

[ethernaut]

Forget undergrad courses, you want to show that you can excel at the graduate level. Take/retake a grad chem class.
i'd recommend biochem over chem

[mba2crna]

Thanks, all advice from this very invaluable group will be taken. I will take a graduate level biochemistry class. Was a bit hesitant to repeat the two graduate classes, to raise my gpa, because I did not want numerous repeats on my transcript. But in light of your comments, I will definitely do this as well. Can you think of anything else?

[ethernaut]

Thanks, all advice from this very invaluable group will be taken. I will take a graduate level biochemistry class. Was a bit hesitant to repeat the two graduate classes, to raise my gpa, because I did not want numerous repeats on my transcript. But in light of your comments, I will definitely do this as well. Can you think of anything else?

it might be in your best interest to see if the school(s) you're interested in will take the biochem. some ONLY require organic chem. not that it's right, or any better, but..

[mba2crna]

Good idea (as usual), I will follow up. Thanks for putting me on the right path. The quick response, and the timely advice is just another reason why I respect and admire everything about this profession (sniffle, sniffle).