#anesthesia school

[momfacejace]

So you want to go to Nurse Anesthesia School?

I am now well in to my second semester of Nurse Anesthesia school and I can finally breathe.. at least somewhat. I am enrolled in the Raleigh School of Nurse Anesthesia (Raleigh, NC).  I thought Id say a few words to those nurses who were searching the corners of the internet for "what to expect when you're expecting Anesthesia School."  

If you are planning on applying to school:  There a loads of blogs out there where people have asked what credentials you need to get in.  NO ONE KNOWS.. bottom line!  All you really can do is have the prerequisites and as many "extras" as possible.  I have known schools to accept people with the bare minimum over others with a "stacked" application.  I would suggest you go to the summer "sneak peak" type of courses for the schools you are looking at (if they offer any).  I had no idea which school was the best fit for me until I saw it for myself.  That being said, the two schools I was looking at had drastically different "personalities" and I thank the sweet baby Jesus that I didn't end up in the "other" school.  If they don't offer programs like that, maybe you can request a meeting with the director.  The school you go to and the hospitals you rotate to will truly make a difference in your education.

REMEMBER: The "ratings" of schools are subjective, basically they hand out surveys to influential people in the field.. there is little to no standardization of results.

Now you know you WANT to go... but can you AFFORD it?  Figure it out! From my experience, it is almost imperative to have a nest egg of funds before even thinking of applying.  Im talking an ostrich egg.. not a robin's egg.  Some financial aid is available... take EVERYTHING they are offering (you'll be able to pay it back).  The key is to not be distracted by finances AT ALL while you are in school, aint nobody got time for that!

The most important thing to me is family, above all, it was my priority to make sure everyone was on board.  They had to understand completely that I would be committed to something, OTHER than them, for the next two years.  You are signing your WHOLE family up for this crazy life so be considerate or you won't have one when you get out.

[momfacejace]

Im back.. and Ive been busy!

So its only been a few years but heres an update..

A.) Im still a mom, Its the best thing Ive ever done.  Liam is two and a half now!  He is funny and kind, spoiled but smart.  He amazes me every day.

..and..

B.) I have started a Nurse Anesthesia program, unfortunately it rules my life. 

Me and Lee had to move our little family to Raleigh to live with his parents so we can afford to go to school (Ill be doing a series on Anesthesia School after this)

We are renting out our home to people we don't know, through a rental agency, while living 2 hours away (talk about anxiety)

I will be without a paycheck (but working 50+ hours a week) for the next two years.. this blows

[jrp14-blog]

Meal planning

This past week I finished the first 4 week of my first clinical rotation! It was nerve racking to say the least. If you are starting your first day in something as stressful as anesthesia soon, look up the term “brownian motion”. One of my professors once told us that our first day in the OR would resemble Brownian motion, and he was right!

Nonetheless, it was a great first 4 weeks. Everyone was nice, and patient. Now I am at another equally as nice and low stress OR for the next 4 weeks. I get up early, am in the OR around 7 and will probably be leaving between 3-4 every day. Which is a lot better than the last 4 wks—- was in the OR at 6am and left anywhere between 3 and 8pm everyday! I was exhausted. Which probably led me to my unfortunate 3lb weight gain. So I have “recommitted” myself to a lifestyle change of healthy habits. 1st thing I did was pre-make my breakfasts for the week: egg white veggie muffins. They consist of egg whites, spinach peppers & onions. Bake for 15 minutes at 300 degrees. They were more watery that I would prefer—- so this next time I am not pre cooking the vegetables and baking them for 20 minutes at 350. I made enough to have 2 per day and I also drink a fruit and/or fruit veggie drink. If I was home, I would juice my own, but I am all about convenience right now. This morning I drank the green machine. So yummy! This is very convenient for me because I heat up the egg muffins for 45 seconds in the microwave and I’m good to go… I eat them and drink my juice in the car on the way to the hospital. Meal planning is the key!!

[jrp14-blog]

On the Road....

So as I begin my new journey as a SRNA in the OR (ahh.. so so scary!!), I will be on the road A LOT. I will switch clinical sites every 8 weeks, and during those 8 weeks I will be at each site Monday through Thursday night, and then home on the weekends. The challenge of eating healthy and LIVING healthy is ON! I am well aware that the early mornings and potentially very long days in the OR will be exhausting, which is why I remind myself that weight loss is 80% nutrition, and 20% exercise. So I must be very disciplined in my diet in order to not only keep from gaining weight- but in hopes to lose weight. 

So as I settled into my first rotation site today, I brought along my workout DVDs (I am a HUGE Jillian Michaels fan), my yoga mat, and a pair of 8lb dumbbell. I did workout 1, from week 1-2 on Jillian's 90 day body revolution and then a 5 min ab workout. I love the 5 minute ab workout-- it consists of doing any ab workout you like, 30 reps, and switch, never taking a break. And once you get to minute 4, you do side planks and front plans for 20 seconds each. At the end of the 5 minutes, your abs definitely feel it! 

I went to the grocery store and tried to buy some healthy food. The options were minimal considering the town I am in is VERY VERY SMALL! Plus, I was unsure what kind of cooking utensils I would have available in my *apartment*... so I got some pre-made green juices (more expensive than juicing yourself, but I great alternative if you don't have the time!), fresh fruit, salad stuff, oatmeal, greek yogurt, and some lean cuisines. I know lean cuisines are NOT the best option, but again- I was unsure what my kitchen consisted of and what kind of energy I will have when I get home at night-- so for week 1, it will have to do.

Here's to hoping I get a good night's rest and have a good day tomorrow.. my FIRST day in the OR!

[jrp14-blog]

Day 1 of Final Exams complete

Finished my first final exam of the semester today and did better than expected. Finished the class with a B+, but honestly, I don’t care if I finish every single class with the minimum requirement of 82.5!!! (83 really—- but they have to round up)

Terrible things about finals: 1) lack of sleep 2) insomnia when you do want to sleep 3) immense fear to the point where a constant stomach ache is the norm 4) not only NOT working out—- but gaining in 2 weeks what it took you 2 months prior to lose. 5) constant carb and sugar cravings. Which leads to previous point 4. 6) being very “short” with your boyfriend, classmates, family. Really whoever you come into contact with.

Things finals week makes me realize: 1) I did not go into this profession “for the money”… But by God- after this pain and misery I want the money! 2) what do people do all day that don’t have a job and their kids are in school and they have a house cleaner? Yeah— they are out there. Nice people. But really— what DO they do?? 3) I don’t feel that all of my teachers are really here to help me succeed. In fact, I think some want to be a thorn in your side— just because they think it’s just part of crna school. 4) I think some of my teachers should be required to take their own exam(s) without the answer key in front of them! Haha would love to see that. 5) I pay a lot of money for a degree that is largely self taught. Until I get into the OR that is… Then I will be hanging on for dear life. 6) It bugs the shit out of me when I hear people try to compare their degree in difficulty level to mine. Bottom line— if you can work, see your friends (outside of school) more than 2 times a month, take more than 2 days off a month from studying, get an average 7 hours of night sleeping #8230; And here’s the kicker: can watch 3-5 TV shows a week… IT’S NOT THAT DIFFICULT!!! Now am I saying you don’t work hard? No. But it’s college/grad school. Your gonna have to sacrifice a time or two for a degree. Enough of my venting….

[fitmominprogress]

Hi! I found your blog looking up becoming a CRNA. Your truly at a time of your life where I aspire to be. (Congrats on your pregnancy!) I hope I don't creep you out lol...I just would like some advice, when I graduate I plan on working in the MICU at a level 1 trauma center but my GPA is not where I would like it to be (3.3 cum). I plan on getting my CCRN and working 1-2 years before applying. Any advice on getting accepted into a CRNA school? How was CRNA school for you?

Hi! Congratulations on choosing a wonderful profession! And no you’re not creeping me out! Hehe!

You have the right idea of starting out by getting ICU experience. That is a REQUIREMENT for anesthesia school. I would highly suggest a minimum of 1.5-2 years of busy ICU experience with sick patients. You need that knowledge base for them to even consider interviewing you.

Try not to worry TOO much about anesthesia school and interviews yet. Just really focus on getting and keeping your GPA high because if you do get an interview they will literally have a copy of your undergrad transcript and will ask about your grades! I literally got ONE C+ in undergrad (then I retook the class and got a B) and in my interview they asked me why I got a C!! LOL.

Anesthesia school is generally very rigorous. You basically have to put your life on hold for 2.5 years (program lengths vary from 24-30 months). You just REALLY have to want it or you’ll have a terrible time getting through. It’s a LOT of studying and a lot of accountability. It’s not like undergrad. How well you do depends almost totally on you - you can’t just show up to class and then expect to do well. It’s a lot of personal study time and preparation. And then clinical is a whole other beast - you have to deal with many different personalities and be able to just focus and smile and keep your mouth closed and learn as much as you can :) The bottom line - it’s HARD but its totally doable if you dedicate yourself and make your education a priority.

[fitmominprogress]

When I was in 8th grade I wrote a report on the career of nursing. I cannot remember exactly why I picked that profession. I’m sure I got the idea from my mom because her mother was a nurse and my mother was a nurses aid at the time (she later went on to get her associates degree and become an RN herself).

Ever since then I KNEW I wanted to be a nurse. I started out by taking courses in 11th grade through my senior year of HS to become an LPN (licensed practical nurse). Then from 2000-2004 I attended the University at Buffalo in NY to receive my BSN (bachelors of science in nursing). On July 31, 2004 I passed my board exam and officially became an RN.

My first year as a nurse I worked in a cardiac telemetry unit. After a year I felt pretty comfortable with my skills and I was excited to move on to a new area of nursing. I did some research and, along with a suggestion from a friend (ahem Adrienne) ended up taking a traveling nurse position in Philadelphia PA.

After working in Philadelphia for only 6 weeks I had fallen in love with the city. It was so new and SO exciting. My life changed during that time period and I love looking back at that time in my life. It was the best decision I ever made to come to Philly! So I took a permanent position at the hospital I was at and became an official resident of philadelphia!

After about a year I got the bug again and wanted to move up the ranks. I wanted to transition into the intensive care unit. I was intimidated but was very motivated to do it. The hospital I was at closed so I transferred to a bigger, inner-city hospital and began training in their ICU.

It was tough and I didn’t know if I could do it. In fact I wanted to quit until a nurse who I looked up to encouraged me to ‘just give it 3 months’. I can still remember her saying those words to me. Her name is Sheree. So I took her advice and after 3 months I felt totally comfortable. I ended up staying there and made many great friends. It was there that I got the critical training I would need to move on to my next endeavor.

I learned what a CRNA was in my junior year of college. A certified registered nurse anesthetist. What? I can put people to sleep for surgery? I can render people senseless to pain and discomfort?? Um, that is so cool! Cool but scary! Can I do that? Omg no! Not yet! If ever! I’m scared!

Fast forward to 2008 after I’ve been a nurse for almost 4 years. Now I’m feeling more confident and thinking, maybe I CAN do this. The next step was to apply and even get CONSIDERED for an interview. Nurse anesthesia was blowing up around this time and EVERYONE wanted in. Around 250 people would apply to a program that only had 26 spots. I still remember the day I got the letter saying I got an interview! And I will NEVER forget the moment I got the email that I had been ACCEPTED! Soooooo happy. A HUGE new chapter of my life was about to begin.

In January of 2009 I began a 30 month MSN program (masters of science in nursing - nurse anesthesia). It was an incredibly rigorous program that demanded 100% of my mental and physical attention. Luckily I had some great classmates who became some of my best friends. But most importantly I absolutely LOVED what I was learning and doing. At the times where I felt so stressed from exams and studying and clinical I’d try to stop and think about how lucky I was and how many people were trying to get my exact spot. And studying for my board exam was THE most stressful and crazy time of my LIFE! I will never forget how much effort I put into that - I even surprised MYSELF with what I was able to do.

I became a CRNA (certified registered nurse anesthetist) on July 26, 2011. One of the best days of my life so far! To officially become a CRNA you have to sit for a computerized, highly secured state board exam. When the exam gets all the information it needs (you’ve proven you know enough or you’ve proven that you don’t) the computer screen shuts off. You walked out of the room and up to the lady at the desk. She turns around and takes a piece of paper off the printer and hands it to you. It has your picture on it and says one of two things in big black, bold letters: PASS or FAIL. Luckily mine said PASS. Never happier in my LIFE!!!

Fast forward to today. I was so lucky to have gotten a position at the same hospital I did my ICU training in. I have been here since August 26th. Everyday I love coming to work and I love what I do. It still amazes me what I can do with drugs. I have many great coworkers and I also still get to work with Sheree, the nurse who told me to ‘just give it 3 months’. I always tell her she played such a big role in how things worked out for me! The picture above is me and some of my favorite CRNAs here at work. We have such a great time together but most importantly we work hard to provide good and SAFE patient care while enjoying doing it!

[fitmominprogress]

My office ;)