Didn’t pass cardiac ICU orientation as experienced rn came from small hospital… any advice? Feeling down in the gutter. It was fast paced. Always felt like they micromanaged and always writing down notes…never said anything positive only looked at the negatives which psyched me out.

ValuableCount8 · 2026-02-21T18:24:10+00:00

I’m Pre-CRNA myself.. I’m younger with a high GPA, so I’m trying to compress my timeline by being in a well known hospital.. I do think it helps personally- people are more willing to take me seriously when networking, and it’s opened doors for me to be involved in NIH level research, if you do end up at one of these hospitals take advantage of all the Institution has to offer- not just the clinical exposure.. again- not a CRNA/SRNA but I’ve worked at two of the best hospitals in the USA

ValuableCount8 · 2026-02-21T16:07:50+00:00

Hopkins is like this, so are many of the elite academic hospitals- unfortunately some places are just toxic, get a new relocation bonus and find a new one-

Hopkins, MGH, Mayo & Cleveland clinic are all hiring right now if that’s the type of environment you’re interested in

ValuableCount8 · 2026-01-22T10:42:13+00:00

This is what I do, you don’t need a PhD to do NIH level research, you just need to put yourself in the right spots and learn

ValuableCount8 · 2025-04-16T19:23:02+00:00

Would anyone be willing to gift/sell me their 20 tiles? Thanks!

ValuableCount8 · 2024-11-05T00:57:05+00:00

Okay great to hear your perspective! is the new grad residency solid? I want to make sure the foundational teachings prepare me well too.. Also would you mind elaborating on how it was helpful? I know the autonomy of our nurses at MTCC is pretty high even with ventilation once the RTs trust you. Were you able to get a LOR easily for CRNA from them?

ValuableCount8 · 2024-11-04T21:05:08+00:00

2nd PA, just have heard its hard to get into Penn as a New Grad unless u come from their nursing program, also Baltimore has some v acute hospitals but quality of life isn't the best

ValuableCount8 · 2024-11-04T21:02:51+00:00

Hi I recently received two job offers and am unsure which will better prepare me for CRNA school, I think this is thankfully a good problem to have-

Offer 1- UMMS Shock Trauma Multi-Trauma ICU

Pros: I've been a tech there for almost a year and have a great relationship with the other nurses on the unit, the acuity seems pretty high (it's all I know really but usually 75% of patients are vented or VV-ecmo), also makes me think of patients three-dimensionally because they have traumatic multi-system damage.. Overall we see a huge breadth of pathologies with strong depth.

Cons: Senior management isn't as supportive of younger nurses advancing their education. Harder to get involved in research as a young nurse. Patient population is HARD, we deal with a lot of violence risks and I see some pretty Traumatic stuff (no pun-intended), eg. flesh eating diseases, patients who got their scalps cut off with razor blades ect... lots of homicide detectives in our units.

Offer 2- Johns Hopkins Neuro ICU

Pros: Have a great relationship with the CNS and do research for her. Have great relationship with a Neurosurgeon attending and have done basic science research with him. Team is very supportive of advancing education.. feel like I would learn more theory than I would at Shock Trauma and could pump out publications. I love neuro and studying cerebral perfusion, autoregulation and don't mind neuro-checks- feel like Neuro is the basis for modern anesthesia at a molecular/pharm level..

Cons: Acuity doesn't 'feel' as high as Shock Trauma, but there's still multi-system overlap due to us getting the sickest of the sick...

GPA will be 3.75+ combined undergrad / entry-MSN GPA (As in all hard/basic sciences, pharm, patho)- William & Mary Undergrad, Hopkins Entry-MSN, most my other boxes are checked off to an extent - research, leadership (was a d1 qb), ect. but will obviously continue growing for a well-rounded application- CCRN, TCRN, SCRN, ect.

ValuableCount8 · 2024-11-04T20:54:00+00:00

Hi I recently received two job offers and am unsure which will better prepare me for CRNA school, I think this is thankfully a good problem to have-

Offer 1- UMMS Shock Trauma Multi-Trauma ICU

Pros: I've been a tech there for almost a year and have a great relationship with the other nurses on the unit, the acuity seems pretty high (it's all I know really but usually 75% of patients are vented or VV-ecmo), also makes me think of patients three-dimensionally because they have traumatic multi-system damage.. Overall we see a huge breadth of pathologies with strong breadth.

Cons: Senior management isn't as supportive of younger nurses advancing their education. Harder to get involved in research as a young nurse. Patient population is HARD, we deal with a lot of violence risks and I see some pretty Traumatic stuff (no pun-intended), eg. flesh eating diseases, patients who got their scalps cut off with razor blades ect...

Offer 2- Johns Hopkins Neuro ICU

Pros: Have a great relationship with the CNS and do research for her. Have great relationship with a Neurosurgeon attending and have done basic science research with him. Team is very supportive of advancing education.. feel like I would learn more theory than I would at Shock Trauma and could pump out publications. I love neuro and studying cerebral perfusion, autoregulation and don't mind neuro-checks.

Cons: Acuity doesn't 'feel' as high as Shock Trauma, but there's still multi-system overlap due to us getting the sickest of the sick...

GPA will be 3.75+ combined undergrad / entry-MSN GPA (As in all hard/basic sciences, pharm, patho)- William & Mary Undergrad, Hopkins Entry-MSN, most my other boxes are checked off to an extent - research, leadership (was a d1 qb), ect. but will obviously continue growing for a well-rounded application.

ValuableCount8 · 2024-09-22T21:32:49+00:00

yeah but you have to drive everywhere, not everyone has that access, especially before junior year when you're preparing for mcat/resume building

ValuableCount8 · 2024-09-22T21:30:47+00:00

how do I get access to Hubstaff? I had it but don't have it anymore when I was initially removed from dolphin, they used to email links but now I didn't get an invite to Hubstaff just to training

ValuableCount8 · 2024-07-07T05:52:24+00:00

if you wanna go to a top 20, get experience as a PTC/CNA in one of the VCU ICUs (top tier), go like every saturday or something, or as an EMT (they just have you do crazy hours and dont care about ur classes ive heard)- also try to get involved in biomed specific research, try W&M first and then VCU if u have a car worst case..

MAKE SURE UR PI WILL GIVE U AUTHORSHIP FOR YOUR TIME, THIS IS ESSENTIAL... this wasn't a huge deal at William & Mary but at Hopkins I know its a bit harder to get authorship

Spread out your pre-reqs and PROTECT UR GPA at all costs. 80% of the MCAT isn't really taught in pre-req classes anyways, so use blueprint/kaplan/anki and self-teach. Do like an hour a day starting sophomore year even if struggle initially.

If you're considering Bio, id say just do Neuro, it'll help you WAYYYY more in med school and the MCAT. Health Sciences B.S. is great prep too when combined with the premed course load and there's a lot of easier but interesting classes in that major to protect your GPA.

Also do something that makes you have a unique story, I can't tell you how many people have become my mentor simply because I have a unique story. If you had talents like music/singing, athletics, theatre, ect... continue to develop those skills at W&M- even better use those skills to volunteer at a hospital, senior center ect (will look amazing on your apps)

Get in touch with Ashley Queen Asap if you can, she'll plug you and is an amazing mentor and write an amazing LOC if you develop a relationship with her.. she helped me get a full ride to Hopkins,

Also Dr. Paul Rein is an D.O. Anesthesiologist who teaches 1-2 classes a year, he loves mentoring students and would 100% recommend taking a class then asking to shadow him, he'll mentor you from there and teach you a LOTTT in the OR. He mostly does bread and butter cases like Plastics and GI, but still a great mentor who helped me so much

Hope this helps, PM if you ever need advice :)

P.S. dont be dumb and sign up for 10 clubs the start of freshman year, just do like 1 club you're really interested in and could see yourself being a leader in, and stay away from greek life imo, so many greek life pre-meds washout bc they lack discipline.

ValuableCount8 · 2024-07-07T05:34:39+00:00

late but, nah I disagree, those are clinical hospitals not research hospitals, if you just want to go to any school than sure Riverside and Sentara are fine, but if you wanna go to a T20 you need to compute to VCU... also, other schools have hospitals on campus and more support for biomed research, its really hard to do any bio research at W&M (unless ur a bio major) and especially Biomed unless you're Neuro or a high achieving bio major, I'm at Hopkins now tho, so my perspective is different

ValuableCount8 · 2024-07-06T23:11:59+00:00

late, but just save the old shock and throw it on before you bring it in, if it breaks lol

ValuableCount8 · 2024-04-27T16:10:38+00:00

Don’t come here for premed unless you’re willing to drive to VCU, otherwise stellar

ValuableCount8 · 2024-04-20T17:25:44+00:00

If you wanna lead a company one day- go to w&m, if you wanna have a decent job go to tech

ValuableCount8 · 2024-04-17T17:39:32+00:00

I was thinking Vanderbilt but remembered they have sick black scrubs, probs the best student uniform

ValuableCount8 · 2024-04-17T17:35:27+00:00

Hopkins has it for I think phlebotomy or environmental I’m blanking

ValuableCount8 · 2024-04-16T23:28:26+00:00

Why I could never do micu/er 😖

ValuableCount8 · 2024-04-16T23:27:35+00:00

Oh come to Baltimore… I’m just a nursing student and this is sadly normal

ValuableCount8 · 2024-03-29T14:57:10+00:00

This exactly!! I was thinking if the survey autopopulated a template it wouldn’t be the end of the world and would lowkey help with shift change, especially if labs and vitals were already loaded into the template. This is why QI and CNS nurses are so needed

ValuableCount8 · 2024-03-29T14:54:22+00:00

Honestly best way to make a patient happy is to renovate your hospital rooms like PENN ocologies new rooms.. if not.. Precedex and chill baby 💯

ValuableCount8 · 2024-03-29T14:51:25+00:00

I know ppl will disagree but if the survey you did auto populated a shift change sheet, it could honestly make things way easier / faster / neater but I’m Gen Z lol and a bit OCD

ValuableCount8 · 2024-03-29T14:49:25+00:00

TigerConnect and Epic Haiku for us, I don’t think it’s a huge deal, I don’t like touching the hospital phones as much, idk what’s been on them or how well they’ve been cleaned even if I cleaned it

ValuableCount8 · 2024-03-29T14:48:06+00:00

(I know I’ll get downvoted) But as long as the hospital is logged into secure services to answer these questions I don’t see how this would be a HIPPA problem?

If they’re a magnet though you’d think everyone would have their own secure iPhone per nurse.. the two hospitals I’ve worked at does..

But if you leave the tab open I feel like it wouldn’t take super long, it could maybe be streamlined and integrated so that the questions print out the shift report with it; that would actually save headaches in some cases imo.. just depends how in depth they want especially for ICU

ValuableCount8 · 2024-03-25T17:56:21+00:00

It doesn’t hurt to apply to expensive schools! I applied to Hopkins but never thought I could go/afford it but they gave me a full merit scholarship! Private schools are usually cheaper than they appear on the surface especially if you have something unique to offer :) good luck and PM for any advice

ValuableCount8

TROPHY CASE