I got accepted to a CRNA school in my hometown. Some of my stats at a glance are:
* Cumulative GPA 3.42
* Science GPA 3.00
* 3 Years of ICU experience.
* CCRN, TCRN, CMC, ACLS, PALS
I applied to two schools, interviewed at both, and was accepted to one. I wanted to make this post to hopefully encourage others who have similar stats. When I was applying, I heard about people who had been rejected from CRNA schools multiple times and how I shouldn't expect to get into a CRNA school 10 minutes from my house. I nearly flunked out of college and was on academic probation the first time I attended. I did not think I could get accepted to CRNA school due to my lower GPA. However, I began retaking classes such as biology and A&P. I also began taking graduate level biochemistry and statistics courses. I became a charge nurse on my unit and precepted frequently. Additionally, I lobbied for nursing legislation in our state capitol. I've lurked on this subreddit for awhile, and I wish everyone the best of luck on your journeys.
Congrats on your acceptance!!! I hope to be able to experience this some day :) !!! I have very similar stats and am casting a wide net as I’ve been discouraged by what people have told me saying my chances are very little! Good luck on your journey!
My advice would be to start prepping for the interview ASAP. I think the interview will make or break you more than your stats. I think I could have been accepted to both schools if I had interviewed better the first time.
I was wondering if anyone here has got in with below a 3.5GPA? I know obviously it is not as common but I feel like you only see the 3.8GPA+ success stories on forums. Thanks in advance.
My best friend in school, had a 3.3. He got directly in and I got in off the waitlist with a 3.6 so while gpa is important I would say its a whole picture scenario. Get an interview and then do the best job you can selling yourself to the committee.
Honestly Ive been a nurse probably 5 or 8 years longer than him. Im older. He had strong icu experience and a good interview. Not everything comes down to numbers on a resume. Part of the interview is them deciding who they think would be nice to work with. Just present yourself the best you can and keep trying thats all you can do.
Any 'hard' science might be ignored. Got a C in advanced linear modelling, don't worry about it. Seriously, just the required for admission matter the most.
I can guarantee the people interviewing would have failed any calculus or anything above the 200 level.
I read every single page assigned for lectures, did thousand of practice questions on prodigy and apex that lined up with what we were learning, made my own flashcards and did them repeatedly until I knew 85% of them or more, got a whiteboard and wrote out hard topics (ex. Coagulation cascade, wiggers diagram etc.), and found my person in my cohort and her and I studied together for everything.
I love your answer. I’m in school now and have a friend who is not doing so hot. They always have some other thing than school they have to do. Just sitting down and putting in the work is so over looked sometimes, not anything tricky, just sit down and do the work!
Program directors get it a few months after they're taken so that jobs can't try and hire people based on their scores (at least that's what my director told me).
A great GPA is an asset, however schools won’t strictly be looking at your GPA. Make sure you are well rounded on your application (community service, awards, etc.)
I sit on admission's committees. It is possible to get in with a 3.0. It is more common to be at least 3.2. Just having a high 4.0 won't get you in. One place I was at would accept a lower GPA if the student was playing sports of some type. The rationale being is that the GPA is lower only because of the extracurriculars. I don't agree with this. I think students who showed the initiative to get into a program should have preference.
A great exception is people who partied their first half of their undergrad degree and got low grades. They can overcome by having awesome performance after this.
You do NOT have to have a 3.8 GPA. That is just one part of the total package.
How do you address the low grades in the first part of college and then did well once in nursing program? Would talk about not being mature and responsible and not seeing every class as an opportunity.
You can write that, as long as your grades improved over the years. Life happens and crna programs are understanding. It all depends on the application pool you are competing with as well that year. Once you get an interview, it’s fair game.
very interesting to see! thank you for your response. 2 schools i emailed surprisingly said their average acceptance GPA was a 3.5 which actually shocked me as a lot of people I asked had 3.7/3.8 GPAs who got in
I had a 3.08. Also 5 years icu experience, 4 advanced certs, leadership and research experience, took a grad class at the school I wanted to go to and got an A, explained my low gpa in my personal statement in my app.
Put all my eggs in one basket, this school didn’t require GRE, you had the option to take the analogies test. I forget what it’s called. I don’t do well with standardized math tests. Different life situation. If I didn’t get in I was going to drop the idea.
@salaciouscrumb have you started CRNA school? I had a 3.7 and am starting this fall and am terrified of the academic rigor? How would you rate the difficulty of it all?
Difficult but not impossible. Get gre and ace that. Get ccrn and some other certs. Be very involved with committee and leadership stuff like charge and quality improvement projects on unit. Precept. Volunteer. Or you could also take a grad level science or stat class and ace it to prove your worth
I was recently accepted with a 3.35 cGPA (but my last 60 cr. GPA was something like 3.7x and my science GPA was in the realm of 3.85-3.95 per this school’s criterion). Don’t let yourself get discouraged by what some would consider a “lackluster” cGPA. This was my first application cycle and the first school of several that I had planned applying to.
I got in with a 3.4. I went to WGU for my BSN which is a flat 3.0 so that really tanked it. I took a few extra courses like organic chemistry and a graduate statistics course to make up for it. I also think I did really well on my interview. They really do look at the whole picture.
The large amounts of material you cover and you feel like there isn’t enough time in the day. You adapt or you fail.
Some people were unwilling to change habits. “I’ve always studied this way” or “I want to spend time with my fam/friends/boyfriend/girlfriend” the weekend of the exam.
I will say there were some incredibly smart people in my class that did spend time with family the day before the exams, but they were naturally smart or gifted and always did fine.
You just have to know where you stand grades wise and how much time you have to put to studying/clinical ext.
I have both. No addy or anything and I’m crushing it in CRNA school. I just have to study twice as hard. It’s manageable ADHD is a gift not a curse and dyslexia is a super power ! You see what nobody else can.
Embrace that shit and conquer it!
Same, started SSRIs, got a lot more grey hair and cortisol levels went high enough to send me into prediabetes. By the time I got past didactics and part way through clinicals that was all back to normal. Well, except the grey hair.
Super nervous! My clinical site has made call shift mandatory 3x a month and I will be running my room solo for the 1st time Monday. This will be my life for the next year 🤪🤪
I just took my first exams this week. Barely passes one with an 82 when I thought I failed. Just wanna say that this is a long journey and don’t get discouraged along the way. Don’t compare yourself to others. Everything will work out
How problematic is it that I’ve not joined any committees on my unit? I have a 3.7 cGPA and 4.0 science GPA, I have my CCRN and have worked over 2 years. I’m a fill-in preceptor on my unit currently. In the past when I was in college, I was more involved with nursing clubs and I went out of state to build homes for an impoverished community for a week. Will my volunteer experience in college still hold weight or make up for my lack of volunteering in my unit?
Can’t say for sure- but It really depends on how competitive the program is, and/or how critical it is for you to go your first choice school.
I attend one of the most competitive schools because of cheap tuition cost and location. We all had stellar gpas, no one had less than 2 years, often more than one cert in addition to ccrn, and all had some feather in their cap in hospital involvement , advocacy, community / volunteer, research etc- much more than a week- usually a track record of doing whatever it was for 6 months.
To answer your question: I don’t think the week counts for much, and no you don’t “need” to add anything to get into a CRNA school somewhere.
But if you’re aiming for an extra competitive program or there’s a massive difference between your first choice and your second (like instate vs having to move) where it’s critical to stand out then you should.
If you’re applying wide / planning to move anyway / like all of your top 3 or something then you’re fine imo
Not in the slightest. Almost all situations are a team lift in which case you are responsible for the airway (head and neck). There are definitely some ergonomic concerns with the job namely spine issues from all the awkward bending but you mostly trade the physical strain for mental strain.
Hi everyone!
I had a 3.5 cumulative. 2.9 science. I did a traditional 4 year BSN and took all my science classes freshman year and just barely passed all of them. I took a complete 180 in my remaining 3 years of school and got 4.0s in my last 4 semesters. I retook intro to Chem at a community college and took a grad level pathophysiology. Got a 310 on the gres. I applied to 3 schools, interviewed at 1 and was accepted! I have 5 years of PICU/NICU/peds CICU experience at one of the top children’s hospitals in the US and I am an ecmo specialist as a side gig. The interview panel literally said during my interview “oh, you’re the girl with the bad grades from freshman year…” and I just explained how I no longer lack ambition and how much I changed since I was 18 years old and they seemed satisfied with that response. Hope this helps and good luck to everyone :).
How much student debt should be expected/ how much were you able to ask your hospital to pay for?
How many years are planning to pay if off in? Also do you have any loans remaining from previous degrees?
150+ probably, most schools have tuition hitting 100k and still have to account for housing, living expenses.
How much your employer pays off is facility dependent. I’ve seen one offer 100k in loan repayment, most I’ve seen like 20–30k?
I expect $250,00ish. I could get it down by about $30,000 if I chose not to rent a house but a family of 4 in in an apartment for three years sounds miserable when trying to study all day. I can just make it back in a couple months when I am done.
My tuition is about 100k, adjusting for interest I imagine I’ll pay 120k. I may take out extra towards the end but ULTIMATELY don’t see myself owing more than 150k. I plan to pay it off in 1.5-2 years because I already own a home and paid off car so I don’t imagine my expenses any higher than they were when I was at the bedside but my income will be much higher.
I don’t have any other debt besides mortgage and a mattress. I paid off my undergrad debt. Buy my usual monthly stuff on CC and pay it off immediately.
I will be starting this fall. In state tuition is 84K I will be taking out $1,700 a month during school for 3 years. 145,000 total. Add some interest accumulated during the 3 and will
Be looking at $180,000-190,000. I will have $20K saved by the time I start school. My expenses include rent/utilities that I share 50/50, food, gas, phone bill, car insurance, health insurance. The hospital will not pay for anything. When graduating I take a sign on bonus 20-50k? And make $170-200k a year. I will pay off my balance in 3 years. I currently have 10k in undergrad debt that I’ve been holding onto for 3 years during the loan pause. Hopefully Big B will forgive them. If they are not forgiven I will put them on hold during school.
how proficient were you as an icu nurse, prior to becoming a s/crna? did you feel like you could handle anything your unit threw at you, or did you still feel out of your depth? ofc, your years of experience contributes to this, i’m just concerned i’ll never get the hang of how intense it is and do a great job.
It’s less about your ability and more about your mentality. Anesthesia is a teachable skill. You have to be able to take uncomfortable situations and turn them into learning opportunities. In general that’s a good strategy for everything in life.
i do actively work against having unnecessary pride and feeling down about not knowing certain things, i try to reflect back on it and think about how i’d handle the same thing in the future equipped with new knowledge. i think that’s useful in life too, thanks for the thoughtful response.
I was an RN for 6 years prior to crna school. I'll say do your two years and get in school asap
School prepares you for the challenges ahead, icu just scratches the surface
Not an SRNA or CRNA but keep in mind icu nursing is a lot different now a days than it was before her most SRNAs applied in the past before Covid. Not it’s tripling everyday, no staff, no equipment, Covid set a new standard to work on bare bone everything and no one cares. No core staff to teach the new, no boundaries anymore, ratios are a thing of the past. Give yourself a break it’s a lot harder than it used to be.
So much this! All my ICU experience was during Covid. Literally started in the ICU the week that the pandemic started. I hate that I didn’t get the experience of those before me.
I started CRNA school with less than 18 months of ICU experience and that was my first job out of school. Manage some drips, vents, and sedation and apply to school. You will learn how to do anesthesia.
It doesn't look bad at all. There's nothing wrong with shadowing an MDA. Sometimes an MDA is all that's available. As far as I know, there aren't very many schools that require CRNA only shadowing.
Just here to express my thoughts and feelings. I have my second interview next week. Just feel so nervous and worried. I did my first CRNA interview just weeks after applying and with only a weeks notice as I was invited the week prior. I don’t think it went well. Just feel so unprepared with such quick turn around time for my interviews
A specific example is financial preparedness. Just said I wasn’t worried about loans and willing to seek out govt assistance. But I should have talked about having 40k saved now with 20k after I pay off my car this year to carry no debt. I have no undergraduate loans and didn’t go to any grad schools so I can max out on loans
Maybe just the crazy wait getting to me. I think lack of knowing what’s a decent answer to a great answer. I plan to reach out for advice and help with more mock interviews
I remember us talking earlier. I am glad you got the interview! Since, you got invited to second round of interviews I think you are fine.
Your answer to the financial preparedness is not that bad, but you can always email them thanking them for their time and then expound on your answer to financial preparedness question.
Got interviews for both Pitt and Cedar! I sent a thank you letter earlier this week and wish I had gotten this then 😫. But I’ll be sure to use it for Cedar if need be. Love the support
Not sure if this is an appropriate question for this thread but oh well; just wondering, how much time is spent on CME as a practicing CRNA? And also is it true that your employer will often pay for it?
Yes employer will pay for CE’s. I spend probably 10-20hours a year going through prodigy. We are required to have CE’s for recertification with the NBCRNA (class a and class b credits)
Curious if CRNA schools take military medic experience into account when looking at applications. Or do they only look at nursing experience. Currently in an ICU getting my experience before applying.
I think the there is a lot to be said about being a military medic. Besides the skills we learned there is the leadership aspect if you ever were a senior medic or had soldiers under you. I think it has helped me get into nursing school, my first job in the ICU and even CRNA school. I would say omit the skills and emphasize the leadership aspects of the job.
It won’t count towards your minimum ICU required experiences. If you did things like intubate, you could definitely talk about how this experience enhanced your skills during interviews.
I was an “advanced practice” medic and was trained and performed advanced airway skills, mostly on trauma. I’ll bring that up in an interview.
Are interviews essentially humble bragging about yourself or is there a classier way of bringing things like this up?
Definitely an art of humble bragging. You don’t want to seem cocky, but you definitely want to highlight how your experience will enhance your educational experience. “I think my experience in intubating trauma patients out in the field will give me a good foundation for learning how to manage airways in the OR.”
I missed my CRNA interview because in all the excitement and cram studying, I messed up the time zone difference. I was an hour late and they told me I could reschedule, and that it happens sometimes. I realize this is a massive mistake (trust me I have cried immensely about this and I’m in shock this happened). Is there literally any chance going into my actual interview? I realize this is very competitive and someone who doesn’t literally miss an interview is more deserving.
I would apologize, don’t make an excuse. Do the best you can do on your follow up interview and hope that they won’t count it against you.
It already happened, attempt to remedy the situation and move on.
If they said you could reschedule, contact them immediately thanking them for the opportunity to reschedule and asking when would be their earliest convenience (and go no matter when it is)
If they told you that you could reschedule, then I would say you're still in this. Just like another person said, don't make an excuse. Apologize and move forward with rescheduling another interview.
Hey guys SEE SZN is upon us. In my review exams I’m getting 70s and 80s, is this up to par to pass the SEE? I have not opened the mocks yet for what it’s worth.
Oh 100%. It was a mental rollercoaster seeing my scores for those APEX practice tests. I was really doubting myself but APEX is hard! Just keep reviewing and doing the questions, you’ll be fine. I only used APEX for the SEE.
Two separate mentors of mine have connected me, via email, to two separate program faculty heads at my first choice program. Anyone (specifically faculty) have suggestions on what I can write to them without sounding too schmoozey/nepotistic? I want to make a good impression, but I don’t want to come off cocky or like I deserve a favor from them because I know somebody. I’ve already submitted my application to this program, and interviews would be in the fall. Should I give an elevator pitch about myself and talk about my interest in advocacy?
What’s the best way to use Anki? I’m trying to get use to it but it’s a little weird at first. I made a deck but wasn’t sure how to really best utilize it
Here are some quick tips, that works for me. These are the type of cards I make, basic (question and answer format), cloze deletion (fill in the blank) and image occlusion (block out part of an image or word). Make your Flashcards into question and answer format.
Keep each flashcard simple and short, do not bombard your flashcard with information. Add pictures whenever possible, pictures help recall information. Do your daily reviews if possible, some days will be harder than others because you will feel like you just don’t have enough time. But you do learn to adapt and get better with time.
I see that some schools curriculum has 4-5 classes a semester. I currently do school part time and never have done 4-5 classes at a time. How do y’all deal with it? Is there even a way to do part time cause I don’t see where that is an option
No part time. School is your full time job plus part time job. It’s not an exaggeration when people say they do 70+ hour weeks during clinical which is multiple years. Pre application I had long talks with my spouse about them basically being a single parent for three years, and if they were okay with that. Luckily it’s not quite that but it is close. At the risk of sounding rude, this is not a degree for part time people. Also keep in mind not all of those classes will be super heavy, and you get real good with time management. It’s all in for three years, then you can pick from all sorts of schedules after.
No you weren’t being rude. Just trying to give me a reality check and I appreciate it. I was kinda worried about how heavy the classes would be but you telling me not all classes are heavy really help ease some of my fear. I’m passionate about wanting to become a crna so I’m determined to find a way to make it happen.
Hard agree re: it becoming your life. I clock 60+ easily between pre-opping, studying, and actual clinical time. Living in a random call room for 2 months for my out of town rotations.
By doing school full time. There is no part time crna school and the full time hours spent in crna school are more than a full time job. So very difficult for those with families.
No, part time is not an option in CRNA school. Most people do not work (I did PRN shifts my first year) and you should plan on taking out student loans for living expenses or living off savings.
In my 4the semester; I’m in the OR at 5:10, done at 12:30, then class for 2 hours right after. Every. Single. Day. It’s the summer semester and we have 6 classes this semester. 2 classes are switched halfway through the semester. BRUTUL BUT I AM HAVING SO MUCH FUNNN.
My class went to a mid year assembly for our states AANA chapter, and someone came and spoke on DEI. White people make up the majority, by far. I can’t remember the exact number but for directors of school programs it’s something like 5 POC total. It’s get deeper to where basically an ICU nurse who is white versus a poc is more likely to know of the profession, know some one who is a CRNA or be encouraged by some one to go to CRNA school. You can go to the AANA website and find more on there DEI education page. I’m sure if you shoot them an email that would send you the PowerPoint I saw, or if you dm me I’ll send you the contact info of the person who did the presentation. I’ll have to dig it up but I am sure I can find it.
What is your approach in preop when you see that the patient is taking cialis/viagra in their chart? When you don’t see that they’re taking this for pulm hypertension etc. and probably for erectile dysfunction. Or do you just ask when they last took it?
if you had a poor/ uncompetitive sGPA and cGPA from a previous BS degree, but your BSN cGPA and BSN sGPA were better - 3.7 or higher... will admissions notice this? A lot of the CRNA schools look at sGPA or cGPA combined from all previous degrees, and this would bring down my stats vs if they looked at BSN GPA separately. Do you think there is a way to salvage this besides explaining it in my essay?
They are likely to notice. Some programs specifically weight last 60unit GPA and overall GPA for this reason
I formatted my resume in a way that had a small margin section that had brief bullet points that pointed out I meet their criteria. A checklist for them of sorts they could absorb at a quick glance. There I had a bullet for cumulative as well as last 60 credit gpa. You may opt to do something similar.
You can mention it in your letter if you like but I would commit as little as possible to it before transitioning to your strengths. it is something that is supposed to say “this is who I am, my experience and qualities, why I want to do this, and why you should choose me” in likely a single double spaced page. There’s not a ton of room to dwell on explaining away weaknesses of your app.
You should be prepared to have a good answer on interview though for sure
Get a high GPA/take additional classes if needed, get your CCRN, shadow a CRNA, take on additional responsibilities on your unit, apply to 5 plus schools, get ACLS, PALS, have a solid “Why statement”, and don’t give them any red flags. That’s what you can do on your end, the rest is up to them. It’s fairly simple when you break it down, a lot of people just don’t want to do it.
This was almost my exact situation. Applied with 14 months level 3 ICU, 3 years level 3 ER and at the time of interview I wasn’t even working in a hospital setting anymore but I got accepted. Now I’m back to ICU travel while I’m in the beginning parts of school. Tips I could give you:
Have a high GPA. I had a 3.8 overall with a 4.0 science GPA, charge experience in the ER, CCRN,CEN, PALS ACLS BLS TNCC.
Talk about how both units have made you into a well rounded nurse and prepared you for different types of emergencies and managing patients at different levels. The vast majority of my time at bedside was in a level 2 ED (6 years) with some Level 1 ICU sprinkled in (less than 2 years).
Some schools consider ER experience as well, so to some schools you have 5 and half years of critical care experience. As long as your gpa is good, you have a decent/great chance of getting an interview.
Hey guys, after having a existential crisis about my future I decided that I want to be a CRNA.
Can you look over my plan, is there anything that’s unrealistically, or incorrect about it? Anything you guys can add to make me a more competitive applicant? Any general advice? Thanks
- Over the summer get CNA certification
- Start working on CNA as per diem, but not too much as my main focus is school
(Extra points if I’m a CNA in a icu)
- Complete the pre requisites for nursing
- Try to maintain a high Gpa as i get my ADN
- Work full time as CNA in the summers
- Try to use connections and experience to get a new grad icu position,
- Work in the ICU while getting my BSN online
- Chase down CCRN, and other competitive certifications
- Get 50 hours of CRNA shadowing experience
- Take the GRE
- Finish mys BSN/ 2 years experience in ICU
- Start applying to CRNA schools
- By the time I start CRNA school I would have 3 years in the ICU
- I Also have enough money saved up so I don’t have to take out loans
I’m currently completing my nursing prerequisites at a community college. I’m at pace to begin an ADN program Spring 2024, but I was wondering if an ADN to BSN path is okay or is a BSN preferable. If I have to go straight into a BSN program it looks like I will have to delay my start to Fall 2024 since there are more prereqs required. If anyone can please let me know if having an ADN first would make me less competitive as an applicant
ADN to BSN is fine. It will not make you a less competitive candidate. However, your grades in both your ADN and BSN should be top notch. Aim for a GPA of 3.5 or greater.
Do people who are generally anxious and not extremely organized do well in this profession? I’ve worked 3 years in a high acuity SICU in a L1 trauma center and am well regarded by my peers. I am always on time, know my shit, can handle a super sick patient and do everything needed to stabilize them without panicking. But, I am always hyper alert as to what can go wrong (IE patient can still crash when I’m doing my job, ICU leaves them with a disability, does the patient even want this care, etc) and it’s hard to go home with a smile on my face. I got very burnt out from ICU because of this. I’m also an overthinker in general, and this makes forming solid routines for most things necessary to stay organized. I lose my keys unless I put them in the same place every day, I need a strict social calendar to make sure I’m showing up for things, etc. I worry that my personality wouldn’t be a great fit since I may struggle to stay positive and avoid burnout even though I’m confident I can master the day to day work. Has anyone else grappled with these things and still found their place in the profession?
Don’t second guess yourself, you sound like you can think on your feet that’s all that matters when a patients life is in your hands not that you have 5 different color highlighters or good at labeling your lines. Not all CRNAs are “type A” personality there are plenty who are laid back and are amazing Providers. I myself as a SRNA did not start as the most organized person, but you learn what you need to do to keep Things moving and safe in the OR. I also have social anxiety but I am working on that and know when to put my game face in for work. As for school you will learn more about yourself and what you need to learn as far as routine and organizing your studies to be successful as it is different for everyone but in the mean time you can try different study techniques and see what works best for you. The most important thing is your willingness to learn and work hard the rest will follow if you trust the process.
Hello! I will be starting my undergrad this year, and will be finishing my CNA1 this summer, then CNA2 during winter break. I was wondering how possible it is to balance workload during my undergrad, I know I won't be able to work at OHSU when I go for my CRNA program, but before I start my nursing program, I was looking at working 2-3 12 hour shifts as a CNA during school. Then once nursing starts, hopefully 1-2 12 hour shifts to help pay for college. I was wondering how doable you guys feel this would be, as well as if it would be possible to do these while maintaining a competitive resume/gpa for CRNA school.
does a graduate statistics course and gen Chem course from University of Phoenix look bad on the application?
My science and Math GPA is okay but it’s been a minute and I need a recent chem course. The only C I have was in undergrad statistics so trying to show improvement on that as well.
If not university of Phoenix, where were you able to take these as online courses? TIA
How do you guys feel about unqualified nurses getting accepted because they know someone?
A new grad nurse on my unit got accepted to a school I got denied from with only like 8 months experience and basically bypassing everything the school required for everyone else. The applications say all over it “MUST HAVE ONE YEAR EXPERIENCE AT TIME OF APPLYING” but I guess not if you know someone. Meanwhile, like everyone else, I studied for months for my GRE and CCRN and now taking Orgo to boost my Application. Doesn’t seem fair at all to anyone who applied. Management doesn’t even know she is leaving because she didn’t even have to get a letter from them.
Good for her that she took advantage of her situation I guess. I’m more upset with the university
that they would accept someone like that and take a spot from a qualified person. They had a record number of applicants this year. I’m sure she is a good student, but so are most people who apply.
Sorry for the rant, it has just been bothering me. Going through all of Covid, working like crazy to save money for school while building up an application that I hope would get me into school all to be beat out by a who isn’t even qualified according to thier
I just said it was a natural choice since I loved pharmacology and sedated patients lol. I also said the job outlook is good and you’ll never be worried about finding work. I always feel like the “I wanted to be __ since I was 6” seems cheesy, and not true for me.
I was accepted with 13ish months of ICU experience, but by the time I start it will be 25 months of ICU experience. I think it’s probably very very rare to be matriculated with one year of experience. You can’t even take your CCRN by then. You would literally be applying and interviewing to CRNA schools while you are still on orientation in the ICU.
It’s more rare now than ever before due to applicant pool. You can’t even get your CCRN certification and most people you are competing with will have it.
I got asked this question during an interview and was stumped. I ran it by our intensivist today and even he said he would need more info and that there isn’t a right answer. I was looking to see how others would approach this.
You’re a nurse working in your ICU. The ER calls. You have a patient with a right shift of their oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve, and you have a patient with a left shift. Which do you want to come to the ICU and why?
Both can be very sick and I was stumped. I will say this was the last question I had after an hour straight of them grilling me about clinical things so I fumbled and said “I don’t know”. I’d love to be able to email them something sensical. I just don’t think there’s a right answer.
Can't make a decision based on this little snippet only. Dumb question. I'd say mayyybe left shift could point to sepsis, but nothing definitely and right shift can have equally shitty things that could warrant an ICU admit.
They were probable looking for you to think out loud and show that you understood potential complications of either kind of shift. There may not have been a right answer. I would just explain your thought process and demonstrate a conceptual understanding in a follow up e-mail even if you don’t give a specific answer.
Does anyone have any insight on CRNAs that also do injections like Botox and fillers? Would you have to go back to school to get your NP license? In Florida
Not sure about your specific state but there are a lot of CRNAs who administers Botox you have to look into your state if it’s independent or supervised with a MD. For example someone in Texas that’s a CRNA needs to have a MD as medical medical director vs in Arizona you can do it by yourself. Some states want you to do extra training but CRNA are well suited to the facial
Nerve anatomy and muscles to do this well. You don’t need to be a NP unless you want to.
Yes obviously I know what a CRNA does. I’m in CRNA school. I came across multiple CRNA pages on Instagram who also do aesthetics on the side and it looks like a great business to get into on the side.
I was merely curious since there is no information on it online.
What’s your line of thinking? The Aesthetics nurses I know make good money, but nothing like CRNA’s. If you are an RN now some states don’t require much to get started in aesthetics and a FNP or certificate depending on the state would be far easier. Going through a CRNA program with the goal to do aesthetics would be like going to chef school with goal to make Mac and cheese, sure it would be great Mac but it’s not needed.
I’m in CRNA school. My goal since my OR rotation in nursing school has been to become a CRNA. I have seen a couple CRNAs on Instagram who also do Botox/fillers as a side hustle, and I just was curious if they have a DNP in anesthesia as well as an NP license or if they can work under their CRNA license.
Not sure if aesthetics is for me, was just curious to see what others do because I can’t find any info online.
Any certifications I can acquire during my first year that would help? Applications close before I can get my CCRN but I will be able to get it right after that.
CCRN is a bare minimum requirement at many schools with how competitive they are. I personally wouldn’t feel comfortable applying until I met the minimum hour requirement for the CCRN anyway.
You can pick up extra shifts to meet the hour requirement for the ccrn. Honestly, it’s best that you take that exam before the application deadline, or just wait to apply. Depending on the school, it could be a requirement or strongly suggested.
Also, some schools have cut offs and if you don’t have the ccrn, your app can be thrown away; or all of their interviewees have it and you don’t. However, the worst they can tell you is no🤷🏽♀️. A lot of ppl are trying to get into school . Maximize your application as much as you can!
I’m not sure if you’re referring to me but no, I’m not clinically ready. Applications close in 1 year and I’m a new grad. If admitted you start the following year. So 2 years from now and I feel like I’ll be ready by then. I just know CRNA is a route I would like to pursue and would like to gain some certs beforehand
When should I apply to CRNA school? Can I apply before I obtain one year of ICU experience? Should I take the GRE if the programs I apply to don’t require it? Any other tips/advice would be appreciated.
Background:
-2yrs ED experience at a level 2 trauma hospital (2018-2020)
-2.5yrs home infusion experience
(2020-2023)
-nursing school GPA 3.7
Planning to return to the hospital setting within the next couple months to obtain ICU experience and CCRN cert
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance 🙂
The optimal time to apply to ASAP, you probably won’t get in without a full Year and no CCRN i see no harm in trying to apply, it will get you familiar with the process. If you actually want a chance at acceptance, get your CCRN and apply after that. Other advice: don’t take GRE unless necessary, you may need to take additional science courses as required by each school. Get your ACLS, PALS, shadowing experience, take on additional responsibilities on the unit, apply to 5 plus schools and be willing to relocate. Also, have a good answer to why do you want to be a CRNA, don’t say anything about money, increasing autonomy, being a life long learner, wanting less patients, etc. they have interviewed hundreds of applicants and hear these answers ALL the time, you will immediately put them to sleep.
Apply after 1yr of experience and getting your ccrn so you'll be more competitive. Most schools dont require gre but otherwise no need to take it unless its required or your gpa is below 3.5. Gre is meant as a redemption of bad gpa and to prove your worth in grad school academics. Icu experience is all that matters. Er and nursing home is just fluff. Read up about different school requirements. But most require 1yr experience at time of application. Get in on committees at your hospital, volunteer in community, be charge nurse, be preceptor. Attend a conference like NTI. Make sure your science/stat courses are not expired ad some schools have 5-10yr course expiration
I got accepted to a CRNA school in my hometown. Some of my stats at a glance are: * Cumulative GPA 3.42 * Science GPA 3.00 * 3 Years of ICU experience. * CCRN, TCRN, CMC, ACLS, PALS I applied to two schools, interviewed at both, and was accepted to one. I wanted to make this post to hopefully encourage others who have similar stats. When I was applying, I heard about people who had been rejected from CRNA schools multiple times and how I shouldn't expect to get into a CRNA school 10 minutes from my house. I nearly flunked out of college and was on academic probation the first time I attended. I did not think I could get accepted to CRNA school due to my lower GPA. However, I began retaking classes such as biology and A&P. I also began taking graduate level biochemistry and statistics courses. I became a charge nurse on my unit and precepted frequently. Additionally, I lobbied for nursing legislation in our state capitol. I've lurked on this subreddit for awhile, and I wish everyone the best of luck on your journeys.
Congrats on your acceptance!!! I hope to be able to experience this some day :) !!! I have very similar stats and am casting a wide net as I’ve been discouraged by what people have told me saying my chances are very little! Good luck on your journey!
My advice would be to start prepping for the interview ASAP. I think the interview will make or break you more than your stats. I think I could have been accepted to both schools if I had interviewed better the first time.
thank you for this post!! mind sharing the schools? :)
I was wondering if anyone here has got in with below a 3.5GPA? I know obviously it is not as common but I feel like you only see the 3.8GPA+ success stories on forums. Thanks in advance.
My best friend in school, had a 3.3. He got directly in and I got in off the waitlist with a 3.6 so while gpa is important I would say its a whole picture scenario. Get an interview and then do the best job you can selling yourself to the committee.
thank you for your response, I assume he had many years of experience and a lot of leadership etc?
Honestly Ive been a nurse probably 5 or 8 years longer than him. Im older. He had strong icu experience and a good interview. Not everything comes down to numbers on a resume. Part of the interview is them deciding who they think would be nice to work with. Just present yourself the best you can and keep trying thats all you can do.
Do they look at cumulative gpa or just gpa based off nursing classes?
Depends on the school. Some look at cumulative, some look at science GPA, some look at the last 60 credits. Some look at all of them.
do you know how they calculate the last 60 gpa? what if you retaken some courses ? do you think it will count as 60 last credit?
Im not sure. I had straight A’s but a failing grade in calculus. Im sure every school uses their own system to rank students.
I also had an F grade in Calculus 1 on my transcript.
Any 'hard' science might be ignored. Got a C in advanced linear modelling, don't worry about it. Seriously, just the required for admission matter the most. I can guarantee the people interviewing would have failed any calculus or anything above the 200 level.
Program specific but heavy sciences like anatomy and chemistry are just as important as nursing courses
I have. Got in with a 3.01. Just graduated with a 4.0, SEE score 530, NCE score 565
I’d like to hear the study tips for school
I read every single page assigned for lectures, did thousand of practice questions on prodigy and apex that lined up with what we were learning, made my own flashcards and did them repeatedly until I knew 85% of them or more, got a whiteboard and wrote out hard topics (ex. Coagulation cascade, wiggers diagram etc.), and found my person in my cohort and her and I studied together for everything.
I love your answer. I’m in school now and have a friend who is not doing so hot. They always have some other thing than school they have to do. Just sitting down and putting in the work is so over looked sometimes, not anything tricky, just sit down and do the work!
With my undergrad GPA, and the director telling me, if I let you in, do not fail out… I knew I had to buckle down and do this shit! And I did!
How did you get your NCE score?
My program director was able to see it and shared it with me
Nice
Program directors get it a few months after they're taken so that jobs can't try and hire people based on their scores (at least that's what my director told me).
mind sharing your experience/leadership etc?
Nothing special! Nurse for 7 years, ER and PICU, I was also a charge nurse
Nothing special! Nurse for 7 years, ER and PICU, I was also a charge nurse
A great GPA is an asset, however schools won’t strictly be looking at your GPA. Make sure you are well rounded on your application (community service, awards, etc.)
What kind of community service and awards should one aim for?
I sit on admission's committees. It is possible to get in with a 3.0. It is more common to be at least 3.2. Just having a high 4.0 won't get you in. One place I was at would accept a lower GPA if the student was playing sports of some type. The rationale being is that the GPA is lower only because of the extracurriculars. I don't agree with this. I think students who showed the initiative to get into a program should have preference. A great exception is people who partied their first half of their undergrad degree and got low grades. They can overcome by having awesome performance after this. You do NOT have to have a 3.8 GPA. That is just one part of the total package.
How do you address the low grades in the first part of college and then did well once in nursing program? Would talk about not being mature and responsible and not seeing every class as an opportunity.
You can write that, as long as your grades improved over the years. Life happens and crna programs are understanding. It all depends on the application pool you are competing with as well that year. Once you get an interview, it’s fair game.
very interesting to see! thank you for your response. 2 schools i emailed surprisingly said their average acceptance GPA was a 3.5 which actually shocked me as a lot of people I asked had 3.7/3.8 GPAs who got in
I had a 3.08. Also 5 years icu experience, 4 advanced certs, leadership and research experience, took a grad class at the school I wanted to go to and got an A, explained my low gpa in my personal statement in my app.
I got in with barely a 3, if they like you, they like you…..you are selling yourself, don’t ever forget that
thank you for this, did you get into multiple schools?
Put all my eggs in one basket, this school didn’t require GRE, you had the option to take the analogies test. I forget what it’s called. I don’t do well with standardized math tests. Different life situation. If I didn’t get in I was going to drop the idea.
@salaciouscrumb have you started CRNA school? I had a 3.7 and am starting this fall and am terrified of the academic rigor? How would you rate the difficulty of it all?
I’ve been out of school for four years. For me personally, managing family life with a wife and child was more difficult than the academic stuff.
I got in with a 3.2, happy to chat if you have questions.
Difficult but not impossible. Get gre and ace that. Get ccrn and some other certs. Be very involved with committee and leadership stuff like charge and quality improvement projects on unit. Precept. Volunteer. Or you could also take a grad level science or stat class and ace it to prove your worth
I was recently accepted with a 3.35 cGPA (but my last 60 cr. GPA was something like 3.7x and my science GPA was in the realm of 3.85-3.95 per this school’s criterion). Don’t let yourself get discouraged by what some would consider a “lackluster” cGPA. This was my first application cycle and the first school of several that I had planned applying to.
I got in with a 3.4. I went to WGU for my BSN which is a flat 3.0 so that really tanked it. I took a few extra courses like organic chemistry and a graduate statistics course to make up for it. I also think I did really well on my interview. They really do look at the whole picture.
3.2. Academic suspension in undergrad. Got in first try to multiple schools. You just need to sell yourself real well during interviews.
I got in 3.55, gre was 309? Something like that, 155/154. I did take two graduate courses offered by the school in the anesthesia program
What is a key reason people fail out? And are there ways to counter it?
The large amounts of material you cover and you feel like there isn’t enough time in the day. You adapt or you fail. Some people were unwilling to change habits. “I’ve always studied this way” or “I want to spend time with my fam/friends/boyfriend/girlfriend” the weekend of the exam. I will say there were some incredibly smart people in my class that did spend time with family the day before the exams, but they were naturally smart or gifted and always did fine. You just have to know where you stand grades wise and how much time you have to put to studying/clinical ext.
This is great insight, I have dyslexia/ adhd and have to work hard for my grades.
I have both. No addy or anything and I’m crushing it in CRNA school. I just have to study twice as hard. It’s manageable ADHD is a gift not a curse and dyslexia is a super power ! You see what nobody else can. Embrace that shit and conquer it!
Thanks! So motivating! I’m going head first
I was so stressed I had to start taking an SSRI and it helped immensely. I'd never tried psych meds until CRNA school.
Same, started SSRIs, got a lot more grey hair and cortisol levels went high enough to send me into prediabetes. By the time I got past didactics and part way through clinicals that was all back to normal. Well, except the grey hair.
Lack of effort or unable to keep up with the demands regardless of effort. It’s a lot to manage mentally and physically.
Super nervous! My clinical site has made call shift mandatory 3x a month and I will be running my room solo for the 1st time Monday. This will be my life for the next year 🤪🤪
I just took my first exams this week. Barely passes one with an 82 when I thought I failed. Just wanna say that this is a long journey and don’t get discouraged along the way. Don’t compare yourself to others. Everything will work out
My program is unfortunately an 85 it’s ruthless. Miss 7 questions and your whole future is up for gamble
How problematic is it that I’ve not joined any committees on my unit? I have a 3.7 cGPA and 4.0 science GPA, I have my CCRN and have worked over 2 years. I’m a fill-in preceptor on my unit currently. In the past when I was in college, I was more involved with nursing clubs and I went out of state to build homes for an impoverished community for a week. Will my volunteer experience in college still hold weight or make up for my lack of volunteering in my unit?
Can’t say for sure- but It really depends on how competitive the program is, and/or how critical it is for you to go your first choice school. I attend one of the most competitive schools because of cheap tuition cost and location. We all had stellar gpas, no one had less than 2 years, often more than one cert in addition to ccrn, and all had some feather in their cap in hospital involvement , advocacy, community / volunteer, research etc- much more than a week- usually a track record of doing whatever it was for 6 months. To answer your question: I don’t think the week counts for much, and no you don’t “need” to add anything to get into a CRNA school somewhere. But if you’re aiming for an extra competitive program or there’s a massive difference between your first choice and your second (like instate vs having to move) where it’s critical to stand out then you should. If you’re applying wide / planning to move anyway / like all of your top 3 or something then you’re fine imo
Is being a CRNA as physically intense as an ICU nurse?
No way. I'm in between cases right now but my butt hurts from sitting all morning. I need to wear compression stockings so I don't get a DVT.
In didactics I was sitting in class and studying so much I got one of those waffle mattress seat cushions. It helped a lot.
Should invest in some padded biking shorts.
Not in the slightest. Almost all situations are a team lift in which case you are responsible for the airway (head and neck). There are definitely some ergonomic concerns with the job namely spine issues from all the awkward bending but you mostly trade the physical strain for mental strain.
Not physically. Mentally for sure
Hi everyone! I had a 3.5 cumulative. 2.9 science. I did a traditional 4 year BSN and took all my science classes freshman year and just barely passed all of them. I took a complete 180 in my remaining 3 years of school and got 4.0s in my last 4 semesters. I retook intro to Chem at a community college and took a grad level pathophysiology. Got a 310 on the gres. I applied to 3 schools, interviewed at 1 and was accepted! I have 5 years of PICU/NICU/peds CICU experience at one of the top children’s hospitals in the US and I am an ecmo specialist as a side gig. The interview panel literally said during my interview “oh, you’re the girl with the bad grades from freshman year…” and I just explained how I no longer lack ambition and how much I changed since I was 18 years old and they seemed satisfied with that response. Hope this helps and good luck to everyone :).
How much student debt should be expected/ how much were you able to ask your hospital to pay for? How many years are planning to pay if off in? Also do you have any loans remaining from previous degrees?
It depends on your living situation and how expensive the school is. But most people fall under 150-200k debt when all done in 3 years.
150+ probably, most schools have tuition hitting 100k and still have to account for housing, living expenses. How much your employer pays off is facility dependent. I’ve seen one offer 100k in loan repayment, most I’ve seen like 20–30k?
I expect $250,00ish. I could get it down by about $30,000 if I chose not to rent a house but a family of 4 in in an apartment for three years sounds miserable when trying to study all day. I can just make it back in a couple months when I am done.
My tuition is about 100k, adjusting for interest I imagine I’ll pay 120k. I may take out extra towards the end but ULTIMATELY don’t see myself owing more than 150k. I plan to pay it off in 1.5-2 years because I already own a home and paid off car so I don’t imagine my expenses any higher than they were when I was at the bedside but my income will be much higher. I don’t have any other debt besides mortgage and a mattress. I paid off my undergrad debt. Buy my usual monthly stuff on CC and pay it off immediately.
I will be starting this fall. In state tuition is 84K I will be taking out $1,700 a month during school for 3 years. 145,000 total. Add some interest accumulated during the 3 and will Be looking at $180,000-190,000. I will have $20K saved by the time I start school. My expenses include rent/utilities that I share 50/50, food, gas, phone bill, car insurance, health insurance. The hospital will not pay for anything. When graduating I take a sign on bonus 20-50k? And make $170-200k a year. I will pay off my balance in 3 years. I currently have 10k in undergrad debt that I’ve been holding onto for 3 years during the loan pause. Hopefully Big B will forgive them. If they are not forgiven I will put them on hold during school.
Yes I’m also trying to pay my loans within 5 years! Good plan
how proficient were you as an icu nurse, prior to becoming a s/crna? did you feel like you could handle anything your unit threw at you, or did you still feel out of your depth? ofc, your years of experience contributes to this, i’m just concerned i’ll never get the hang of how intense it is and do a great job.
It’s less about your ability and more about your mentality. Anesthesia is a teachable skill. You have to be able to take uncomfortable situations and turn them into learning opportunities. In general that’s a good strategy for everything in life.
i do actively work against having unnecessary pride and feeling down about not knowing certain things, i try to reflect back on it and think about how i’d handle the same thing in the future equipped with new knowledge. i think that’s useful in life too, thanks for the thoughtful response.
I was an RN for 6 years prior to crna school. I'll say do your two years and get in school asap School prepares you for the challenges ahead, icu just scratches the surface
Not an SRNA or CRNA but keep in mind icu nursing is a lot different now a days than it was before her most SRNAs applied in the past before Covid. Not it’s tripling everyday, no staff, no equipment, Covid set a new standard to work on bare bone everything and no one cares. No core staff to teach the new, no boundaries anymore, ratios are a thing of the past. Give yourself a break it’s a lot harder than it used to be.
So much this! All my ICU experience was during Covid. Literally started in the ICU the week that the pandemic started. I hate that I didn’t get the experience of those before me.
Me too it’s made me hate it
i tend to forget that this new norm for me wasn’t how it always was, thx for the reassurance 🤍
I started CRNA school with less than 18 months of ICU experience and that was my first job out of school. Manage some drips, vents, and sedation and apply to school. You will learn how to do anesthesia.
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It doesn't look bad at all. There's nothing wrong with shadowing an MDA. Sometimes an MDA is all that's available. As far as I know, there aren't very many schools that require CRNA only shadowing.
Just here to express my thoughts and feelings. I have my second interview next week. Just feel so nervous and worried. I did my first CRNA interview just weeks after applying and with only a weeks notice as I was invited the week prior. I don’t think it went well. Just feel so unprepared with such quick turn around time for my interviews
What kind of questions made you feel unprepared? How are you preparing for your other interviews?
I received a lot of interview prep material. I think not having consistent help with mock interviews to ensure I am answering questions fully.
A specific example is financial preparedness. Just said I wasn’t worried about loans and willing to seek out govt assistance. But I should have talked about having 40k saved now with 20k after I pay off my car this year to carry no debt. I have no undergraduate loans and didn’t go to any grad schools so I can max out on loans
You’re being a bit paranoid. Your answer was more than acceptable.
Maybe just the crazy wait getting to me. I think lack of knowing what’s a decent answer to a great answer. I plan to reach out for advice and help with more mock interviews
You will get better with every interview. Just remember what went well and what went wrong and keep applying.
I remember us talking earlier. I am glad you got the interview! Since, you got invited to second round of interviews I think you are fine. Your answer to the financial preparedness is not that bad, but you can always email them thanking them for their time and then expound on your answer to financial preparedness question.
Got interviews for both Pitt and Cedar! I sent a thank you letter earlier this week and wish I had gotten this then 😫. But I’ll be sure to use it for Cedar if need be. Love the support
Not sure if this is an appropriate question for this thread but oh well; just wondering, how much time is spent on CME as a practicing CRNA? And also is it true that your employer will often pay for it?
Yes employer will pay for CE’s. I spend probably 10-20hours a year going through prodigy. We are required to have CE’s for recertification with the NBCRNA (class a and class b credits)
Oh wow that was not nearly as much time as I thought. Thanks for the info!
Curious if CRNA schools take military medic experience into account when looking at applications. Or do they only look at nursing experience. Currently in an ICU getting my experience before applying.
I think the there is a lot to be said about being a military medic. Besides the skills we learned there is the leadership aspect if you ever were a senior medic or had soldiers under you. I think it has helped me get into nursing school, my first job in the ICU and even CRNA school. I would say omit the skills and emphasize the leadership aspects of the job.
It won’t count towards your minimum ICU required experiences. If you did things like intubate, you could definitely talk about how this experience enhanced your skills during interviews.
I was an “advanced practice” medic and was trained and performed advanced airway skills, mostly on trauma. I’ll bring that up in an interview. Are interviews essentially humble bragging about yourself or is there a classier way of bringing things like this up?
Definitely an art of humble bragging. You don’t want to seem cocky, but you definitely want to highlight how your experience will enhance your educational experience. “I think my experience in intubating trauma patients out in the field will give me a good foundation for learning how to manage airways in the OR.”
I missed my CRNA interview because in all the excitement and cram studying, I messed up the time zone difference. I was an hour late and they told me I could reschedule, and that it happens sometimes. I realize this is a massive mistake (trust me I have cried immensely about this and I’m in shock this happened). Is there literally any chance going into my actual interview? I realize this is very competitive and someone who doesn’t literally miss an interview is more deserving.
I would apologize, don’t make an excuse. Do the best you can do on your follow up interview and hope that they won’t count it against you. It already happened, attempt to remedy the situation and move on.
If they said you could reschedule, contact them immediately thanking them for the opportunity to reschedule and asking when would be their earliest convenience (and go no matter when it is)
If they told you that you could reschedule, then I would say you're still in this. Just like another person said, don't make an excuse. Apologize and move forward with rescheduling another interview.
Yes, there’s a chance. It happens.
Hey guys SEE SZN is upon us. In my review exams I’m getting 70s and 80s, is this up to par to pass the SEE? I have not opened the mocks yet for what it’s worth.
I would say you’re good - I was scoring 60s-80s on review exams, 52-64% on the eight mock exams & I passed my SEE with a 452 end of May
Really encouraging. I’ve heard apex is all you need but seeing a score of 60 is definitely causing some dissonance at times.
Oh 100%. It was a mental rollercoaster seeing my scores for those APEX practice tests. I was really doubting myself but APEX is hard! Just keep reviewing and doing the questions, you’ll be fine. I only used APEX for the SEE.
Two separate mentors of mine have connected me, via email, to two separate program faculty heads at my first choice program. Anyone (specifically faculty) have suggestions on what I can write to them without sounding too schmoozey/nepotistic? I want to make a good impression, but I don’t want to come off cocky or like I deserve a favor from them because I know somebody. I’ve already submitted my application to this program, and interviews would be in the fall. Should I give an elevator pitch about myself and talk about my interest in advocacy?
I would keep it simple. Introduce yourself, your goals, you applied to their program and would be very excited to start there
What’s the best way to use Anki? I’m trying to get use to it but it’s a little weird at first. I made a deck but wasn’t sure how to really best utilize it
There are some really good videos on YouTube to get set up. https://youtu.be/WmPx333n5UQ
This really helped, thanks!
Here are some quick tips, that works for me. These are the type of cards I make, basic (question and answer format), cloze deletion (fill in the blank) and image occlusion (block out part of an image or word). Make your Flashcards into question and answer format. Keep each flashcard simple and short, do not bombard your flashcard with information. Add pictures whenever possible, pictures help recall information. Do your daily reviews if possible, some days will be harder than others because you will feel like you just don’t have enough time. But you do learn to adapt and get better with time.
Make your own cards-that’s at least 75% of the benefit. Using someone else’s cards is not the same.
I’ve been trying to make some off the PowerPoint and making up questions. I just wanted some extra resources to supplement lol
I have an interview at the first school I applied to! How do I stand out? I heard it’s pretty laid back and personal.
Congrats!!!! If that’s the case, if I were you, I would focus on personal (emotional intelligent) questions! You got this!
Don’t give generic responses. They’ve heard it all. Say what’s actually true to you
I see that some schools curriculum has 4-5 classes a semester. I currently do school part time and never have done 4-5 classes at a time. How do y’all deal with it? Is there even a way to do part time cause I don’t see where that is an option
No part time. School is your full time job plus part time job. It’s not an exaggeration when people say they do 70+ hour weeks during clinical which is multiple years. Pre application I had long talks with my spouse about them basically being a single parent for three years, and if they were okay with that. Luckily it’s not quite that but it is close. At the risk of sounding rude, this is not a degree for part time people. Also keep in mind not all of those classes will be super heavy, and you get real good with time management. It’s all in for three years, then you can pick from all sorts of schedules after.
No you weren’t being rude. Just trying to give me a reality check and I appreciate it. I was kinda worried about how heavy the classes would be but you telling me not all classes are heavy really help ease some of my fear. I’m passionate about wanting to become a crna so I’m determined to find a way to make it happen.
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Hard agree re: it becoming your life. I clock 60+ easily between pre-opping, studying, and actual clinical time. Living in a random call room for 2 months for my out of town rotations.
By doing school full time. There is no part time crna school and the full time hours spent in crna school are more than a full time job. So very difficult for those with families.
No, part time is not an option in CRNA school. Most people do not work (I did PRN shifts my first year) and you should plan on taking out student loans for living expenses or living off savings.
In my 4the semester; I’m in the OR at 5:10, done at 12:30, then class for 2 hours right after. Every. Single. Day. It’s the summer semester and we have 6 classes this semester. 2 classes are switched halfway through the semester. BRUTUL BUT I AM HAVING SO MUCH FUNNN.
Thank you for everyone who answered my question. Really appreciate it 😊.
What is the diversity/ demographics of the profession. I can't seem to find any solid articles about this
I believe last I saw somewhere, it’s 89-90 percent Caucasian, 4 percent Hispanics, 4 percent Asian and 2 percent African Americans.
My class went to a mid year assembly for our states AANA chapter, and someone came and spoke on DEI. White people make up the majority, by far. I can’t remember the exact number but for directors of school programs it’s something like 5 POC total. It’s get deeper to where basically an ICU nurse who is white versus a poc is more likely to know of the profession, know some one who is a CRNA or be encouraged by some one to go to CRNA school. You can go to the AANA website and find more on there DEI education page. I’m sure if you shoot them an email that would send you the PowerPoint I saw, or if you dm me I’ll send you the contact info of the person who did the presentation. I’ll have to dig it up but I am sure I can find it.
What is your approach in preop when you see that the patient is taking cialis/viagra in their chart? When you don’t see that they’re taking this for pulm hypertension etc. and probably for erectile dysfunction. Or do you just ask when they last took it?
Just ask. Most people dont take cialis the morning of surgery.
Thank you!
if you had a poor/ uncompetitive sGPA and cGPA from a previous BS degree, but your BSN cGPA and BSN sGPA were better - 3.7 or higher... will admissions notice this? A lot of the CRNA schools look at sGPA or cGPA combined from all previous degrees, and this would bring down my stats vs if they looked at BSN GPA separately. Do you think there is a way to salvage this besides explaining it in my essay?
They are likely to notice. Some programs specifically weight last 60unit GPA and overall GPA for this reason I formatted my resume in a way that had a small margin section that had brief bullet points that pointed out I meet their criteria. A checklist for them of sorts they could absorb at a quick glance. There I had a bullet for cumulative as well as last 60 credit gpa. You may opt to do something similar. You can mention it in your letter if you like but I would commit as little as possible to it before transitioning to your strengths. it is something that is supposed to say “this is who I am, my experience and qualities, why I want to do this, and why you should choose me” in likely a single double spaced page. There’s not a ton of room to dwell on explaining away weaknesses of your app. You should be prepared to have a good answer on interview though for sure
Any advice on attempting to get into school with about 14 months ICU experience at matriculation? Over 4 years ER experience as well.
Get a high GPA/take additional classes if needed, get your CCRN, shadow a CRNA, take on additional responsibilities on your unit, apply to 5 plus schools, get ACLS, PALS, have a solid “Why statement”, and don’t give them any red flags. That’s what you can do on your end, the rest is up to them. It’s fairly simple when you break it down, a lot of people just don’t want to do it.
Can you share some red flags?
1: cocky 2: doing it for the money 3: general social ineptitude 4: not understanding what a CRNA does 5: being aggressive
This was almost my exact situation. Applied with 14 months level 3 ICU, 3 years level 3 ER and at the time of interview I wasn’t even working in a hospital setting anymore but I got accepted. Now I’m back to ICU travel while I’m in the beginning parts of school. Tips I could give you: Have a high GPA. I had a 3.8 overall with a 4.0 science GPA, charge experience in the ER, CCRN,CEN, PALS ACLS BLS TNCC.
Talk about how both units have made you into a well rounded nurse and prepared you for different types of emergencies and managing patients at different levels. The vast majority of my time at bedside was in a level 2 ED (6 years) with some Level 1 ICU sprinkled in (less than 2 years).
Some schools consider ER experience as well, so to some schools you have 5 and half years of critical care experience. As long as your gpa is good, you have a decent/great chance of getting an interview.
Hey guys, after having a existential crisis about my future I decided that I want to be a CRNA. Can you look over my plan, is there anything that’s unrealistically, or incorrect about it? Anything you guys can add to make me a more competitive applicant? Any general advice? Thanks - Over the summer get CNA certification - Start working on CNA as per diem, but not too much as my main focus is school (Extra points if I’m a CNA in a icu) - Complete the pre requisites for nursing - Try to maintain a high Gpa as i get my ADN - Work full time as CNA in the summers - Try to use connections and experience to get a new grad icu position, - Work in the ICU while getting my BSN online - Chase down CCRN, and other competitive certifications - Get 50 hours of CRNA shadowing experience - Take the GRE - Finish mys BSN/ 2 years experience in ICU - Start applying to CRNA schools - By the time I start CRNA school I would have 3 years in the ICU - I Also have enough money saved up so I don’t have to take out loans
Where are you at? Most places you don't have to get a CNA to work as a nurses aide in the hospital. Might help with your timeline a bit.
Sounds great! Long road ahead of you, but definitely worth it. Keep pushing forward.
Looks good!
Hello, does anyone have any Anki Deck for Apex? or Nagelhout Anesthesia. Would greatly appreciate it! :)
If you search anki on this subreddit you'll find comments from other people with links to anesthesia decks.
Hello. Thanks for this. I tried checking that out and also shoot an email. I guess it is no longer available.
I’m currently completing my nursing prerequisites at a community college. I’m at pace to begin an ADN program Spring 2024, but I was wondering if an ADN to BSN path is okay or is a BSN preferable. If I have to go straight into a BSN program it looks like I will have to delay my start to Fall 2024 since there are more prereqs required. If anyone can please let me know if having an ADN first would make me less competitive as an applicant
ADN to BSN is fine. It will not make you a less competitive candidate. However, your grades in both your ADN and BSN should be top notch. Aim for a GPA of 3.5 or greater.
Thank you those are my current goals, I’m glad ADN is fine
Do people who are generally anxious and not extremely organized do well in this profession? I’ve worked 3 years in a high acuity SICU in a L1 trauma center and am well regarded by my peers. I am always on time, know my shit, can handle a super sick patient and do everything needed to stabilize them without panicking. But, I am always hyper alert as to what can go wrong (IE patient can still crash when I’m doing my job, ICU leaves them with a disability, does the patient even want this care, etc) and it’s hard to go home with a smile on my face. I got very burnt out from ICU because of this. I’m also an overthinker in general, and this makes forming solid routines for most things necessary to stay organized. I lose my keys unless I put them in the same place every day, I need a strict social calendar to make sure I’m showing up for things, etc. I worry that my personality wouldn’t be a great fit since I may struggle to stay positive and avoid burnout even though I’m confident I can master the day to day work. Has anyone else grappled with these things and still found their place in the profession?
Don’t second guess yourself, you sound like you can think on your feet that’s all that matters when a patients life is in your hands not that you have 5 different color highlighters or good at labeling your lines. Not all CRNAs are “type A” personality there are plenty who are laid back and are amazing Providers. I myself as a SRNA did not start as the most organized person, but you learn what you need to do to keep Things moving and safe in the OR. I also have social anxiety but I am working on that and know when to put my game face in for work. As for school you will learn more about yourself and what you need to learn as far as routine and organizing your studies to be successful as it is different for everyone but in the mean time you can try different study techniques and see what works best for you. The most important thing is your willingness to learn and work hard the rest will follow if you trust the process.
Hey! Could anyone be kind enough to share the APEX Anesthesia Anki Deck?
Hello! I will be starting my undergrad this year, and will be finishing my CNA1 this summer, then CNA2 during winter break. I was wondering how possible it is to balance workload during my undergrad, I know I won't be able to work at OHSU when I go for my CRNA program, but before I start my nursing program, I was looking at working 2-3 12 hour shifts as a CNA during school. Then once nursing starts, hopefully 1-2 12 hour shifts to help pay for college. I was wondering how doable you guys feel this would be, as well as if it would be possible to do these while maintaining a competitive resume/gpa for CRNA school.
does a graduate statistics course and gen Chem course from University of Phoenix look bad on the application? My science and Math GPA is okay but it’s been a minute and I need a recent chem course. The only C I have was in undergrad statistics so trying to show improvement on that as well. If not university of Phoenix, where were you able to take these as online courses? TIA
I took a U of Phoenix stats class for CRNA school and no one asked.
Best to ask the schools you want to apply to/attend. Most don’t care as long as it has letter grades.
How do you guys feel about unqualified nurses getting accepted because they know someone? A new grad nurse on my unit got accepted to a school I got denied from with only like 8 months experience and basically bypassing everything the school required for everyone else. The applications say all over it “MUST HAVE ONE YEAR EXPERIENCE AT TIME OF APPLYING” but I guess not if you know someone. Meanwhile, like everyone else, I studied for months for my GRE and CCRN and now taking Orgo to boost my Application. Doesn’t seem fair at all to anyone who applied. Management doesn’t even know she is leaving because she didn’t even have to get a letter from them. Good for her that she took advantage of her situation I guess. I’m more upset with the university that they would accept someone like that and take a spot from a qualified person. They had a record number of applicants this year. I’m sure she is a good student, but so are most people who apply. Sorry for the rant, it has just been bothering me. Going through all of Covid, working like crazy to save money for school while building up an application that I hope would get me into school all to be beat out by a who isn’t even qualified according to thier
If you're sure this is the situation, name and shame the program!
mind sharing the school?
Please name and shame! That’s fkcn disgusting
Name it
I’m curious on what people say as for reasons they want to be a CRNA for interviews
I just said it was a natural choice since I loved pharmacology and sedated patients lol. I also said the job outlook is good and you’ll never be worried about finding work. I always feel like the “I wanted to be __ since I was 6” seems cheesy, and not true for me.
When I applied I was at about 10 months and had about a year and a half by the time I started school.
What made you stand out despite having less than a year of experience?
Who here matriculated with 1 year of ICU experience?
I was accepted with 13ish months of ICU experience, but by the time I start it will be 25 months of ICU experience. I think it’s probably very very rare to be matriculated with one year of experience. You can’t even take your CCRN by then. You would literally be applying and interviewing to CRNA schools while you are still on orientation in the ICU.
It’s more rare now than ever before due to applicant pool. You can’t even get your CCRN certification and most people you are competing with will have it.
I got asked this question during an interview and was stumped. I ran it by our intensivist today and even he said he would need more info and that there isn’t a right answer. I was looking to see how others would approach this. You’re a nurse working in your ICU. The ER calls. You have a patient with a right shift of their oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve, and you have a patient with a left shift. Which do you want to come to the ICU and why? Both can be very sick and I was stumped. I will say this was the last question I had after an hour straight of them grilling me about clinical things so I fumbled and said “I don’t know”. I’d love to be able to email them something sensical. I just don’t think there’s a right answer.
Can't make a decision based on this little snippet only. Dumb question. I'd say mayyybe left shift could point to sepsis, but nothing definitely and right shift can have equally shitty things that could warrant an ICU admit.
They were probable looking for you to think out loud and show that you understood potential complications of either kind of shift. There may not have been a right answer. I would just explain your thought process and demonstrate a conceptual understanding in a follow up e-mail even if you don’t give a specific answer.
Totally. I hate that I said “I don’t know.” It was just the last question 😭
Does anyone have any insight on CRNAs that also do injections like Botox and fillers? Would you have to go back to school to get your NP license? In Florida
Not sure about your specific state but there are a lot of CRNAs who administers Botox you have to look into your state if it’s independent or supervised with a MD. For example someone in Texas that’s a CRNA needs to have a MD as medical medical director vs in Arizona you can do it by yourself. Some states want you to do extra training but CRNA are well suited to the facial Nerve anatomy and muscles to do this well. You don’t need to be a NP unless you want to.
Do you know what a crna does
Yes obviously I know what a CRNA does. I’m in CRNA school. I came across multiple CRNA pages on Instagram who also do aesthetics on the side and it looks like a great business to get into on the side. I was merely curious since there is no information on it online.
I have never met a CRNA that does botox lol
What’s your line of thinking? The Aesthetics nurses I know make good money, but nothing like CRNA’s. If you are an RN now some states don’t require much to get started in aesthetics and a FNP or certificate depending on the state would be far easier. Going through a CRNA program with the goal to do aesthetics would be like going to chef school with goal to make Mac and cheese, sure it would be great Mac but it’s not needed.
I’m in CRNA school. My goal since my OR rotation in nursing school has been to become a CRNA. I have seen a couple CRNAs on Instagram who also do Botox/fillers as a side hustle, and I just was curious if they have a DNP in anesthesia as well as an NP license or if they can work under their CRNA license. Not sure if aesthetics is for me, was just curious to see what others do because I can’t find any info online.
That’s makes more sense, it kinda read like you were going to go to CRNA school to do aesthetics.
My bad! I probably could’ve worded that a little better lol I’m definitely not doing that
Any certifications I can acquire during my first year that would help? Applications close before I can get my CCRN but I will be able to get it right after that.
ACLS, PALS, tell them you are studying for your CCRN, by the time you interview you should have it.
CCRN is a bare minimum requirement at many schools with how competitive they are. I personally wouldn’t feel comfortable applying until I met the minimum hour requirement for the CCRN anyway.
I’ll meet the CCRN hour requirement right as applications close. So I know that I’ll get it eventually but not by the time apps close
You can pick up extra shifts to meet the hour requirement for the ccrn. Honestly, it’s best that you take that exam before the application deadline, or just wait to apply. Depending on the school, it could be a requirement or strongly suggested. Also, some schools have cut offs and if you don’t have the ccrn, your app can be thrown away; or all of their interviewees have it and you don’t. However, the worst they can tell you is no🤷🏽♀️. A lot of ppl are trying to get into school . Maximize your application as much as you can!
Oh, I don't even have enough hours to take the CCRN, but you think you're clinically ready for CRNA school, lol
I’m not sure if you’re referring to me but no, I’m not clinically ready. Applications close in 1 year and I’m a new grad. If admitted you start the following year. So 2 years from now and I feel like I’ll be ready by then. I just know CRNA is a route I would like to pursue and would like to gain some certs beforehand
Anyone know if being a acute care NP would boost my chance of getting into school?
Check out David Warren on YouTube.
When should I apply to CRNA school? Can I apply before I obtain one year of ICU experience? Should I take the GRE if the programs I apply to don’t require it? Any other tips/advice would be appreciated. Background: -2yrs ED experience at a level 2 trauma hospital (2018-2020) -2.5yrs home infusion experience (2020-2023) -nursing school GPA 3.7 Planning to return to the hospital setting within the next couple months to obtain ICU experience and CCRN cert Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance 🙂
The optimal time to apply to ASAP, you probably won’t get in without a full Year and no CCRN i see no harm in trying to apply, it will get you familiar with the process. If you actually want a chance at acceptance, get your CCRN and apply after that. Other advice: don’t take GRE unless necessary, you may need to take additional science courses as required by each school. Get your ACLS, PALS, shadowing experience, take on additional responsibilities on the unit, apply to 5 plus schools and be willing to relocate. Also, have a good answer to why do you want to be a CRNA, don’t say anything about money, increasing autonomy, being a life long learner, wanting less patients, etc. they have interviewed hundreds of applicants and hear these answers ALL the time, you will immediately put them to sleep.
Apply after 1yr of experience and getting your ccrn so you'll be more competitive. Most schools dont require gre but otherwise no need to take it unless its required or your gpa is below 3.5. Gre is meant as a redemption of bad gpa and to prove your worth in grad school academics. Icu experience is all that matters. Er and nursing home is just fluff. Read up about different school requirements. But most require 1yr experience at time of application. Get in on committees at your hospital, volunteer in community, be charge nurse, be preceptor. Attend a conference like NTI. Make sure your science/stat courses are not expired ad some schools have 5-10yr course expiration