Applying to CRNA schools

Nursing Students SRNA

Published

Hi,

I'm going to start nursing school(BSN) in a month. It's my goal to be able to get into CRNA school, and for those who have been through the process, it seems like the ideal gpa ballparks in the 3.5/3.7-4.0 range. Is this the entire undergrad gpa? Or just the nursing school gpa? I'm also concerned because I have two Withdrawals on my transcript from my sophomore year for the same core writing class in two different semesters. I don't have valid justifications for them besides that the first one, I was afraid of failing and not being able to apply to nursing school. The second, I had severe anxiety and decided to drop my courseload to 10 credits. How would this impact my chances of getting into CRNA school? Any tips on damage control for that?

Thanks!

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

Wait a minute -- you haven't even started nursing school and are worrying about getting into CRNA school? I think you're a little ahead of yourself. Get through nursing school first. Concentrate on learning the material as thoroughly and completely as you can. Keep an open mind and you may fall in love with Peds or Cardiac or GYN/Onc. Finish school and pass the NCLEX. Then get the best job you can find -- one where the manager seems supportive, the team seems friendly and the patient population is interesting to you. After two years, THEN start thinking about CRNA school.

There are too many CRNA students who I know personally who got into anesthesia school because of grades (or because their family endowed a chair and essentially bought them into school) who are extremely poor clinicians and cannot critically think their way out of a wet paper bag. I've been asked to write too many letters of recommendation for too many brand new nurses who couldn't handle the bedside and are unprepared and unqualified to handle an advance practice role. Get through nursing school, be a nurse. Then start thinking about advance practice.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I'm not sure if it's still an issue, and if it's not, I'm glad and disregard what I'm about to say. Get any anxiety issues under control. I didn't find nursing school to be particularly difficult, but working critical care is stressful and anxiety provoking. Crna school is that x 10.

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Specializes in ICU.

Take it one step at a time. Get the anxiety under control and get through nursing school. See if you like it, and if you like ICU nursing (try to get an ICU rotation). You may like it or hate it--it is a very stressful job being an ICU nurse.

Also, be aware that in CRNA school you may 16 (or more) credits in a semester...my fall semester was 16, spring 15, and this summer is 14. Something to consider. It's a lot of work and it gets stressful. At my school, you can't withdraw from a class without having to complete the year again with the Cohort behind you.

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Focus on getting the best grades as possible and learning the material. The higher the grades the better. Stop dropping classes. You can't drop classes in CRNA school without being kicked out the program. Good luck!

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