Do I have what it takes?

[hanpat13]

I have been lurking on this board for a while...reading your posts and taking all of the information in, finally got the courage to sign up a few days ago. I have wanted to be a CRNA for many, many years. I waited to start nursing school until my kids started school (my youngest starts in Aug, and I start the last two years of BSN). I started taking practice GRE tests a few months ago in preparation. Obviously, I cannot take that test until BSN is finished...and then a minimum of one year ICU will follow. My husband and I have decided I will take any job that allows ICU experience even if it requires relocation. I am committed to making this my career...anyway, my GPA thus far is 4.0 (finished patho and stats this semester, grades in yesterday and 4.0 stands) with nothing left except the nursing part of nursing school. I am entering the honors nursing program (basically a thesis and a couple of honors classes).

So anyway, of the practice GRE's I've taken, I've averaged about 650 each section. I study verbal everyday....in my car at home, etc. It is much harder than I thought it would be. So, assuming I can make this score on the real one (or something in the range), my gpa stands at 4.0 AND I somehow get into the ICU immediately after graduation, do I have a snowball's chance in Hades of getting in on the first try? (My first choice of schools thus far is TX Wesleyan b/c of location, I will apply to others though).

Any suggestions as to how I can make my application stronger? I feel as though I must do all I can to make up for lack of experience, hence the preoccupation with GPA and GRE.

Sorry about the VERY long post. hanpat13

I look forward to posting progress reports to you guys as the next few years go by.

[todabnrn]

Trauma nurse is giving you great advice. Let me highlight a couple of TN's pearls. Definitley shadow a CRNA, which it seems like you are doing. Second, take a graduate level class in something and do well. That is one criteria we liked to see. Obviously the applicant is qualified or she/he would not have recieved an invitation to interview. What will make you stand out from the others is your ability to do grad school work. Also, that you were motivated enough to start on your own. The only advice I can add is if you want to "hone up" on something; learn, live, love the autonomic nervous system. When you take your anesthesia pharm you suddenly will become enlightened.

[Kiwi, BSN, RN]

You already have learned the first rule of surgery. FIRST BLAME ANESTHESIA THEN FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED.QUOTE]

I knew I might get some heat for this. :)

Even the CRNA said the client was a bad candidate for anesthesia. Yet you are correct, it wasn't necessarily the anesthesia.