How is total GPA calculated for CRNA schools?

gwapo · Oct 16, 2012

Couple questions here that I would love some help on. My fiancee will be graduating this December with her BSN. She will then be looking for an ICU job (i know this can be tough, so most likely get another nursing job first and then transition to ICU). Anyway, we are both chiropractors so i wanted to know how the GPA is calculated as time and ICU experience are not on her side.
1. Her nursing gpa is a 4.0 so far. How is the overall GPA calculated. She graduated as valedictorian of our doctorate chiropractic program (3.95gpa), however didnt do as well in her undergrad (3.7ish). Do they take the undergrad classes that were transferred over when she entered nursing school?
2. Many CRNA schools have course requirements and a time limit (10years). We both graduated undergrad in 2004 and promptly went to chiro school where we graduated in 2008. So, her undergraduate science courses will be close to being over that 10 year mark when she applies. However, she took and did very well in the doctorate/grad level science courses in chiro school (biochem, microbio, etc). Do those count?
3. If she does well on GRE, is it worth it to apply during your first year of ICU experience? She will have great academic records but little icu experience. Not sure if the chiro doctorate helps at all.
I told her i would do all her research for her, so thanks for any help you can offer!
- Chris

I think Academically, she is a good candidate. 3.7 undergrad is still good. She's proven she could handle grad classes and they should count.. If she does wellnon gre, just apply. They only need 1 yr experience. The key is applying to the right school. She may be on the bottom list in a school where all 100 of the applicants are equally competetive academically but most have 3-6 yrs ICU experience and they are only taking 25 per yr. just let her apply, there's not much to lose. If she does not get in, at least she will have a better feel of what to do next, she'll have experience with the interview. Let her take the CCRN, but she will need 1500 hrs of bedside icu experience to be eligible. Good luck..

missnurse01, MSN, RN · Oct 16, 2012

Academics won't b a problem. She just needs some high acuity icu experience good gre's and ccrn. There are different theories about adequate nursing experience in regards to how many years makes a good crna. High acuity for a few years usually looks good to adcoms from what I have read.

Good luck !

pamchris · Oct 16, 2012

Thats a bit of an issue. It will be hard for her to get a job right out of school here, and tougher to get right into ICU as a new grad.

The hospital is a level II trauma center not level 1 and i think the MICU has only 10 beds and SICU has 8 beds, so not overly large.

Does this warrant moving? Or if she is lucky enough to get a job and into ICU, is that level of a hospital good enough to get in with her academics?

Our end goal is to be in the Boston area, but we are open (as far as CRNA school goes) to moving anywhere in NC or anywhere in the NE. But, would rather not move twice (for ICU job and then again for CRNA school).

Thanks,

Chris

missnurse01, MSN, RN · Oct 16, 2012

It's the trouble for new grads everywhere. If she wants to get directly into a high acuity icu she may have to move to find that job. Otherwise she can work anywhere in the hosp and move into the icu when a job opens in the icu or she had enough experience to qualify for the icu. There is no quick plan. She needs great High acuity experience for a few years.

ckh23, BSN, RN · Oct 17, 2012

Is this something SHE wants to do? The reason I ask is because you are doing all the research for her and that doesn't sound like someone that is really into it. I think the real challenge is going to be able to get that ICU job as a new grad. Also if a level II ICU is all that she can get then I would recommend taking it and then start looking for a job in a large teaching hospital because it is sometimes easier to get into one if you already have experience.

pamchris · Oct 17, 2012

ckh23, yeah thats a good question and to be honest she doesn't fully know. She knows she wants to get an advanced degree and is leaning towards CRNA based on the autonomy and quality of life. She just got set up to shadow a CRNA next month so i assume that will help quite a bit.

The other option would be to work towards an NP and possibly do that with chiropractic (multi-disciplinary practice), but a lot of her reason of getting out of chiropractic was the business side of things. She wants to go to work, do her job, get paid, and not have to worry about the roller coaster finances of everything.

I enjoy doing research and in fact am doing more of our wedding research too! haha. She takes over when it comes to making the decisions in both cases.

As much as its her decison and future, it is kind of a group decision as I have to start figuring out if i need to sell our practice based on what type of experience she needs to go futher.

- Chris