CRNA gpa low in previous bachelor's other than nursing

[nikkimarthe]

Hi everyone should i still pursue crna or its not meant for me. I am a 29 year old acute care nurse practitioner worked in the icu for three years have been a nurse for 5 took my ccrn after one year in icu.

My main issue is i graduated on 2002 my first bachelors degree with a 2. 7 gpa with 265 credits which i know most crna school they add all under grad and grad gpas except i think twu which takes the last 60 credits. so im thinking this will drag all my other grades down... i feel like i am being punished for starting college at 17 and overloading with two bachelor's at that time thus also a very low gpa because i combined economics and legal management back then:(

then on 2006 i finished my associate's degree in nursing with a 3.2 gpa then worked as nurse

at 2008 i went back to school for my master's i was able to transition from associate's degree because of my previous bachelor's degree. i graduated as an acute care nurse practitioner this year in 2011 with a 3.7 gpa. i currently work as a nurse practitioner in the icu had rigorous training for three months. but i had always wanted to pursue anesthesia and my doctorate so i was really geared in the baylor program in houston with their 30 mos full time in which you finish your doctorate and crna.

i haven't taken gre because my previous master's in acute care had not required it. i take it i need to take gre.

what else can i do to be able to join a crna school preferably with dnp attached.

im wondering if maybe i am not meant to join crna school. i always thought the acute care np will be a good training for critical care management but i am still stuck with my previous gpa which is now almost more than 10 years ago.

i haven't applied to any school yet. i am planning to go back to school on 2013 or 2014 while my icu experience as a nurse is still fresh which makes me feel quite ancient already and a professional student.

advices anyone?

[BacktoBasics]

The positives on your side is that you’re grades have increased. The fact that you managed a 3.7 GPA in a nursing masters program is beneficial.

What schools may look down upon is your frequent switching of fields. They’ll ask you why you want to switch from an ACNP to CCRN. Competitive programs, especially CRNA, they want to make sure their students will stay with them.

A note to remember is that a lot of programs are already filled for their 2013-2014 years and not accepting any new applicants. I think you should apply to more schools than Baylor. You might just have to speak with the schools you intend on applying to. Some require recent ICU experience (within the past 5 years) and I don’t know if your ACNP experience would qualify (I think it would though). Just wondering, why did you get your ACNP first if you wanted to be a CRNA?

[nikkimarthe]

hi

thanks for the response. critical care is my next interest and at that time when i had applied for critical care back in 2008 they accepted my vent/med/surg exeperience and required icu before clinicals. second the core classes where mostly similar and so i was in school full time and worked full time while getting my icu experience which now i have three years experience which our crna program would not allow. I have just stopped working as an icu nurse this feb 2011. i also just started working as a critical care nurse practitioner this march where we insert lines, intubate, rotate shifts and manage the icu.

I am happy with my job but i still feel like i wanted to do crna before i did acnp and i want to do it while my icu experience is still fresh within five years. so i am willing to wait. i just want to see what else can i prepare to get into the program meanwhile.

i am stable enough in 2 years that i can dedicate everything to school and not work...which means i was saving for it because unlike other advanced degrees ...we all know crna programs doesn't allow us to work.

again thanks for the response. we are willing to relocate but i definitely prefer a dnp crna program.

cause i still plan to take my dnp and was in the process of getting admitted to uth for dnp but decided i wanted to get the dnp crna track instead because after this i dont want to be in school forever.

[CCRNDiva, BSN, RN]

I think you have a good chance. Several programs look at your nursing gpa or your last 60 credit hrs. One of my coworkers had a poor gpa (2.5-2.8 range) for his initial degree in biology but completed his BSN with a 3.97 gpa. He was just admitted to a CRNA program. You've completed an ACNP program with a 3.7 gpa; that's quite commendable and shows your growth as a nurse and student. I think your current experience of managing critically ill patients, and performing invasive procedures will only help your application. You would certainly have a leg up on those who have done any of those procedures.

I do agree with the above poster though. You will definitely be expected to explain your change in fields in a clear, and thorough manner. I don't think the change is that major though. As a matter of fact, Vandy has an affiliation with a CRNA program in TN that allows their ACNP graduates to interview for admission to a post master's CRNA program. If you truly want to be a CRNA, I say go for it!

[nikkimarthe]

I do ... thanks a lot for the encouragement. I am very intersted but not sure if i could get into the program. i did see that vanderbilt and had contacted them before but way out of my area of possible relocation due to family reasons. Which program did you friend get into that counted the least 60 credit hrs? I hope that will be true to some programs i'm interested in. I am interested in Baylor, and Duke at this point

[CCRNDiva, BSN, RN]

I know that UAB looks at the last 60 credit hrs. My friend was admitted to a school in Minnesota, I'm not sure of the name.

[nikkimarthe]

Thank you for the advise:)

[Scooby-Dooby-Doo]

Hi,

I was Reading this thread and saw the that this was almost 2 years ago then updated recently. Nikkimarthe, have you decided on where you're heading? I'm just curious.

[tryingtopass]

I had also come across this thread and wanted to see if you, nikkimarthe, made a decision yet? I have a friend in a similar position.