crna school admission requirements

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Specializes in CVICU.

Hi everyone! I am currently a junior in nursing school. I am starting to look at master programs, and crna school has always been on my list of things I want to do. I know crna school is very tough to get in to. During my freshman I struggled with my classes, especially anatomy and physiology. It wasn't that I didn't understand the material it was more the issue of test anxiety and a bad professor. I have read that crna school requires a minimum of a B in science courses. I received a C and a C+ in two courses. Overall I have a cumulative GPA of 3.8 and I am a member of Sigma Theta Tau. Is there a chance of me being accepted into a program?

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They do look heavily on your sciences and not just your overall GPA. Not to mention when you finish nursing school your overall GPA will probably be less than it is now.

CRNA is very science heavy including way more advanced and in depth patho and A&P, human dissection, etc. If you plan to be competitive for CRNA school you should plan to retake your sciences you made a C in and make an A.

Although considering you're still in your first year of the nursing program (Junior in college) my advice to you would be make good grades and ask to precept in the ICU your final semester. Impress the manager and pray they will hire you as a new grad, offer to lick their boots if you have to. Once you get in you'll find out really fast if the ICU is your place, if it is great, if it's not then get out and change your goal to something other than CRNA.

A lot of my friends who couldn't get into the ICU or couldn't make it in the ICU chose NP school as a great alternative path. Actually a lot of my ICU friends who couldn't make it into CRNA school for a myriad of reasons also chose NP school, so always keep that in mind.

There is a whole laundry list of huge things to get done to hope to get into CRNA school but don't overwhelm yourself. Focus on graduating and getting into the ICU. If you like it come back in a few years and start looking into the next steps, like retaking your sciences you made a C in. In the meantime just relax and focus on making good grades, graduating nursing school and landing that ICU job. Those are your huge goals in front of you to reach that distant CRNA goal.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Welcome to allnurses.com

Thread moved to Student Registered Nurse Anesthetist forum.

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Specializes in CCU, MICU, and GMF Liver.

I'm curious about this same thing. Does one get accepted into a CRNA program and then take pre-requisite classes like advanced chem, bio, a/p, etc? Or do we take those classes first, then apply to get into a program? I'm looking at various ones in my area (Philadelphia) and I'm not getting a clear answer. Yes, I will contact them directly.

What has been your experience with this and what school do you go to?

Thank you very much!

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