CRNA School

MoniqueRN · Apr 24, 2012

i can relate to how you are feeling, except for the fact that i will barely begin gaining experience as an icu nurse, hopefully (i just got my rn). to become a crna is definitely a goal of mine. i'm hoping to go on and earn a dnp in nurse anesthesia. :)

have you looked at crna schools ? this is a great site that has a ton of information. it even organizes the crna programs based on requirements (i.e. schools that don't require the gre, will take a lower gpa, are less competitive, etc.) don't despair...there is a program that will be right for you. and if worse comes to worst, you may want to consider taking an online class to refresh or bump up your gpa in your classes/areas of concern. when i was in nursing school, i met a nurse anesthetist who did the program through the army. i have heard, and researched the multiple benefits to this program (i.e. army paying for your school, the learning of great skills); but, definitely speak to an army health recruiter first. if you know someone who is familiar with the military, i would advise you to take them with you (to "translate" what the recruiter is saying) or confide in them. some recruiters can be dishonest and will tell you what you want to hear in order to meet their quota, and you end up signing away six years of your life along with other obligations you were unaware of or they weren't honest about.

i'm sorry if i was not much help. i, too, hope that a crna can provide some insight and advice.

cli632 · Nov 22, 2012

Schools look at more than just your GPA. Do you have your CCRN? What is your GRE score? Also, from what I heard from friends interviewing and with my interviews, schools care about the quality of your critical care experience, if you shadowed, and what committees/groups you are part of outside of your job. If you gave me more info, I might be able to give some pointers. I was accepted this year, so I was definitely in the same boat as you and can relate!

EtherFever · Nov 22, 2012

So I am very interested in becoming a CRNA but the more I look into the program/school requirements i do not feel confident at all. I have never been good at math and the physics/chemistry but i did do well in nursing school. I am coming up on the end of my first yr as an icu nurse and in need of advice. HELP!

^spot on above. Work on getting good quality ICU exp, i.e. sickest of the sick type patients. Additionally, you could consider taking graduate level classes to show schools you are able to handle a grad level course. A couple of my classmates did this because their undergrad gpa & science grades were not stellar, and they are fine. Remember, it's more than just one thing like gpa, schools will look at the whole package.