Halfway done w/ CRNA school, ask me anything

[nimbex_n_chill, BSN, RN]

Hi everyone, I was previously a SICU nurse before starting CRNA school. Back then, I always wished there were more blogs / forum threads about the SRNA journey to help me understand it better.

Luckily I met many people who were kind and supportive, so I thought I’d pay it forward by starting this thread so I can support others. ?

I’m not sure if anyone needs this…but for what it’s worth, today I have a day off from clinicals! So I’m enjoying my coffee, studying, working on my blog, etc. And I’ll check this thread throughout the day to answer questions if y’all have any. ?

[nsti]

Hi, starting school in July,  thanks for posting this!

I was wondering if there is anything you wish you had studied before you started your program?

Any professional organizations I should consider joining that are anesthesia related? 

How do they see the job market looking when you graduate? 

Appreciate the response. 

[nimbex_n_chill, BSN, RN]

12 hours ago, nsti said:

Hi, starting school in July,  thanks for posting this!

I was wondering if there is anything you wish you had studied before you started your program?

Any professional organizations I should consider joining that are anesthesia related? 

How do they see the job market looking when you graduate? 

Appreciate the response. 

The best things to study before the program are specific, foundational items. It won’t be much use to try to teach yourself airway stuff. Upperclassman often recommended the incoming class to study: EKG rhythms, anatomy (respiratory first, then cardiac, then neuro). Knowing these cold now will save you time once the program starts. 

Join the AANA and your state’s CRNA organization. 

The job market at least in California looks good. Job placement rate has been 100% for the last few years. Throughout the program we get emails from recruiters, and health organizations that previously didn’t use CRNAs are starting to!

[Thuy Vu]

I am starting my path to a BSN and then CRNA school. What did you you to position yourself to be a competitive candidate for acceptance to CRNA programs?

[nimbex_n_chill, BSN, RN]

5 hours ago, Thuy Vu said:

I am starting my path to a BSN and then CRNA school. What did you you to position yourself to be a competitive candidate for acceptance to CRNA programs?

In order of priority:

1. Maintain a GPA > 3.8
2. Leadership roles & showing that you understand the role of anesthesia and are committed to the career path
3. Get great letters of recommendation. Don't just hope the writer knows what to say, or writes well. Think of it this way, in high school we learned how to write essays based around principles like a thesis statement, supporting sentences, active voice, etc. Letters of recommendation also have their own set of principles that, when applied, make a strong letter ?

Good luck on your journey !!

[Thuy Vu]

Thanks for the pointers, but what roles in leadership do you specifically recommend that I take part in?

[nimbex_n_chill, BSN, RN]

5 hours ago, Thuy Vu said:

Thanks for the pointers, but what roles in leadership do you specifically recommend that I take part in?

Skills and education committees, committees regarding morbidity & mortality, code blue, rapid response, getting involved with the research that your unit / clinical nurse leader / etc are in... Once you’re a nurse on your ICU unit, opportunities will naturally come up depending on what your ICU’s specialty, patient demographics, etc. 

It would also make you a strong applicant if you seek opportunities to get exposure to the OR, or take on duties / cross train to OR !

[zjam76, BSN, RN]

Hi, thanks so much for creating this thread! I'm a BSN student graduating in May and have applied to an ICU Residency in Wenatchee, Washington. It is a 20 bed ICU that serves patients from all over the region. I am told that their ICU stays full, their patients are acute, and they do not have a CICU or PICU and treat all ICU patients in this same unit. Would this still make me competitive for CRNA school, or do I need to stick to applying to larger ICU's in larger cities? Thanks so much!

[kayekeninc]

I am a freshman BSN nursing student at a 3 year program. Where do I start?  This is my first semester which seemed to only be filled of filler classes (sociology, history, organic Chemistry).  Should I be preparing on my own outside of class or just focusing on keeping my grades high? I have taking biology, pathophysiology, physiology and pharmacology at my community college before I started. Should I still be reviewing? How do I stand out to my teachers? Thnx!

[nimbex_n_chill, BSN, RN]

On 3/19/2021 at 6:34 AM, zjam76 said:

Hi, thanks so much for creating this thread! I'm a BSN student graduating in May and have applied to an ICU Residency in Wenatchee, Washington. It is a 20 bed ICU that serves patients from all over the region. I am told that their ICU stays full, their patients are acute, and they do not have a CICU or PICU and treat all ICU patients in this same unit. Would this still make me competitive for CRNA school, or do I need to stick to applying to larger ICU's in larger cities? Thanks so much!

That should be fine. I used to be insecure about coming from an ICU that didn't seem "hardcore." Now I know that this is not an issue at all. Obviously if you have the opportunity to work at higher acuity, trauma centers etc that will only make you stronger.

But it's not a big issue at all. The most important thing seems to be that whatever ICU you come from, you made the most out of it and are a team player, hard worker, critical thinker, etc.

[nimbex_n_chill, BSN, RN]

On 3/19/2021 at 10:12 AM, kayekeninc said:

I am a freshman BSN nursing student at a 3 year program. Where do I start?  This is my first semester which seemed to only be filled of filler classes (sociology, history, organic Chemistry).  Should I be preparing on my own outside of class or just focusing on keeping my grades high? I have taking biology, pathophysiology, physiology and pharmacology at my community college before I started. Should I still be reviewing? How do I stand out to my teachers? Thnx!

The priority should be to keep your grades high. It seems the GPA is the first thing that either opens or closes doors to advance nursing degrees. After the GPA is when leadership, experience, skills etc. come in. 

I don't think you have to worry about standing out to your nursing school teachers. Maybe you can focus on making connections / getting your foot in the door to an ICU, since that might be your first hurdle. It's great that you're starting early, good luck!

[Rnonsteroid]

@nimbex_n_chill Thanks for starting this. I know programs won't outrightly make it known that you were disqualified based on age but I see that as a growing concern. Most programs seem to favour younger applicants with similar if not lesser qualifications than their older (over 40) counterparts so my question is do you have any classmates in their late 40s? and how are they coping generally? Thank you for caring to share.