Help me Help me!!!!!! (CRNA prerequisite courses!)

Sodiumpent · Apr 25, 2008

First off congratulations on getting accepted to nursing school, it is very difficult.

My initial recommendations are relax and worry more about nursing school than looking ahead to anesthesia school. I am by no means knocking you, but it takes time and a plan to get to anesthesia school. Your first and foremost focus should be to make sure that nursing is right for you. I have heard dozens of people say that before they got into nursing school the wanted to become anesthetists. I have also heard from more than half of those people who couldn't hack nursing school and quit. Setting yourself up for failure sucks, and puts way too much pressure on yourself!

Now recommendations for school. Get the best grades you possibly can, in every subject. Acceptance to anesthesia school is very competitive and the better your grades, the better your "opportunity" is for acceptance. You can take O-chem, stats, and as much applied sciences as you can find, and get A's.

The further you get along in nursing school, then you will start to pick up more tips on what classess to take and things you can do. This early in the game there really isn't a lot that you can do to be prepared. It's gonna be a minimum of 5 years before you can even apply. You haven't even graduated from high school yet, enjoy that first!

Good luck

Marc

MmmQuiznos · Apr 25, 2008

Thats pretty good that you have your mind set up on what you want to do. As for classes to take, each school has different requirements to get in. So, you could always take a look at ideal schools and take those classes. However, you could always just be safe and take inorganic, organic, and biochem. Add in a course of physics and statistics class (plus your general pre-nursing classes, micro, A&P, Pharm, etc.) and you should be pretty covered. Take the GRE at some point. Another helpful tip, consider a job as a tech/aide in the hospital. You can be a tech/aide in the ICU which would be a wealth or experience and allow you a better ability to get a job after graduation from nursng school. Or consider becoming an anesthesia tech, wealth of experience gained there + great letters of recommendation for CRNA school. Hope that helps :bugeyes:

Burnenup · Apr 26, 2008

Good luck in school! :up:

CoRNyAura · Apr 26, 2008

Although I know that some of you might say to go to med school straight, in my situation, it isn't easy since I am an international student who has very very very very very:banghead: limited chance to get in!

Why would we suggest you go to med school? Maybe you didn't read the forum title allNURSES ! We encourage those who are motivated to join us! Congrats, by the way :up:

But seriously, nursing school has a way of determining if you have the intestinal fortitude it takes. Immerse yourself in the most intense aspect of it, and keep reminding yourself to learn from the older ones around you. Don't be afraid of intensive care and all its glory; everyone has had their share of wiping butts and bloody messes. Think of it as doing all your best when your patient is at their worst. You can use all that experience as a CRNA. Most of the prereqs you need (except biochem) are part of a 4 yr nursing degree (anat./phys, statistics)

I envy your youth and applaud you for making such a mature look ahead at your career. Good Luck and do your best NOW!

PiPhi2004 · Apr 27, 2008

Just go to school, you will have NO time to study for organic chem or the harder classes. Plus most nsg school cirriculum dont allow time for those classes and are on a rigid schedule. Work on getting a great GPA in nsg school and your school may not even require prereqs for CRNA, plus things change a lot in that amount of time. And you may even change your mind. Being a nurse will change every aspect of your life. I wanted to be a CRNA right out of HS too, I am in my first year in a top ICU. Many schools I've looked into require different prereqs and many dont require any! Anyway, good luck in your endeavours, it will be the hardest job you'll ever love!

mcvcrna · Apr 27, 2008

You've already received some good advice on this thread. Nothing to ignore so far. Every CRNA school varies in their requirement for organic chemistry for admission. Some have you take it after your in. Regardless, organic is alway highly preferred. Even though my program required us to take organic in anesthesia school, even if you already had it, it really paid off to have already had the course earlier.

Physics is a toss up as well for admission. Some do some don't. It wasn't required to get into my program but my mammalian physiology course was the same course that the med students and PhDs had to take and required pretty in-depth knowledge in the application of physics. I had to get a physics book and teach myself during that course. The syllabus/handout alone was approx. 900 pages. Laced with physics. Obviously, I recommend that as well. I think, as previously mentioned, it can be hard to take these courses during your actual nursing program training which is really rigid. If you are going to take them you will have to do it sooner more than later.

Good for you for already developing a plan involving so much at such a young age. Its a long road but worth it. Remember, sacrifice now or sacrifice later--but you will sacrifice.

MBCRNA · Apr 27, 2008

1ST- you need to decide if you are going to get BSN (4 yrs) and then work the 1-2 yrs critical care required for nurse anesthesia this equals 6 years...in the meantime you can be taking any other required course such as Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and General Physics I and II.

or-

Do you wanna get ADN (associate degree in nursing)= 2 yrs then take prerequsites during ADN (if you have extra room for classes) and/or after grad take prerequsites for RN-BSN. In most areas, you can get a RN-BSN online (in one year). So, during the time that you are working in the required CCU experience you can be taking prerequsites and getting your BSN

Many schools require the GRE...although some are beginning not to require this. This is the graduate record exam for entry into CRNA school (graduate school). Another thing to keep in mind is that all schools are moving toward a DNP instead of MSN. DNP stands for Doctor of Nursing Practice. This will add on another 2 yrs of the already 2 1/2-3 yr MSN Nurse Anesthesia program.

The question is this:

1. Do you want to work 60 hrs +/wk vs 40 or so?

2. Why do you want to do nurse anesthesia? Why would you want to be a medical doctor?

3. Have you shadowed a nurse anesthetist yet? I am sure one would not mind you doing so.

The school requirements for nurse anesthesia is around 7 1/2 to 8 yrs (if you count the 1 year of experience in ICU).

The school requirement for MD Anesthesiologist is 11 yrs (with residency).

It really comes down to what is your motivation for being a CRNA vs MD? Why do you want to be a MD? Why would you wat to be a CRNA?

If you have any other questions pm me.

If you choose the CRNA route:

1st- look at the college you are going to attend be it BSN or ADN. What are the science class requirements for it? In mine, I was required to take Inorganic Chemistry I and II. I wasn't required to take Physics. You'll will have to take an undergraduate statistics class for admission into BSN or graduation from. Nurse Anesthesia requires statistics. Some programs, but not many, require General Chemistry I (Inorganic Chemistry) and Gen Chem II and/or Physics I and/or Physics II. These are the only science classes that are required past what is required of your BSN program. Look at the Nurse Anesthesia school you want to attend and review their admission requirements. Good luck! Both fields would be wonderful choices!!! :yeah:

nurseman78, BSN, RN, NP · Feb 18, 2010

When you all are mentioning General Physics, is this the Physics that requires Calculus I and II as pre-requisites?