How many nurses say they want to be a CRNA?

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I was discussing this with a fellow allnurses.com member, and we both felt that almost everybody that is going into nursing claims they want to be a CRNA.

What has your experience been with this?

While I have found many people on this forum that provide excellent advice and insight, I am sorry to say that I also find an unfortunate amount of criticism as well.

I think if you all evaluate yourselves as CRNAs, you may find that you are not projecting the best image of yourselves or your profession to us young and inexperienced members of Allnurses.

I always find a wealth of info and helpful, amazing people on this site, but I think maybe this thread as exhausted its usefulness at this point.

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I agree with you that there is frequently a negative tone and flame-throwing on the CRNA-related threads. Unfortunately, some of the perpetrators are not CRNAs or even SRNAs, but their comments (at times) reflect badly on the whole group. That is frequently behind the questions about someone's background or intentions. And that's not to mention those who have no sincere interest in nursing or nurse anesthesia come here simply to bait us into an argument.

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Specializes in Trauma/PostOp, OR, Critical Care.

To answer the OPs post without digressing into name calling or needless bickering........................ many will say that they want to become a CRNA but very few will actually walk the talk.

Check back with most in a few years and you should have your answer. I have heard about 1/2 the nurses in my ICU say that they would like to become a CRNA and when I question them about what they are doing to attain that goal, only one other person other than myself have done anything to get into school. Most say they can't afford to stop working. I keep telling them that when it comes to education you can't afford not to!

Getting into a program is very difficult but it can be done. Once I made the decision to go back to school, I gave myself 2 years to do it. I gave up a comfortable job as an educator in the OR, switch to ICU, applied and got in in 1 year............ 1 year ahead of schedule!!!! Yeah.

Good luck to all!

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You are so welcome to check back with me! I'm 7 years out, just now doing prereq's for my ADN, but I'm quite determined and sooo excited about it. After doing medical transcription at home for 13 years I'm so ready to start a new endeavor. I can't wait to start school; I've been studying my algebra book already for over a month; what a dork, huh. I wish I could start school yesterday. Love anatomy and physiology, which I had a very long time ago, but I did very well; small jumps, but I'll take any I can get.

Course you can't knock anybody who doesn't follow through with CRNA, chances are they so much want to and have the dedication but may not really be able to get good enough grades or maybe even end up loving their ER job, etc.

My biggest hurdle was having to put my baby in daycare after having my first first son at home with me til he was 2, but I'm doing it, and it may sound silly, but that has been my biggest hurdle . . so far. I am working now, only part-time cause now it's kids and school that come first. Hoping to have an employer who reimburses for bachelor's after that. Then I'm planning on being in debt for quite a while, knowing I'll have to support my family on loans for 28 months in CRNA school, but I don't blame anybody for not wanting to do that! I know some who say you can work, but to me, if you bust your butt to get there, don't take any chances not doing your best . . . . there's a reason they say not to work.

I totally see why some won't/don't go through with it; you definitely have to give up some stuff along the way or even end up being perfectly happy somewhere along the way.

And finally a question for those of you applying or accepted to an anesthesia program or in a university, and I know I'm worrying a little early, but my "choice" universities, three I plan on applying to down the road, 2 require 1100 on one part of the GRE, and I can't remember what the other part was, so what I'm wondering is once I'm done with my bachelor's is when I planned on doing it (our community college has RN-BSN). After finding out scores for these universities are good for 5 years, will all that I need to know be "fresher" after my ADN or should I wait til after my BSN, more math/statistics under my belt is what I need/want. I checked out some of the practice questions, and since I haven't even gotten through intermediate algebra they were intimidating, but I'll know all that when I have my ADN, so bring it on! :wink2: Kidding, hoping to know it, though! Just wondering when y'all felt comfortable taking it.

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Specializes in SICU.

LOL... I guess I am either psychic or have great intuition because if you read the second post down on this thread, I called this type of behavior before it even started. Funny thing is, these are not CRNAs bickering yet other posters assume so. These are people arguing about a profession they are not yet a part of. Is it wise to argue something you have little to no first hand knowledge about? Just a question to ponder (I ask this sincerely as I am a pre CRNA that comes here looking for info to help me acheive my goals). Debate is great when it is relevant but this is just worthless nit picking. Seriously grow up and try to think about what the purpose of these forums are and what are you bringing to the table... not much from a few posters that don't need to be named. :twocents:

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studentinnursing, most of what you learn in nursing school will not be on the GRE. My recommendation is--focus on nursing school and getting the best RN experience you can. Within the year before you apply to CRNA programs, get a GRE review book, use it and take the test. There are math and verbal portions that each have max scores of 800, and a so-called analytical portion that is writing and analyzing arguments, with a max score of 6. The math is all high school math, and the rest will largely come with reading and with writing experience. Brush up on your vocab list if you need to when you're going through the review books. It's really not that hard to get an 1100 if you put some effort into preparing.

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srnamom,

Thanks, so if I get the book during last semester of my bachelor's or sometime right before graduation, study when I can, study when I'm done with my BSN, then take it? I wanna take it asap cause I should have my experience by then.

It's really rural where I live, so I've already talked to 1 of 2 hospitals cause I have a feeling it might be hard to get into any specific dept, not just ICU, but one already contacted me back and will let me shadow an ICU nurse as soon as I'm in the ADN program (doing prereq's now) and then will let me intern after my first semester of nursing, so I'm hoping to get a position once I sit for the RN exam (I'll have almost 2 years of interning in ICU by the). Hopefully I will be working there while I'm doing my bachelor's and then can take the GRE asap and apply for CRNA.

I have another question. At least one, I have to check back with the other two, of the universities where I plan to apply for CRNA says they want scores of GRE or MAT. I really think the others wanted both, but if for some reason I do only need to take one, should I take the GRE cause they all ask for it everywhere, or should I take the Miller Analogies if I have a choice? GRE seems more cut and dry, math and English.

So if it's all high school math (of which I had 2 years of high school) wouldn't I be ready for it after ADN with algebra and statistics? Not arguing just wondering. And I've been doing medical transcriptiong/editing for 13 years, got a 99 on my placement test for English/sentence structure and 89 for Reading (those questions are strange to me and the GRE's are about the same from what I've seen on the practice test); essays and sentence structure are very easy to me, so I'm not worried about that part, just the math.

Shoot, I'll get the book now just to see what I need to be studying -- I'm a goofball, I've been studying an intro to algebra book since my placement test in June (retook it and skipped a prep) but still have algebra (not college) if that gives you an idea of how much I like to study. But I know I'll be busy these 2 years in ADN except between semesters, no time to study extra stuff.

So GRE or MAT if I have a choice?

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I want to be a CRNA as well but after having a few years of experience under my belt, I have realized there are many RNs who are interested but they don't always follow through. Applying to CRNA school is much more work than it seems and cost is often an issue as well. I have gotten to where I don't believe people are serious about the profession unless they physically submit applications or at least shadow a CRNA to see what the job is really like. Just a thought:p

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So if it's all high school math (of which I had 2 years of high school) wouldn't I be ready for it after ADN with algebra and statistics? Not arguing just wondering. And I've been doing medical transcriptiong/editing for 13 years, got a 99 on my placement test for English/sentence structure and 89 for Reading (those questions are strange to me and the GRE's are about the same from what I've seen on the practice test); essays and sentence structure are very easy to me, so I'm not worried about that part, just the math.

It's high school math, but it's not stuff you'll use on a regular basis--a lot of fairly obscure trigonometry, probability, etc. You'll see when you look at the review books. As for the various test options, I'd call the schools. The GRE may be fine, since it's accepted everywhere you're considering, but if they really want something else instead or in addition, you'll find that out for sure.

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