Junior in Highschool

Hi! Sounds like you've already done a lot of thinking about your future career, which is good!

At this point, since you're a junior and you have good statistics based on what you posted, I think you would be well-served to research good nursing programs and decide what nursing degree you will pursue first. You appear to be a competitive applicant to nursing programs, but your performance in nursing school and after (GRE, work experience) will be what helps you in your pursuit of CRNA school. Taking nursing courses in the summer may or may not help you, depending on the nursing program you end up applying to. Before you take anything, check around with programs to make sure you will get credit for it.

Do you plan to get an ADN or BSN? Keep in mind that if you get an ADN, you can get a job after school and then take courses to complete your BSN while you get work experience. I know many people who did this for financial, personal, and timing reasons. Alternatively, you could go to a 4-year BSN program and have your bachelor's upon graduating, and then concentrate on work experience. Either choice can get you to CRNA school, but it's something to consider.

I was hired to a transplant ICU straight from my BSN program, and worked for about a year before I started CRNA school. It has worked out wonderfully for me and I would recommend that track to anyone!

Good luck to you!

Thanks for the input, your road sounds like one that'd fit me, I have to go on a two year mission for church anyways so BSN could be the better route then expirence. So is there any job one can do while getting a BSN that relates to nursing?

I knew lots of people who worked as nursing techs/assistants while we were in school for BSN. You can work in basically any hospital nursing environment and help the nurses out. It's not fancy work, but it's important work, and it will show you how the ICU works so you feel comfortable before you start working as an RN in one.

Every BSN program is different, but mine had two years of pre-reqs ("Pre-Nursing") and then we applied after our Sophomore year and started our Junior year as "Nursing" students. The first two years of college can be a good time to work as a tech; it looks good on your Nursing application and you have more time to do it than you will in Nursing school.

You will need the BSN plus 1 year critical care experience before you can qualify for anesthesia school. Sounds like you are on the right track. Good luck!

I knew that I wanted to be a CRNA when I was a junior in highschool. I began shadowing a CRNA the summer before my senior year and spent a month completing a research project with an anesthesiologist my senior year in high school. I choose to start with an ADN for financial reasons and it also allowed me to gain experience while I am working towards my BSN. This will also allow me to have the experience requirements to take the CCRN exam which I plan to do this summer. Most anesthesia schools really look highly upon CCRN certification. Also, I would recommend looking at some prerequisites for anesthesia programs. Many nursing degrees do not require chemistry courses, but most CRNA programs have chemistry courses for admission requirements. If you know theses requirements, you can plan your course of study accordingly.