Just graduated from CRNA school

Cindy1023 · Dec 17, 2019

Hi, is there a way I could talk with you? Wanting to know more about your experience and what you did. [email protected]

ProgressiveThinking, MSN, CRNA · Dec 18, 2019

Feel free to message me on here!

Cindy1023 · Dec 18, 2019

How long did you have to work in the ICU before they would let you apply?

Did you go full time?

ProgressiveThinking, MSN, CRNA · Dec 19, 2019

On 12/18/2019 at 5:32 AM, Cindy1023 said:
How long did you have to work in the ICU before they would let you apply?
Did you go full time?

You can apply with 1 year of experience. I had a little under 2, and about 3 years of experience by the time I matriculated.

Yes, I worked in the ICU full time.

Cindy1023 · Dec 20, 2019

You worked full time and went to school full time?

ProgressiveThinking, MSN, CRNA · Dec 20, 2019

No, I did not work full time in CRNA school. Not possible. I did PRN and that was hard enough.

Defibn', RN, EMT-P · Dec 22, 2019

On 12/13/2019 at 12:52 PM, ProgressiveThinking said:
I just graduated from CRNA school, and boy does it feel good. I remember coming on here asking if my GPA was good enough (my undergraduate GPA wasn't the best), and reading threads about what type of ICU I should work in.
I was a non-ICU nurse who had a comfortable forever job with a great pension, but I got bored and decided to pursue CRNA in the Fall of 2014. Started in ICU in 2015, took the GRE, CCRN, and CMC, and I'm just now graduating.
Anyways, a lot of people answered my questions, so I'm happy to pay it forward and answer anybody's questions about CRNA school or the process of applying and getting accepted, since I'm not doing anything else but studying for boards now!

Thank you for making this thread. I start anesthesia school next month. What study methods do you know of that have been the most effective. In the past, my method has been to read all assigned reading, even if I didn't understand all of it completely, before lecture so that none of it was totally new and then make handwritten notes from the text and then review power point slides. This worked well for me before but I've never had a class load like anesthesia school.

ProgressiveThinking, MSN, CRNA · Dec 24, 2019

I feel like in anesthesia school there was never enough time to do any assigned readings. I felt like I was always trying to play catch up. My method was to split notes with classmates word for word (they recorded our lectures luckily, but you could use a recorder for this as well). Then I would retype the notes in my own words and try to understand the material. Then, after I understood it all I would go back and memorize the material. Memorizing material is a lot easier when you understand it. Then, after having gone through the material twice (understanding it first, then memorizing it), me and some classmates would go over the material together to try to fill in the missing gaps of knowledge or go over a topic somebody didn't understand. We didn't always have enough time to do this, but when we did I feel like we all did better on exams. The most important thing if you do this though is to do it with reliable people who have already gone over the material. A study session with other people isn't worth much if you don't know the material already, but that's just my opinion, and it's how I learn.

They say to truly understand information you have to go over it 3 times. I did this by understanding the material, then memorizing it, then teaching it to classmates (or myself, haha).

Handwritten notes are good, but there's SO MUCH material that handwriting anything just wasn't going to happen for me.

DreameRN, BSN · Dec 26, 2019

Current student here, and I strongly concur with what Progressive says. That's extremely similar to how I study and I have maintained a 4.0 thus far...but I do read/skim our material as our profs usually throw in a couple questions from the reading alone. I also use the reading to supplement the powerpoints...if I'm super shaky on a concept in the powerpoint/lecture, I'll read the section in the book in depth, watch a najeeb video on it, or that and try to grasp the concept.

Once I have the concept understood, then I go back through the power points and re read/memorize. I listen in class, go through powerpoint, go through it again, and start writing out the main ideas in my own words (typing doesn't work for me), listen to my recording of lecture, and then before the exam, meet with 2 of my classmates that I trust (key here, they are prepared and understand most of it) and talk through it all slide by slide to get clarification. this really helps to 1. solidify your knowledge and make sure it jives with the others, and 2. points out gaps if you don't know something.

Defibn', RN, EMT-P · Dec 26, 2019

Thank you, Progressive and Dream!

txsky SRNA · Dec 27, 2019

I am 1st year student in a crna program. For classes, it is all about how much you understand the concepts. What kind of background you had before? What kind of questions professor is going to ask you in the exam (some asks question directly; others put very tricky questions that you have to deduct from ppt)?

I had a strong background on research, so I only spent very little time on Biochemistry and Physics after classes. I even studied Pharm the night before Bioch/Chem exams, but I still made #1 in the class (I knew this because if I made 98, professor would give everybody a curve of 2.0. If I got 100, then there was no curve).

I do not want to study so hard the next semester. A score of B is OK. I want to pick up some PRN shift (once per week. I do not want to be so poor. A man has no money is pretty bad). Is that realistic? Any advises are welcome. Give me some harsh words if you think it does not worth it. Thank you!

loveanesthesia · Dec 27, 2019

txsky your course work is more important than passing tests, it’s about providing the best care possible to your patients. Your academic background gave you an advantage the first semester but you may not be at the top of the class once the clinical content starts. Also the second semester will probably be graded harder than the first. Programs try to facilitate students learning to study again the first semester.

If you said “I think I can work and still get an A+” I could understand. It’s very disappointing to hear the attitude that I’m doing just enough to get by. Most important, would you want someone giving you anesthesia who decided Bs were good enough? Are you going to do the minimum in clinical? That’s not the attitude of an outstanding CRNA.

And expect a lot of ‘tricky ‘ questions on the certification exam.