Minority SRNA/CRNA's

[srnabound3997]

:) Hello I have been a lurker here for quite some time and finally decided to post. I have learned soo much from reading these threads. Allnurses is a great resource! I have been an RN for three years and most of my experience is ER. I have just transferred to SICU/MICU and am considering CRNA school. I have worked at a couple of different hospitals and I have never met an African American CRNA- I live in the Southeast. I am wondering is this the norm nationwide?

[armynse]

You seem to be out of touch with reality. You seem to be mislead, misinformed, unaware, of Black America obstacles in the CRNA aspect. I will not waste my precious time trying to verbally slander anyone. ( As you attempted to do in your previous post regarding your African American classmates).

Reality: CRNA programs are very hard to get into due to the fact that hundreds of nurses compete for a limited number of seats. In order to maintain their statistics, mainly high passing percentages on boards, CRNA programs normally accept the most highly qualified students. There have been occasions where students with less than optimal academic performances have gotten into CRNA school by way of having stellar interviews, but they are the exception rather than the rule.

Reality: Of the 40+ African American applicants to a local CRNA program which takes in its next class in August, a mere 10% met or exceeded the school's published minimum requirements. Every African American that was granted an interview also received an acceptance letter. Where's the discrimination here?

I cannot fathom the number of unqualified students that go through the application process. What goes through their minds? Did you factor these people into your research, the disgruntled pre-CRNA applicants. Conventional wisdom will tell you that those individuals are the ones who beg to be heard...they are the ones who turn around and discourage other applicants.

Your rant and utter dissatisfaction with CRNA programs will only serve to discourage potential applicants. If readers choose to hang onto your every poisonous word they will likely fear the application process. I know I would. I think that African Americans who read your posts will be left feeling like CRNA schools accept only a very small fraction of qualified black nurses. Perhaps only once every blue moon according to you.

My reality: I am a successful and proud African American. You have no idea about the hurdles that I had to jump across or the hoops that I had to jump through in order to get where I am today.

My reality: I know how to play the game. I know how to walk the walk and talk the talk. I have always made my presence known. I am a teamplayer.

My reality: My application stood out in a stack of hundreds. I graduated with two previous baccalaureate degrees. Both programs were fiercely competitive, yet I got into each of them on my first try. Did someone forget to discriminate against me?

My reality: I sent in only one application to one CRNA program. I got accepted!! Once again, did someone forget to use the "black factor" and summarily dismiss my application?

My projection: I will be a successful student nurse anesthetist in the coming weeks.

My suggestion to you: Please stop inundating readers with your negative experiences. Your words do not serve to empower prospective applicants. In fact, you are doing a grave disservice to the young African American community by planting the fear of failure in their minds.

Success stories are far more encouraging than anything you have had to say. If you sincerely want to help other minorities...tone down the negative energy.

Finally, FYI, several of my African American co-workers followed my lead and they will matriculate in their respective CRNA programs this fall. They shared your faulty thinking when they began the application process, but they followed through despite their fears and they will soon reap the reward of their efforts. BTW, they will all be attending CRNA school in the south...Louisiana to be exact!

Army

[FAMU_RN]

reality: crna programs are very hard to get into due to the fact that hundreds of nurses compete for a limited number of seats. in order to maintain their statistics, mainly high passing percentages on boards, crna programs normally accept the most highly qualified students. there have been occasions where students with less than optimal academic performances have gotten into crna school by way of having stellar interviews, but they are the exception rather than the rule.

reality: of the 40+ african american applicants to a local crna program which takes in its next class in august, a mere 10% met or exceeded the school's published minimum requirements. every african american that was granted an interview also received an acceptance letter. where's the discrimination here?

i cannot fathom the number of unqualified students that go through the application process. what goes through their minds? did you factor these people into your research, the disgruntled pre-crna applicants. conventional wisdom will tell you that those individuals are the ones who beg to be heard...they are the ones who turn around and discourage other applicants.

your rant and utter dissatisfaction with crna programs will only serve to discourage potential applicants. if readers choose to hang onto your every poisonous word they will likely fear the application process. i know i would. i think that african americans who read your posts will be left feeling like crna schools accept only a very small fraction of qualified black nurses. perhaps only once every blue moon according to you.

my reality: i am a successful and proud african american. you have no idea about the hurdles that i had to jump across or the hoops that i had to jump through in order to get where i am today.

my reality: i know how to play the game. i know how to walk the walk and talk the talk. i have always made my presence known. i am a teamplayer.

my reality: my application stood out in a stack of hundreds. i graduated with two previous baccalaureate degrees. both programs were fiercely competitive, yet i got into each of them on my first try. did someone forget to discriminate against me?

my reality: i sent in only one application to one crna program. i got accepted!! once again, did someone forget to use the "black factor" and summarily dismiss my application?

my projection: i will be a successful student nurse anesthetist in the coming weeks.

my suggestion to you: please stop inundating readers with your negative experiences. your words do not serve to empower prospective applicants. in fact, you are doing a grave disservice to the young african american community by planting the fear of failure in their minds.

success stories are far more encouraging than anything you have had to say. if you sincerely want to help other minorities...tone down the negative energy.

finally, fyi, several of my african american co-workers followed my lead and they will matriculate in their respective crna programs this fall. they shared your faulty thinking when they began the application process, but they followed through despite their fears and they will soon reap the reward of their efforts. btw, they will all be attending crna school in the south...louisiana to be exact!

army

i would like to congratulate you on your success, acceptance/entrance into the crna program, and your defying statistics.

i am very sorry that you feel as if my words plant failure and do not empower. my inborn proclivity is of an altruistic nature. however, it is with inevietable proof that some individuals will overlook and read into what they solely desire. ex..

you stated, "success stories are far more encourging than anything you have said."

as i mentioned in previous posts:

**the crna director of michigan state university is an african american male---success story

** the webpage [color=#0068cf]www.diversitycrna.org consist of numerous success stories. it was also posted for a motivational tool for minorities.

**the creator of this webpage is a success story. she is also an aa who is a chief nurse anesthetist, another success story.

i also previously stated, "i am not dismissing the fact that all aa are rejected."

you readily admit to hurdles you had to jump through in order to get to where you are today. with that said, i reflect back on my statement regarding black america and obstacles.

in announcing your acceptance, you asked, "did someone forget to discriminate against me? did someone forget to use the "black factor" and summarily dismiss my application?" only you can honestly answer that.

you posted information regarding 40+ african americans.... every aa that received an interview received a letter of acceptance... wow i am delighted to hear that. can you post and let the readers know where you received that information from, what is the name of the school? also, exactly how many aa were granted an interview? what constituted the school minimum requirements? is there a website address where you received this information?

closing,

once again, i would like to leave my readers a few words...

when your belief is strong and purpose is just, no obstacle can stand in your way---w.e.b dubois

not everything that is faced can be changed until it is faced---james baldwin

[FAMU_RN]

reality: crna programs are very hard to get into due to the fact that hundreds of nurses compete for a limited number of seats. in order to maintain their statistics, mainly high passing percentages on boards, crna programs normally accept the most highly qualified students. there have been occasions where students with less than optimal academic performances have gotten into crna school by way of having stellar interviews, but they are the exception rather than the rule.

reality: of the 40+ african american applicants to a local crna program which takes in its next class in august, a mere 10% met or exceeded the school's published minimum requirements. every african american that was granted an interview also received an acceptance letter. where's the discrimination here?

i cannot fathom the number of unqualified students that go through the application process. what goes through their minds? did you factor these people into your research, the disgruntled pre-crna applicants. conventional wisdom will tell you that those individuals are the ones who beg to be heard...they are the ones who turn around and discourage other applicants.

your rant and utter dissatisfaction with crna programs will only serve to discourage potential applicants. if readers choose to hang onto your every poisonous word they will likely fear the application process. i know i would. i think that african americans who read your posts will be left feeling like crna schools accept only a very small fraction of qualified black nurses. perhaps only once every blue moon according to you.

my reality: i am a successful and proud african american. you have no idea about the hurdles that i had to jump across or the hoops that i had to jump through in order to get where i am today.

my reality: i know how to play the game. i know how to walk the walk and talk the talk. i have always made my presence known. i am a teamplayer.

my reality: my application stood out in a stack of hundreds. i graduated with two previous baccalaureate degrees. both programs were fiercely competitive, yet i got into each of them on my first try. did someone forget to discriminate against me?

my reality: i sent in only one application to one crna program. i got accepted!! once again, did someone forget to use the "black factor" and summarily dismiss my application?

my projection: i will be a successful student nurse anesthetist in the coming weeks.

my suggestion to you: please stop inundating readers with your negative experiences. your words do not serve to empower prospective applicants. in fact, you are doing a grave disservice to the young african american community by planting the fear of failure in their minds.

success stories are far more encouraging than anything you have had to say. if you sincerely want to help other minorities...tone down the negative energy.

finally, fyi, several of my african american co-workers followed my lead and they will matriculate in their respective crna programs this fall. they shared your faulty thinking when they began the application process, but they followed through despite their fears and they will soon reap the reward of their efforts. btw, they will all be attending crna school in the south...louisiana to be exact!

army

i would like to congratulate you on your success, acceptance/entrance into the crna program, and your defying statistics.

i am very sorry that you feel as if my words plant failure and do not empower you. my inborn proclivity is of an altruistic nature. however, it is with inevietable proof that some individuals will overlook and read into what they solely desire. ex..

you stated, "success stories are far more encourging than anything you have said."

as i mentioned in previous posts:

**the crna director of michigan state university is an african american male---success story

** the webpage [color=#0068cf]www.diversitycrna.org consist of numerous success stories. it was also posted as a motivational tool for minorities.

**the creator of this webpage is a success story. she is also an aa who is a chief nurse anesthetist, another success story.

i also previously stated, "i am not dismissing the fact that all aa are rejected."

you readily admit to hurdles you had to jump through in order to get to where you are today. with that said, i reflect back on my statement regarding black america and obstacles.

in announcing your acceptance, you asked, "did someone forget to discriminate against me? did someone forget to use the "black factor" and summarily dismiss my application?" only you can honestly answer that.

you posted information regarding 40+ african americans.... every aa that received an interview received a letter of acceptance... wow i am delighted to hear that. can you post and let the readers know where you received that information from, what is the name of the school? also, exactly how many aa were granted an interview? what constituted the school minimum requirements? is there a website address where you received this information?

closing,

once again, i would like to leave my readers a few words...

when your belief is strong and purpose is just, no obstacle can stand in your way---w.e.b dubois

not everything that is faced can be changed until it is faced---james baldwin

abortion of team in the compound teamplayer is aborted when one fails to abet his or her own counterparts-----thurgood marshall

[CaslaMCGsrna]

It is sad to see such bickering over an issue that is so complex. It is highly unlikely that you two will agree so can you just agree to disagree and put an end to this?

As an AA nurse who was recently accepted into CRNA school, my only thought on this is .................... "Thank GOD I made it over that hurdle". I need all the energy and brain power needed to make it through school and that is ABSOLUTELY up to me. Whether you are AA or not, CRNA school will most likely be one of the toughest challenge ever. It is what you do with the hurdles faced in life that correlates to the outcomes you achieve.

[realist]

Thank You FAMURU

For you are right on the Money!!!!! Or should I say nonjudgemental pathway:bow:.

[god-is-love]

Hello All that are still out there

I know that this is an old thread, but I am gonna post anyway. I am still fairly new @ this site and searching in all areas I have an interest. I am an Afr. Amer. student. I received a B.A. in Spanish. I also studied abroad in Spain, so I have stepped away from my comfort zone. I will complete my BSN accelerated @ U of D in Michigan. I was accepted to U of M's Accelerated BSN, but chose U of D felt it was better for me. I see the heat is really towards the colleges and universities in Michigan which is shocking to me. I had no clue that this was happening and I am very happy this was brought to my attention so soon, B4 I even enter nursing school. After school I plan on applying to CRNA school in Michigan, I am not planning on applying out of state. I am taking everything u guys have said to heart and using it for my future advancements.

I have never felt discriminated against first hand, but it is apparent and exists. It is not all about race as I see this forum is centered towards. Reading many of the forums on this site I see the main form of discrimination within the healthcare field is age (too young/too old). There are so many qualities that people pick and choose to discriminate. As some1 stated earlier that being a minority u have to work 3x as hard, I Agree 100%. We also need to motivate, encourage, and assist one another. Not only your friends and people of the same race as u but everyone. If u r Afr. Amer. reach out to the Asian or Hispanic community. If u are Hispanic reach out to the Arab and Indian community. Minorities tend to separate themselves within their own race (this is why we look so few), but realistically we are ALL minorities. How many times have we seen Afr. Amer. grouped with Hispanic. We need to embrace one anothers cultures. If we add the Afr. Amer. and Hispanic communities alone we have a powerful amount. Just imagine if we added all minority groups we could represent a great amount of the CRNA field, any field for that matter!!! We all live in the same community attend the same schools lets stop seeing everything in black and white and come together. Because there are only two sides, the Majority and the Minority. It's not BLACK & WHITE. Afr. Amer. should not be the only race to always expose discrimination for minority groups all minorities should speak out on the subject of race, age, size, ect. OK I am done with my sermon

Here is my story: I have a 3.9 g.p.a & yes, Wayne State University DENIED ME!!!! I was devistated!!!! (FYI WSU is in Detroit, Michigan a predominately urban Afr. Amer. Community, this school has the best Nursing Program in the state of Michigan)I could not for the life of me figure out what the heck went wrong. I called every head hancho there and was simply told that they had alot of applicants with high g.p.a's & they only admitted 50 people. I cannot believe that all 50 people had a g.p.a. of over a 3.9. But these situations happen. I picked up the peices and applied to other schools. I got into U of M- one of the most highly represented schools in Michigan- with two classes remaining to complete (& I am going to turn them down). As a minority (race, age, sex, weight) we have to set ourselves apart from every1 else. We are different, but I think different is what makes us unique. We bring spices and flavors to all industries. Who wants to always eat plain low fat yogurt, so bland. But when u add the strawberries, nuts, chocholate, and fatty sugars u have a little peice of heaven. To all minorities out there please don't give up whatever your situation is we need u out there. This forum has placed me in overdrive to make sure all my stats are on point. I am prepared to get knocked down, I am gonna get right back up and lend a helping hand to others. We need this attitude we have all come so far being the minority is not new so why quit now why not chage up our game plan and come together. Something to think about.

Good Luck to Every1!!!!! & GOD BLESS :heartbeat

[nurse.bettyRN]

I so agree that ALL minorities need to work together and encourage one another to succeed. Arguing and fighting with each other is not going to solve these issues and will get us nowhere. Debating is fine, but there comes a point where debating ends and ACTION begins. To God-is-love, having a 3.9gpa and still being rejected is horrible. I am so sorry you had to go through that, but I am glad to see that you didn't let that stop you, you kept up moving and now you are working towards your goal.

Could I also suggest a solution to all this madness? I am a firm believer that in order for overall change to occur, it must start from within not from outside. In other words, it has to start from inside the game, not from outside the game, you have to be an insider not an outsider. To all the ones that felt discriminated against in these particular schools that were mentioned or any school for that matter, follow GOD-is-love's example, however, DON'T STOP THERE! Once you have become CRNA and have proven to be the best CRNA that you can be, consider becoming a member of these Admission Committees that you feel are discriminating. BE THE ONE ON THE INSIDE! Now you can finally see and hear what is really going on and if you see anything of that sort going on, you now have the power to instill change and take action. You feel me?

Please if there are any other suggestions or ideas that one can offer to make our nursing profession as well as our educational institutions better, please do so.

Peace