Minority SRNA/CRNA's

Nursing Students SRNA

Published

:) 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?

Hi! I live in Detroit & there are a gang of black CRNAs in Southeastern Michigan! Keep your head up & apply to anesthesia school.

"a gang of black CRNAs"? In the future I suggest you more careful about how you refer to a group of African-Americans, especially when you are dealing with your patients.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Clinicals.

I agree. I am an african-american and some of the posts in this thread were just plain strange.:stone

Up Vote Up Vote ×

People should be accepted into programs for merit...however we all know that there are biases and discrimination...

Up Vote Up Vote ×

What's a "gender minority"? Aren't there just as many women as men?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Slightly more women.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU.

Hey, everyone!

To all of you that are in, Good luck to you. I start August 22 @ University of Michigan-Flint. I am counting down the days. For those that are working on getting in, keep your head up. It's very encouraging to see people like us interested in and ultimately getting into such competetive programs. The odds are not always in our favor but I won't get into that. I could be here all day. I hope to be in touch with some of you (strength is found in numbers). Feel free to drop me a line.

I'm out.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am applying to at least 4 programs that are active on diverse student body. Hopefully one of these schools will give me a chance and prove to them that I have the ambition, personality of a good qualified CRNA. Once accepted I am determined to reach out to minority associations and be active as a resource and a teacher...not just for asian american and african american, but to Hispanics, Indian nurses and to all minority nurses out there..As a health care provider, we know that there's an urgent need to provide competent care to an increasingly diverse patients; be able to emphatize and adapt to the needs of our patients.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Minority students be very careful about applying TWU in TX , this school may accept you to fill in their large class about 130 students! Number of minority students completing at TWU is very less. If the students happen to pass the front loaded 1 year theory (It is very very difficult to pass the torture of Dr R he is a ridiculas obstacle ) often this school fail students even for 1 mark shortage in exams you have to repeat whole first year ! not just that course if the school allow you to do that count 50,000 additional expense on this. Even if you pass few of the clinical sites associated with this school including the largest site nearer to school is very tough , instructors literally intimidate and harass and history of kicking out students even around completion , it is a no brainer for any crna aspirants to stay away from this school especially minorities .

Up Vote Up Vote ×

students looking for crna schools be careful in interpreting the 100% pass rate in licensing test . This does't mean 100 % students in the class passes failure rate during the course is about 20 -30 % some people fail in theory and if you get a bad clinical site that is it . 100 % pass rate mean those who finish the theory and clinical training and take the board exam pass . Also remember AANA is not a organization think in student perspective there is no way you could trasfer the courses from one university to another .

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in PICU, CVICU, IR Radiology, PICC.

I have a friend that is a black CRNA. I know a number of black RN's but he is the only one that I know of that applied to CRNA school........he made it. He had to apply twice but he got it. The second attempt he had two whole years of NICU experience. Pretty impressive in my book. When I interviewed just recently at Erlanger and UAB, there were no black applicants. I wonder if that is why they are in the minority? They don't apply as much. I have no idea why. I have several black friends that are RN's that in my opinoin would make excellent CRNA's......they just have no interest in it. I dont know why but i respect it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Minority students be very careful about applying TWU in TX , this school may accept you to fill in their large class about 130 students! Number of minority students completing at TWU is very less. If the students happen to pass the front loaded 1 year theory (It is very very difficult to pass the torture of Dr R he is a ridiculas obstacle ) often this school fail students even for 1 mark shortage in exams you have to repeat whole first year ! not just that course if the school allow you to do that count 50,000 additional expense on this. Even if you pass few of the clinical sites associated with this school including the largest site nearer to school is very tough , instructors literally intimidate and harass and history of kicking out students even around completion , it is a no brainer for any crna aspirants to stay away from this school especially minorities .

Wow. Interesting. Here is another perspective.

I'm a black male SRNA/RRNA presently at Texas Wesleyan Univ Class of 2007.

We have a total of 7 black people currently in my class and more than 5 or 6 in the class behind mine (most of them I'm friends with). We have other races represented but I don't know the numbers so I will just focus on my african american counterparts.

As far as why there isn't alot of African Americans (AAs) in CRNA School I can only theorize; and that theory would be the following:

We are a small percentage of nursing in the first place. Within AAs in nursing there is even a smaller percentage working ICU. Breaking it down even further, a small percent apply to grad school IN GENERAL, so to have 6 other black people in a class of 128, I was GRATEFUL. TWU is unique in that the requirements to get entry is not as rigid as most schools around the country. They really look at more than a GPA (even though they are getting a little harder with that because some people can't get past " THE R!!" :-). This was my case. I had a 2.5 overall and a 1210 on the GRE (my saving grace). This just simply got me an interview based on the standards of that time (which have since gotten more rigid). Then they saw me and accepted me. Since starting school I've only made one B (Cardiopulmonary Phys which was an absolute beast) and the rest As. I guess my point is that they gave a young black man with a crappy GPA a chance because they saw potential when they got to know me. Very few schools in the country would have done that. That's why I'm personally trying to recruit AAs to come to this school because I know the staff, I know why DR. R is the way he is (and I'm grateful), and you will get a great education. How do I know that? Okay.

I'm currently at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in California and we have 3 different anesthesia programs come here. TWU/TCU, Kaiser, and USC. Most of the staff CRNAs are from california having went to Kaiser and USC and constantly tell us (TWU/TCU) how far ahead of the game we are in comparison. Considering that 10 to 12% of the CRNAs in the entire country trained at TWU, it speaks for itself. I'm not discounted what the previous poster wrote; I can just tell you about the experience of 13 African Americans RRNAs currently in the program and its vastly different.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in DNAP Student.
Minority students be very careful about applying TWU in TX , this school may accept you to fill in their large class about 130 students! Number of minority students completing at TWU is very less. If the students happen to pass the front loaded 1 year theory (It is very very difficult to pass the torture of Dr R he is a ridiculas obstacle ) often this school fail students even for 1 mark shortage in exams you have to repeat whole first year ! not just that course if the school allow you to do that count 50,000 additional expense on this. Even if you pass few of the clinical sites associated with this school including the largest site nearer to school is very tough , instructors literally intimidate and harass and history of kicking out students even around completion , it is a no brainer for any crna aspirants to stay away from this school especially minorities .

Where did you get this idea?

Im graduating this December and I am a minority.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment