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BI think it only plays a role if you bomb it, from what I was told. If you bomb it, you're pretty much not going to be accepted. On the other hand, if you do "ok" or even really good, it doesn't guarantee you'll get in either. I would imagine that the number of interventions you are allowed to participate in depends on your clinical site. But I have talked with other SRNAs and they are pretty much doing everything in the OR including pushing meds. Maybe some sites require an anesthesiologist tonpush meds...is that what you heard?

Hey! It's a Christian university so there is some importance placed on religion and you will be taking religion classes. I don't remember being asked religious based questions in the interview, though.

Hi pulgarcita3425, First off, I'm writing this from my cell phone so please excuse any typos. Also, message me if you want more details beyond what I share here. Here's my story which I think is relevant to why I got in to the LLU CRNA DNP program starting this fall: I became an RN (ADN) in 2008 at the age of 23 and began working in the ICU immediately. I planned on becoming a CRNA from the start of my career but of course I knew I needed to get experience as well as my BSN and try to improve my GPA to make me a competitive candidate (it was 3.3 at graduation, I think). Working in the ICU, I was committed to seizing EVERY opportunity for growth and leadership that was available. I began precepting and shift leading and became a charge nurse in 2010. I started working on obtaining my BSN by taking online courses through a nearby community college. In 2012 I was offered a management position in the hospital I worked over a med/surgery unit and decided to take it. I felt that the CRNA dream was probably not realistic for me at this point as I had almost 4 kids by now and still had not obtained my BSN. Working as a manager was extremely challenging but I thrived and eventually became director over all medical/surgical services and pediatrics. I got my BSN through WGU and I continued to pursue uncomfortable and challenging growth opportunities. By mid 2016, I began to realize that another 30 years in hospital/nursing administration was not for me and a close friend and colleague, who worked for me as my manager at this time, both decided to pursue our original goal of becoming a CRNA. So in August of 2016, we drove to LLU and were able to meet with the CRNA program director and another professor. We took the opportunity to demonstrate our profound interest in the program and to ask a lot of questions, especially, "What can we do to demonstrate that we are excellent candidates for the program?" We were instructed that we should leave our current positions and go back to the ICU and get more current experience and then apply for the program. After much thought and consultation, both my friend and I did just that. I stepped down from my director position in February 2017 and took a 40% paycut to work in the ICU in order to gain current experience. It was a big sacrifice! I wrote letters to the program director along the way letting him know about my commitment to my goal and what I was doing to prepare to enter the program. My friend had gone back to the ICU in October 2016, landed an interview and was accepted to the program that started in fall 2017. I applied for the CRNA program in fall 2017 and was able to get an interview in February 2018. Of note, I was extremely concerned that I would not be considered because of my GPA. I got my BSN through WGU and they award a pass/fail grade, which equates to a 3.0 GPA. So by this time my GPA was closer to a 3 than a 4. Despite this fear, I was accepted to a interview! I prepared extensively for the interview by studying medications, researching people's experiences on how CRNA interviews occurred and talked with people in the program at LLU to get their opinion on how I could be successful. Three days after the interview I received a call that I was accepted to the program! So that's my background...let me summarize what I think helped me be successful in the interview and ultimately land a spot in the program. 1. Demonstrating dedication to becoming a CRNA by: A. Meeting face to face with the program director, B. Asking what he recommended I do then DOING THAT THING, even if it meant making a huge sacrifice. 2. Demonstrating a commitment to growth by seeking, and/or being selected for leadership opportunities throughout my career. 3. I think I stood out by having 9 years nursing experience with 4.5 years in ICU and 4.5 years in administration. 4. Extensive preparation for the interview. I met some people at the interview who showed up and we're going to wing it. They verbalized that they hadn't prepared at all which was shocking to me. They were not accepted to the program. 5. I think was able to demonstrate that I am a person with strong character, commitment and a flexible personality. I felt that the selection committee was selecting people based on those qualities more than just a GPA and experience. As a hiring director, I would hire people that displayed attributes that I wanted in my units, even if they weren't the most qualified on paper. This practice gave me a strong and dedicated workforce. I got the impression that the selection committee took a similar approach. 6. I worked at the same hospital, Adventist, for nine years at the time of the interview. I suspect that the Adventist Health affiliation was also a positive factor, but not a determining one. Not quite a cherry on top...maybe peanuts on top? I demonstrated that my thoughts, beliefs and actions were consistent with that of the Adventist Health system and I was comfortable in that culture. So I hope this was helpful! It has been a long and crazy road for me! Some people have a much more straightforward story, I'm sure. Mine had a lot of detours and uncertainty at times, but I'm excited to in a position where I will be starting the CRNA program in 26 days! Message me if you have more questions! I received a lot of help and guidance along the way and would like to pass it on if possible.

I would guess that they have made offers but they don't have a final acceptance list. So not having gotten a call at this point doesn't necessarily mean that you are not accepted. You may be on a back up list or something.

Thanks for the info!

I'm in a similar position. I live about two hours from the school and own my home. I am determining right now if it would be better to sell it or rent it next year. Commuting is not a viable option from what I understand. I have a family though and we want to go through this as a family. I have heard of people dropping out when they are commuting or separated from their family and I just don't want to risk it. If you have been in your house for a few years maybe you can sell it and live on the equity?

Beth hit the nail on the head with this one. And I would avoid an exit interview for all the reasons listed.

Good job advocating for your patient! You did the right thing!

Lol. That's great, man. Coming out of school debt free would be ideal! I think I'm going to hold onto my house and let it to continue to build equity throughout school while renting it out. If that doesn't seem viable, I'll sell it as well and use the money to live on. Either way, after school the plan is to continue to live minimally until loans are paid off which hopefully won't take too long.

I'm starting school this fall with wife and four kids. Wife will be homeschooling all our kids. I plan on using every available resource to make this work! Grad plus loans, state welfare (I'm in California, so good or bad there are a ton of welfare options), liquidating assets, etc. After seeing friends go through it and talking with many students, I have a lot of hope that it is doable! Rice and beans for three years, baby!

PresG33 - great answer.

I know, right? I specifically asked the director of the program, Dr. Jones, "how often will we need to be on campus during the first nine months (the first year)?" Her response was, "one week at the beginning of each quarter." I believe Loma Linda university has established distance learning programs in other specialties and they all function in a similar manner. Also since this is a DNP program now, it looks like a lot of the didactic courses are loaded in that first year.

Interviewed 2/5. I was told at the open house that for the distance learning you only need to be there for one week per quarter.

I got a call this evening from Jasmine offering me a spot in the program!

I'm sorry to hear of your experience. I work in hospital administration and the fact of the matter is this: Most errors are not individual mistakes, they are the result of a system problem. When working in complex systems such as healthcare, one cannot think of error in a linear fashion - that the outcome is the result of one mistake. There are exceptions, but in general, the results are built into to how the system is designed. Don't take it personally. It sounds like you were not working in a "just" culture. Own your part, grow from it, and move forward with becoming an excellent clinician. If you want to be a FNP, I recommend you continue working in a hospital for at least another year or two.