cakeandcrown

They want to see what you’re made of during the interview, but they also made small talk with me and were friendly. Just be yourself and be honest. School is going well so far. I quit my job prior to starting the program so I would have plenty of time to study.

2.5 years Level 1 Trauma SICU at the time of my interview (preceptor but no charge experience) 3.96 BSN GPA, 3.4 ADN, and cumulative GPA of just over 3.5 (nursing was a second career for me). CCRN, CMC, TCRN certs plus TNCC and I was a TNCC instructor Both healthcare and non-healthcare volunteer experience Shadowed 4 times in a variety of settings I had been accepted elsewhere prior to my MSU interview and was wait listed at MSU. They called me right before Thanksgiving to offer me a spot and I took it (MSU was my #1 choice).

Michigan State University

Their director used to teach at the program I was accepted into. She was in my interview at that program, and my interactions with her were great. She was the one who came to get me from the waiting area to go to the interview area, and she made small talk with me to help ease my nerves.

Check your MSU email! I think she sent it so everyone can see everyone else’s name/email so we can share info as a cohort.

Yep, Dr. Lourens sent an email out a few hours after I posted that!

I couldn’t PM you, but have you heard anything about our cohort? I thought Dr. Lourens was going to send us an email and a book list for May, but I haven’t heard anything yet. I’m wondering if maybe they’re still calling people off the wait list.

You’ll have to have beside RN ICU experience for CRNA school anyway. To my knowledge, no CRNA program will accept ICU NP experience for the 1+ year requirement because they want to see you managing sick patients as the ICU nurse, not as an NP. As an ICU NP you aren’t going to be there titrating pressors and inotropes or running ECMO/CRRT for a 12 hour shift. If I were you, I wouldn’t waste my money on the AACN acute care NP test if your ultimate goal is to be a CRNA. Get beside RN ICU experience, pass the CCRN, take the GRE if it’s required, get involved in committees on the unit, etc. Your first step should be getting RN experience in an ICU and then finding programs you want to apply to and looking at their specific requirements.

They told me I'm 5th on the wait list, so I won't get to interview unless 5 people decline the offer to interview.

I submitted my application early. I sent Kelly an email a few days ago and then a woman named Tina emailed me to let me know I'm on a wait list to interview.

Congratulations!

Not yet. I interviewed on Wednesday, 8/21 and they told me we wouldn't hear for 3 weeks. They had a few more days of interviews after that, so I'm not expecting to hear anything until this Friday (at the earliest).

This is what I did as well. I was offered admission at the first place I interviewed, so I put my deposit down. I chose to accept the offer to interview at my dream school, but at least I know I'm in somewhere while I wait for the dream school to let me know if they want me or not. I didn't want to wait a whole extra year to apply because I saw it happen to a few people in my unit in previous years. They only apply to 1-3 schools and be denied admission to everywhere they interviewed.

There are certain numbers of cases/hours students are required to complete in order to graduate, so student will gain experience in large and small hospitals, trauma, open heart, neuro, peds, OB, etc. I did ask them about CRNA-only sites during my interview and the Assistant Director said that all students spend 8 weeks and those sites to get a lot of their regional anesthesia in. If students are really interested in pursuing independent practice after graduation, she said she makes it a point to try to get them back for another rotation after all the other students have done their 8 weeks.

I did apply to Lourdes! I might end up withdrawing my Lourdes application because I was accepted into a DNP program.