anotheroneofmany

Definitely get way more shadowing experience. Might want to take some more chemistry classes or a graduate statistics class and make A's to show that you can handle graduate coursework (and bring up your GPA). Do well on your GRE. Consider other certifications like TNCC. Otherwise, seems like you are on the right track. Schools love tons of shadowing hours and a good rec letter from that crna so make a good impression!

I'm 34, and I will be 37 when I graduate. I wish I'd have started younger, but nursing is my second career. I also enjoyed the five years I worked at the bedside, so I wasn't in a huge rush to leave.

Contact your schools of interest and ask how to best strengthen your application, what courses they feel would help you prepare for school, etc. As far as what are pre-reqs, that information can be readily found on the individual schools' websites.

If you will be meeting with the program director, I would definitely wear a suit. First impressions are everything. Just wear a pair of more-comfortable dress shoes for the walking.

You can always take a graduate level statistics course or chemistry course to show that you can succeed at the graduate level, but you'd need to be very dedicated and get an A. Keep doing what you're doing. Get lots of experience as a bedside nurse in your new job in the SICU. If that facility is not a level 1 trauma center, consider moving to one once you have some experience where you are now. CRNA schools love level 1 trauma centers because you get the sickest of the sick.

@HornedFrogRN Thanks for your candid reply. I do feel the schooling gets sugar-coated in the honeymoon phase of new-acceptance, probably. This is definitely not an easy program, but hopefully, the rewards are great and is worth it. Good luck to all us newbies.

Definitely go for a large teaching hospital with complex patients and high acuity. Trauma icu, neurosurgical icu, surgical icu, cardiothorascic surgery icu, etc.... places with lots of vasoactive drip titration, ventilator management, and quick critical thinking. The interview committee wants to know you've taken care of the sickest of the sick. A small med-surg icu had patients that would literally be on the floor at a large teaching hospital (I know because I work at an 8-bed small hospital icu prn, in addition to my level 1 trauma/surgical icu full time job. It's laughable what ends up in the "icu" at the small hospital). Get the best experience you can so you can be the most prepared for school.

Call the school. Most offices are very helpful to future applicants. Many of us have spoken at length to the admissions people and even had meetings with the program director of a school we were interested in before ever actually submitting an application.

GPA isn't everything, so don't beat yourself up about it. Schools generally look at the whole package. You've got awesome work-related extras and extra-curriculars. If you do well on the GRE, then you shouldn't have a problem getting interviews with at least some of your schools. That being said, CRNA schools love graduate level courses. So if you can't stop worrying about your GPA (or if you want to increase the look of your total package), then taking a graduate level statistics course or chemistry course would always look great on your application. Most importantly, try to get some shadowing hours with a CRNA. That, above all, shows your willingness to understand the career and proves you understand what goes into the rigorous schooling and then the resulting job. :) Good luck! Keep us updated!

I researched schools, ranked ones I liked, and realized several of them had the same start dates as my "local" school. So I ended up applying to two schools near me with the same start semester. This was my first time applying. I was accepted to both schools. I currently almost have 5 years trauma/transplant/surgical ICU experience, and I have my CCRN, TNCC, and ATCN. I was a preceptor for new nurses, on my unit practice council, and back up charge nurse/rapid response team member. I scored pretty well on my GRE, had a good GPA, and had taken a graduate-level statistics course and made an A. As far your moving to a new position, CRNA schools love anything at a level 1 trauma facility (whether you do trauma or not), because those hospitals get the sickest of the sick. Both Trauma ICU and CVICU are good; just make sure you work where you can get high acuity and tons of vasoactive drips/vent management experience.

I think a good way to answer "What don't you like about your job?" is to turn it into basically an answer for "Why do you want to be a CRNA?" Examples: I don't like that I don't have autonomy, which I'd something I'm looking forward to gaining in my new role as a CRNA. Or, I don't like that I don't get to follow the pt from pre-op, to peri-op, to post-op and participate in their care at all levels like I would as a CRNA. And so on, like that.....

The St. Francis link states it's a DNP. The Marion one didn't have a lot of details specified.

Glad it worked out! Go for it!

You are in control of the patient in the OR, but nearly all of the time, it's of stable pts, which sounds like it might be boring to you. No one wants instability or crashing pts in the OR. You sound like you love that aspect of the ED. I think you would like ACNP, actually, if you found the right hospital. My level 1 trauma center is an academic medical center, and in the trauma ICU, the NPs run the show. They outrank all the residents a far as getting to choose what to do with the pts if there's a disagreement between them. I can't tell you how many lines and intubations I've seen them do (it's all the time). They are a resource for the nurses on staff and the residents. During rounds, they have their own pts assigned to them, just like the residents do. Everyone reports to the attending during rounds, but that's just for collaboration purposes. So I think maybe this aspect you'd love, getting to be a provider in a fast-paced setting. Not a CRNA that sits on their rear end for 8 hours of a low-key case. Even trauma surgery isn't crazy in the OR all the time. And you have to stay there after the procedure is over, while they close, etc. So maybe take another look at NP at other facilities? You can also shadow NPs. You'd hate to spend all that time and effort on CRNA just to hate it. And if you still want to pursue CRNA, I'd most definitely recommend shadowing a lot of hours, and stick with one single CRNA in their entire set of scheduled cases, not bouncing around. You need to watch what one actually does, from the start of their day to the end of it, in real life day-to-day. If you can't stand days like that, you can't make it your career. Anyway, just my two cents.

I agree. I think picking up a PRN or per diem position would be ideal in your situation. Some PRN positions allow you to work as many shifts as you want, depending on need, so you'd be able to keep your skills up that way. When I apply to PRN positions, I always make sure to ask the hiring manager or person doing the interview what their anticipated need is (how many shifts you'd be able to realistically plan on being able to obtain) and also if there's a limit on the shifts they let you sign up for per pay period or per month, etc.