mbmathews

@SquatsNScrubs Here are my burning questions-do you think it’s necessary to feel confident in your abilities as an ICU nurse prior to applying to CRNA school? I have been an RN for 3 years (1.5 yrs med-surg —> 1.5 years CVICU). I have only experienced a handful of codes, and carrying the arrest pager still makes me nervous, LOL...I’m studying for my CCRN now. I feel like I still have so much to learn. My unit does open hearts, CRRT, IABPs, etc but the really sick pts (ECMO/transplants) get transferred downtown. In answer to that question, for the most part I felt confident as an ICU nurse, however, being in the OR is very different from ICU nursing and you can still make a great CRNA, even if you don't feel extremely confident yet as an ICU nurse. You will always be learning and getting better, and CRNA school has helped build that confidence- especially my clinical site. Also...can you speak on the average age of your classmates? I’m 24 and fear I am too young/inexperienced for grad school. No that is not too young, I have classmates ranging from mid twenties to a fifty year old. Message me if you have anymore questions, hope this helps!

@Erufot CONGRATS on finishing your first semester at TCU! sorry I'm late in replying, I don't get on here much. Just be prepared to study a lot, get on a study schedule and stick with it. Have dedicated study time, and dedicated free time. Use quizlet! that will be your best friend. Good luck!

@VRS82 I had a scholarship and that helped for my under grad, when I did my accelerated BSN I took out a small loan and worked on the side. When I become an RN I paid a little bit on that loan, but now I have CRNA school debt as well. I'm a big fan of Dave Ramsey and have already done a spreadsheet to know exactly what I need to pay off my student loans in 5 years. So my CRNA program was all financed through student loans. Any CRNA I have been in clinical with have all said they paid their loans off, you just have to keep that mindset of paying them down once you graduate I have been told. Hope this helps.

@Defibn' CONGRATS on getting in! So the best thing that worked was doing that schedule with my family so they all knew exactly when I would be studying, and when I was with them I put away my phone and gave them all my attention for the two hours each night I was with them. It was pretty stressful the first year with the amount of studying. I found a good friend to study with and that helped. I read a book called "Make it stick: The science of successful learning" by Peter Brown and it really helped a lot as well. Good luck, I hope some of that helps.

@TheSameVein thank you! Yes I was always thinking football was going to be my life, but then reality changed that when I graduated college. I love Dr. Sanders, we were all sad to see her leave she was the best. I have really enjoyed my time at TCU. I decided to attend TCU over Westminster because first of all it was a doctorate program, and Westminster was a masters at the current time. TCU when doing your clinical, for the most part you stay in one main location (I have 3 children and a wife and this worked best for us) Westminster you would travel around for 18 months to different locations. I still am traveling to different clinical sites for hearts, OB, peds, regional blocks but that's been it and they haven't been too far from my main clinical site. Fort Worth was a great place to live, and we really enjoyed it there. It's a difficult program, but if you take the time to study you will do fine. Let me know if you have anymore questions and good luck!

I'm not exactly sure how to edit my posts but wanted to added my stats. I'm currently 31 years old. Undergrad bachelors 3.0 Accelerated BSN 3.4 (sorry earlier I posted 3.8 that was an error) CCRN, PALS, CMC, BLS, I retook Organic Chemistry and Chemistry and received A's (my grade first time I took Chemistry was a D-lack of effort on my part didn't try at all when I was younger). GRE score 310. Shadowed 3 different CRNA's. Worked 2 years 9 months in Nuero Shock Trauma ICU. I currently have a 4.0 in my CRNA program. I set aside a study schedule and that works well with my family. I would stay after each day at the library and study until 6pm when class ended. I'd go home, have dinner with my family, and back to studying 8PM-11Pm and then bedtime. I studied all day Saturday's. Hope these stats help! First year I only applied to one school and was waitlisted. Second year I applied to 3 schools and got into 2 of them.

@chanuts I asked the same people each time for the recommendations. It was annoying doing that part, and if you're applying to several different schools you might want to ask different people, but you also want to have a good friendship with those you are asking that you know.

@NurseSilennyM thank you! Just make sure to get good grades while in your nursing program. I retook Chemistry and organic Chemistry- you could even retake what you need to while waiting for nursing program. Once you become an RN or even now, make sure and shadow plenty of CRNA’s and ask lots of questions. I got my CCRN Certification and any certification that I knew would help. Ask questions and work hard! You can do this. Let me know if you have any other questions. Good luck.

I had multiple people tell me how hard CRNA school was and how "nobody" can do it. I received a bachelors of science in Exercise and Wellness, while playing football at a D1 school. I was on a full scholarship for football and my grades didn't end up being the best- I had a 3.0 After I graduated I knew I wanted to be in the healthcare field, but did not have the grades for medical school. I thought about PA school but it didn't seem like the right fit for me. My wife helped me research and we found CRNA jobs and it sounded just up my alley. I went to do an accelerated nursing program to become an RN with a BSN and I received a 3.8GPA. I then was hired on into an ICU Nuero-shock-trauma unit where I worked for almost 3 years. I have a wife and 3 kids, and I continued to work hard. I retook classes I didn't do well in while getting my undergrad degree, and also took the GRE and all other required classes and received A's in them. I applied to two CRNA schools the first year and was waitlisted at one, but then the next year got into 2 of the schools I applied to, and TCU is where I picked, and I have to say it was one of the greatest moments. I am in my last year doing my clinical residency and will graduate in January. I am here to prove that if you want it bad enough, and you work hard enough you can achieve it. I had a lot of friends who laughed when I told them this plan years ago, thinking me and my family were crazy for doing this, but now I'm starting to interview for jobs and I can say this was the right choice for me and I absolutely love this career. Message me if you have any questions. I wanted someone to read this to know that they can do it! Believe in yourself. I also have a 4.0 currently. Just because you didn't do great in your under grad, doesn't mean you can't become a CRNA.