Question about odds of CRNA

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Specializes in Nursing student.

Hello everyone, 

not sure if this is the right place to post this question because I am new so apologies if it's in the wrong place. 
 

I am a nursing student graduating at the end of this semester with a BSN. Prior to this I completed a BS in computer science. I have been to two different state colleges for which I'll refer to as school A and B. 
 

I completed my BS in computer science with a GPA of 3.0. I started this degree at college A and took some science courses which I did very bad in (ecology: D, chem 101: B, chem 102: F, and genetics: F). After some time I transferred to college B and completed my comp sci degree with a decent upward trend. I went back to college B and retook all science classes mentioned in college A and some other Biology/Chemistry pre-reqs and received some B+’s and mostly As. Fast forward to now, I am about to complete my BSN with a GPA of ~3.7 (including the grades for the courses I retook).

I was wondering do you think I have a shot at CRNA with the proper experience? My close friends mom is a CRNA and I love her job so would love to pursue this career. 
 

I am not sure how CRNA programs look at retakes and how much they weigh my previous degrees performance as my nursing performance was much better. 
 

Thanks in advance for your time!

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Specializes in CRNA.

Yes you definitely can go to a CRNA program. Your GPA won't keep you from being accepted. If that's an ABSN GPA then that's a solid improvement. Concentrate on good ICU experience and look into programs you're interested in to plan your application. 

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Specializes in Nursing student.

@loveanesthesia yes from the day I started my BSN which also included repeating some sciences I got a 3.7 GPA.

Thank you so much for your response. Reading some things online can be demoralizing but I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. 

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Specializes in Postpartum/Public Health.

Wow, you have an amazing background! That's so impressive you have a computer science degree and nursing degree! I recommend checking out this resource on how to become a CRNA: Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA): Job Description, Salary, and How to Become One - Nursing Careers (allnurses.com). Make sure you tailor your application/personal statement to have your experience and skills be similar to the skills needed for CRNA. Best of Luck! 

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Specializes in Nurse Anesthetist, CRNA.

Congratulations on the strong improvements you made! 

To answer your question about considering retakes & GPA-- there are a handful of programs that won't consider retakes BUT the good news is that many programs are still options!

There are some that will replace old grades with retakes completely, some that will average the two, and some that will look at last 60 credit hours. It's not a fun response, but the *best* way to know for sure is to research the specific programs(s) you're interested in.

As others have mentioned, strong ICU experience (the higher the acuity the better!) and tailored resumes/personal statements will be crucial too- it's an incredibly competitive field but don't let the online comments scare you- most of them are just rumors 😉

Please check out our blog and podcast for more tips to make the process smoother and less intimidating. 

You can also grab a free copy of our 8 Steps to CRNA planning guide; it talks about GPA and all the other nuances of CRNA school requirements. 

https://www.cspaedu.com/planning

Cheering you in-- you got this! 
 

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