Quick question for any CRNA/SRNA's

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Specializes in Nurse Aide in ICU and a LTC facility.

I'm about to finish my LPN and will get right into finishing the RN in the fall and would love to apply to Arkansas State's CRNA program after that but I only have a slight issue....my grades in my nursing courses are excellent, around a 3.8 and I'm sure I can maintain that through the end of the BSN but my grades for my first BS degree were not so great, around a 2.5. The first BS was in biology and I was awarded that degree 5 years ago, are those grades going to come back to haunt me? I thought nursing was my fresh start but looking at all the "I wanna be a CRNA" posts and the grades that people are applying to these programs with it really makes me wonder if I'm wasting time and effort even thinking about anesthesia. Any thoughts??

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

You can't apply until you have ICU experience first.

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Specializes in Nurse Aide in ICU and a LTC facility.

LOL, I know...2 years minimum at Arkansas State and you also have to be CCRN certified. I'm getting there...slowly, but getting there. I was just wondering about the grades thing. When I got my BS in biology my grades were great for the first year, around a 3.8. Then I got the "I'm 19, in a frat, and completely retarded" syndrome and pulled a wonderful average of less than 1.0 for the next few semesters and just never got it back up. I retook classes and my transcript says 3.07 at the bottom and my nursing grades now that I've decided to go back are perfect and I intend to keep them that way but I was just wondering i the mistakes of 8 years ago are going to haunt me forever.

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Specializes in CVICU.

I've seen this question answered before and the answer is always no, it doesnt have to haunt you. If you have all the experience and grades and everything else you need you will probably be questioned about it, but will not be excluded because of it. However, I would guess that if the rest of your stats/experience are marginal or just the bare minimum, you probably wouldnt get an interview.

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Specializes in CRNA.

For most graduate colleges, if you repeat the exact course at the same institution, then only the highest grade is included in the GPA when they evaluate your transcripts. You could also look into academic bankruptcy, as I understand it, you eleminate an entire semester. You can't pick and choose courses so you have to be careful that the English Lit course is a humanities requirement etc. Sounds like you know where you want to attend, so I'd wait until you are completing the RN and then make an appointment and discuss your situation with the nurse anesthesia program.

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Specializes in Nurse Aide in ICU and a LTC facility.

Yeah, that seems to be the general consensus...besides the poor grades from the past my numbers should be competitive. For now I'm just concentrating on trying to be a great nurse, the rest will come later...and there's no limit on the number of times I can apply :) Thanks for the reply!

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My first degree--2.27

My RT degree-- 3.78

My RN degree-- 3.92

GRE--1240 You can and will get in if you are persistent and you keep doing what you are doing. Focus on the present and future, and don't let up.

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