Can you fail Nursing School once and still be a CRNA

Nursing Students SRNA

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Okay. So my story is lengthy, but i'm really dying for help/advice. I've always wanted to be a CRNA since I learned about the profession. I have a messy history though which concerns me that I may never actualize my dream of becoming a crna. I went to nursing school once and got c's my first semester and then withdrew my second semester and then when i returned I failed out of NSII (got a D). When i failed out of the program, I knew I couldn't give up on myself completely. I decided to get my LPN. I got my LPN and maintained an A average. Soon after, I started looking into going back for my RN. I took the necessary requirements for the new RN school, received 2 A's and a B+ and was accepted. I am now in my last semester of Nursing school with about a 3.0 average in just the core nursing classes. I also have already been enrolled and accepted to a BSN program. I want the CRNA bad, but I don't want to disillusion myself to thinking it's possible, but i also don't want to always wonder...what if. If I continue to get good grades and even retake some of the previous science courses that I didn't do too well in (was dealing with a lot of issues as a young adult) is it possible for me? I feel like I'm slowly showing that I can do it, step by step im achieving my goals. I went from a patient care technician to an LPN, now to an RN then BSN. Would a CRNA program appreciate a mighty turn around or would they just dismiss me based on past failures?

Specializes in Anesthesia.

With a 3.0 you have an uphill battle, but it can be done if you get a 4.0 (or close) on your BSN. Retake any science courses you received low grades in and get As and then if time permits take graduate level patho and pharmacology. For now I would focus on getting into the highest acuity ICU you can get into and getting a 4.0 in the BSN. Also, be willing to move to a different state for school (particularly states with a higher number of schools, e.g. Florida, PA, etc.)

If you do the right things and are selective about the schools you apply to, it will be doable. I had a great time (and not so great GPA) my freshman year of college. i switched schools and started studying a little harder and decided I wanted to do nursing. Took the LVN-> RN -> BSN route. My associate RN GPA was about a 3.0 because getting As at my nursing school was incredibly difficult. The professors actually helped write NCLEX questions so our test questions were all incredibly difficult. I didn't retake any older courses I did poorly in, but I had solid experience (charge, rapid response, patient safety committee in a busy teaching hospital), great LORs, a good science GPA, did well in the BSN, got CCRN/CMC, and did well on the GRE.

I almost didn't pursue anesthesia because I had a VERY COMFY RN job that paid well and everybody on these boards had a 4.0 GPA, 320 GRE score, etc. etc. That and I took a HUGE pay cut to transfer into a high acuity ICU. I figured I had to at least give it a fighting chance or I would always regret it. I figured If I applied to every single school one of them statistically had to me. Fast forward...I got into 2/3 schools I applied to and declined to interview at the third. My test scores are consistently in the top 5%, and I'm about to take a test at a school that's only 40 minutes away from where I live and I didn't have to move to a different state for school. It's definitely doable, but graduating nursing school is just the beginning.

Take a good look at your self as an applicant and put your self in the shoes of the admission committee. Are you the type of applicant someone wants at their school? If not focus on strengthening your application in all areas that are weak. Dont be afraid to put in the work.

Specializes in Critical Care.

Unlikely, yes. Impossible, no. If you're identical to someone on paper, but they didn't fail out of nursing school, they're obviously going to accept that person. That means you have to be above and beyond the rest of the people applying. Better and longer experience, committees, charge, preceptor, biochem and other difficult science classes with As, etc. Uphill battle.

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