NP/NA

[YGPHNM]

I have asked this question before and I would like to get some other opinions on this highly ambitious goal, if you will. I am wanting to pursue a dual career as a nurse practitioner and nurse anesthetist. Now, my sole purpose for putting myself through this ardurous task, I feel it will better my chances of being accepted into SRNA school. I don't have the best gpa (2.9) and I've read (on the school's (UAB) website that I want to attend) to better a person's chances of being accepted into SRNA school is to take some graduate level courses in order to boost the gpa. Well, why not earn a degree to boost my chances? I thought that by getting my graduate degree first as an Adult Acute NP, it would possibly look good to an admission committee. Or vice versa..... Currently, I'm working at UAB and can attend school for 18 hours, a year, for free. I am wanting to take advantage of this. While costing me little, it will add to my foundation, I'm thinking. Also, I will be transfering to CICU as a staff nurse which I've heard is a terrific learning environment for an individual wanting to become a CRNA. Let me know what you all think.

[missnurse01, MSN, RN]

Personally? I think it is overkill. Sure you can take a couple of MSN classes...many schools will let you take them as a non degree seeking student. Take some grad level pharmacology or pathophys...did you take all the gen chems, o-chems, bio-chems already? VCU offers a distance learn mammalian phys and medicinal chemistry...

What I am saying is that there are a ton of things you can do without going down a path that you aren't going to use. 18 units a semester/quarter is going to overload you with work that you could spend focusing on sciences...i do not know how long you have been a nurse, but studying critical care topics will also be super important both in school and out. If you haven't worked CICU before you will be bombarded with things that you might not have had much exposure to-many general med/surg ICUs do not use invasive monitoring anymore, etc. you could also get your ccrn, csc, cmc, etc.

Just my thoughts...I feel that you could learn so much more that will help you in school and to be a better CRNA by doing things other than getting an NP degree just to look better at getting in school.

good luck!

[BCgradnurse, MSN, RN, NP]

I agree with the above poster. Start taking graduate levels courses that are appropriate for CRNA school, such as advanced pathophys. and pharm. and make sure you get As. Get your 2 years experience in CICU and get wonderful recommendations from your supervisors. When you apply, talk about how you've grown as a nurse and a person, and how that has made you a better student and consequently, will make you a better CRNA.

Good luck!

[Patti_RN]

It's actually worse than overkill--it makes you appear to be unfocused (on a career goal). It will appear to be the equivalent of a resume of a job applicant showing them flitting from one hospital/ position/ employer to another.

Sure, when you graduate you'll tell the CRNA program that you wanted to become an NP to improve your chances at admission... but they'll think, "first a nurse... then a nurse practitioner... now CRNA? What next?"

If you really want to be a CRNA, make every move appear that THAT is your goal. Take grad classes that will provide a foundation for that program, shadow someone, ask someone at the school where you'd like to go what they look for in applicants, then do it.

As far as your GPA, different schools have different policies, but some allow you to retake the courses you did poorly in and they'll use the improved grade, others look at grad level classes separately, others average all the grades. Find out what formula is used by the school you'd like to attend and then do what would be most helpful.

Best of luck to you.