The one thing I wish I would have known before CRNA school....

Ally1982 · Apr 26, 2016

Or What prior experience/ unit / or specialty did you wish you had experienced before beginning CRNA school?

YourFaveNurse · Apr 26, 2016

What kind of GPA did you all have when applying for the CRNA program?

Alor14582 · Apr 26, 2016

Wish I had saved more money. Wish I did more travel nursing to save more money and see more places. To see how medicine is practiced differently around the area or even the country . It makes you a stronger nurse because they will give you a variety of different patients (got those from travel nurse friends). The GPA and gre are just a part of the puzzle. Either way you will not know what it takes to get in if you don't try. A lot of people let fear of not getting in stop them from applying. To the point where they never apply. Chances of getting in at least one or more (fear talking) percent if you try but if you don't apply it's always a zero.

allnurses Guide · Apr 27, 2016

I wish would have spent more time shadowing CRNAs before starting school.

nurseflip26, CRNA · May 6, 2016

I wish would have spent more time shadowing CRNAs before starting school.

How come? Just to understand the role of CRNA's better? You seem to be well adjusted and involved in the field of anesthesia based on your numerous posts.

allnurses Guide · May 6, 2016

How come? Just to understand the role of CRNA's better? You seem to be well adjusted and involved in the field of anesthesia based on your numerous posts.

I think the more your exposed to the job of anesthesia before school it makes understanding anesthesia concepts easier.

I attended a front loaded anesthesia school so we did the majority of our academic/didactic portion before ever seeing a patient. You can memorize things all day long, but as adult learners things just make more sense seeing/doing them.

Spine_CRNA, BSN, RN · Jun 5, 2016

I entered m/s to my dismay for 2.25 years and i did not want to travel as a m/s rn. Now that I'm in critical care I value going the CRNA route more than traveling to ICUs. Anyone care to share travel CRNA experiences? Nurseflip, I agree with you in the value of attending a non-front loaded program. It's one of my higher criteria for choosing a school.

Bluebolt · Jun 6, 2016

I was a travel nurse two years before getting into a CRNA program. I really valued the experience to travel the U.S. and also earn a six figure income that allowed me to put lots of money in a savings account for school.

One commenter made a valid point that it also makes you a well rounded critical care RN because you see many different hospital systems, policies, MD's practices, types of treatments and patent populations. It also teaches you how to be versatile, self confident and independent.

I also got to take advantage of an IR contract at Stanford where they typically did General Anesthesia so I got to work on a three man team consisting of myself, a CRNA and the IR MD to perform the procedure. As a staff nurse in the ICU you'd never get that opportunity.

Although I will say I did interview for one CRNA program (I won't say which) that everything went great during the interview but I got wait listed. When I spoke to the dean of the program they couldn't give any constructive feedback or anything I did wrong or could improve on. After pressing for a while they told me that being a travel nurse in their eyes is a double edged sword. She mentioned the versatility and confidence as a pro but a big con in their eyes is perhaps the inability to commit or sit still, especially for the 3.5 years in their program. They also like to groom their students to stay in their small town to man their very well known hospital and didn't think a travel RN who likes adventure and exciting places would be easily retainable. That last part she didn't outright say but was implied.

Although the program that did take me mentioned that they really liked my varied work experience in many different ICU's and all over the U.S. and they thought it was a big enough pro that the Dean called me personally to invite me into the program after the interview. I was told everyone else waited two weeks to receive their letter in the mail.

My point being, do travel if it's what you want and the right door to the right program will open if you pursue it.

picuRN11 · Jul 11, 2016

Although I will say I did interview for one CRNA program (I won't say which) that everything went great during the interview but I got wait listed. When I spoke to the dean of the program they couldn't give any constructive feedback or anything I did wrong or could improve on. After pressing for a while they told me that being a travel nurse in their eyes is a double edged sword. She mentioned the versatility and confidence as a pro but a big con in their eyes is perhaps the inability to commit or sit still, especially for the 3.5 years in their program. They also like to groom their students to stay in their small town to man their very well known hospital and didn't think a travel RN who likes adventure and exciting places would be easily retainable. That last part she didn't outright say but was implied.

Sorry this happened to you! Before becoming a traveler I heard about that "traveler can't stay in one place" idea once in nursing school. After getting some experience and deciding to travel I wrote it off as being an old myth that no one really believed. I figure if your career is to travel....why should you be expected to stay in one place? And if you are deciding to commit to a staff position or apply to a program, why would you then be a flake and leave a program you're making efforts to get into?! The implication that they want you to stay post graduation makes sense and is totally unfair!!

Glad it all worked out!

I'm doing research myself for all the avenues, pros/cons etc of CRNA school. All this feedback has been helpful for me too, thanks OP. :)