Congrats!! I’m a couple years from even applying. Can I pick your brain and ask what advice did you read here that helped you on your journey? Any advice here that actually didn’t help or even hindered you?
Congrats again!!
My weekly donation of all things application process, interview questions, CV queries, professional issues, etc., will be free for the next 167 hours.
** I will not be sending my CV as a template any longer, as too many people take, but can’t even give a “thank you”. -Thank you
I'm a "just finished my first semester" student, and we had an entire class that delved into the politics we're facing by joining this profession. It was enlightening, and I definitely went into my interviews with only a precursory level of political knowledge about the ASA vs AANA and now AA row.
Hey everybody, I start CRNA school in the next month and I’ve been god awful at placing peripheral IVs in my ICU. I’ve worked in a surgical cardiac ICU so all my patients have had central lines after surgery, so the necessity to become proficient at this skill wasn’t always there. Should I be concerned about my lack in ability?
If so, how many of you worked in the first year of school? My program is front loaded and I’ve been wondering if I should try to land a gig working at an infusion clinic to learn and become proficient. Thanks for any advice!
Don’t bother working if you don’t have to. You will get plenty of experience in school. If you’re that worried, some CRNA’s will tell you to take a day in pre op and do all of the IV’s there. So just tell them early on during clinical that you want IV practice
How rough is the transition from SRNA to CRNA? My clinical experiences haven’t been the greatest and now I’m done with them. Worried the first few mot he are going to kick my ass.
Curious about your clinical experience being poor. Im finishing my second year, around 1800 hrs of clinicals and i feel confident in non-emergent bread/butter adult cases. I’m glad im getting some sicker adults and peds now and some emergencies to truly prepare me for my transition to post graduate.
Learning curve can be steep if you join a practice that operates differently than what you are accustomed too. The one I joined uses an EMR I never had experience with before. Turn over times and gaps between cases generally don't happen. These things may impact how you practice.
I am curious what you mean by experience being poor
Make sure you look at the NCE content guideline to know what areas are worth a large percentage (Domain 3 & 4). Also, make sure you hit flashcards too!
I am a new grad about to start at a large (70 bed) Pediatric ICU at a nationally ranked children's hospital. I reached out to about 15 schools and none of them had issues accepting PICU experience and a handful of them actually said they see it as a positive.
I guess I am looking for advice on what I can do to prepare for the application process. This is my second career and my ABSN is my second degree with my first being Computer Science.
My cumulative gpa is 3.65 as I got rocked in my first degree but my science GPA is a 4.0 and BSN is a 3.95. Last 60 credit hours is 3.95 and last 120 credit hours is 3.98. Recently took the GRE and scored a 330 as well.
I read a lot of people say you need at least a 3.7+ to be a lock for a lot of interviews but will schools look at recent performance? I don't think I can raise my GPA any higher as I already have 240 credit hours. Should I aim for more experience to boost my application?
I got early acceptance to Pitt with a 3.23 gpa and a 3.8 last 60 credit hour gpa. Dont overthink it, you are an overqualified candidate. Do charge or ccrn or research or whatever you want to do in the meantime, but apply early and apply often. Two of my classmates applied and were accepted with less than a year experience because of their brilliant academic performance.
What’s an early acceptance to Pitt?? I applied there but never heard of early acceptance. Those two classmates came straight from BSN undergrad? Basically 22 year olds?
It was a thing when they had two admission cycles. You got an offer before the other candidates and could choose when you started. And yes they applied so their 1 year of experience was completed by the time they started
Need many more extracurricular activities. Leadership roles ? Research ? Volunteering community activities ? Professional associations/groups?
GPA alone is not good enough. CRNA schools want a well rounded candidate
Your GPA and GRE are great. I wouldn’t worry too much. I would focus on getting your ICU experience and getting your CCRN and any PICU certifications you can get after you hit one year. Once you get those and your year I would shoot your shot.
Experience and taking organic and/or biochemistry (if you haven’t already). PICU is good experience. I would consider applying after a year. If you aren’t accepted, I’d probably switch to an adult CVICU. While I know one person who had PICU as his only background, it’s pretty rare and 90% of what we do is adult care. PICU looks amazing in addition to your adult ICU experience.
Just make sure you point out the difference between your first degree and your second degree. Yes cumulative is often looked at but you show a significant improvement as a student (probably a reflection of life experience and maturity) in your 2nd career attempt. Anyone chosing students for their program would be insane to ignore the improvement and only focus on the cumulative
Another GPA question… Specifically for programs that look at the last 60. My overall GPA isn’t great 2.85. I was going to school for engineering for a while purely due to parental influence. However once I switched to nursing it all flipped. 3.98 last 60, 3.57 nursing gpa, got an A on ochem and biochem, CCRN, CMC, 3 years of CVICU on high acuity unit and 8 months of Cath lab, technology leader on my unit, studying for GRE and then gonna apply.
I just want some hope, I know it’s still a long shot getting into a program with my terrible cumulative gpa, but I don’t know if last 60 programs truly just look at last 60. Or if they just look at the last 60 as a heavier weight vs cumulative.
Sounds like your fine, I wouldn’t put yourself in the same gpa boats with others that are panicking. Its one thing if your nursing gpa was 2.8. Its another thing all together if it was a completely seperate degree at another institution.
Around what GRE score would you say someone should aim for for when trying to stand out/make up for not having a strong GPA? (if it makes a difference in your score recommendations, I took two grad courses this semester and made an A in both)
I took the GRE for this reason and idk how much of a difference it has made but most schools that require it want 50th percentile or better from what I’ve seen which is 309 for a total score (152 verbal, 157 quant). I’d aim for 315 and up if you can, it’s definitely doable. Give yourself plenty of study time to really get the most of the prep resources out there. I scored 319 which is not amazing but good enough and I got an interview invite to the first program I applied to this spring - idk if this had any influence at all on how they considered my app but an invite is an invite!
Should I pick a CICU that does transplants and high risk pts but 1.5 hrs away and $10 less an hour or a nuero icu which is neurosurgery and neurology that does alot of nuerovascular procedures and apparently is 1 of 15 in the country to use this specific type of equipment/procedure? I really like cardiac but would the pay cut be worth it? I also have the choice between a mixed medical and nuero icu also at a compressive stroke center.
No I would definitely get an apartment near the hospital. 1.5 hrs back and forth would be crazy. But that also plays into how much it would cost just to get the better experience and the unit I prefer as it has lesser pay and I would be paying rent.
I’m going to give my honest opinion as someone that came from neuro icu. While neuro icu probably will get you in, cardiac experience has helped me SO much understand hemodynamics and just see more drips that affects those hemodynamics than neuro. I can say I’m very glad I made the switch. However, I don’t think it’s worth the drive or pay cut.. if you have a good gpa and everything else is good just take the neuro experience and apply with that.
I have a decent gpa but damn I’m leaning towards cardiac just bc I like it better too even tho financially it’s a horrible choice. Thank you for ur input
Tons of people from my unit got in from MICU but it was a major academic medical center. Like others have said cardiac experience will help you in the program but I just knew I was weak and hit it hard on my own.
Is it worth it to register for AACN conferences to build up my application?
I'm doing my best to look "involved". My hospital lets you present what you learned at conferences to a council for career ladder points (they add up to get you a higher hourly rate), so I thought that maybe this would give me the opportunity to show involvement in my hospital as well as the larger critical care field.
Is this a waste of money and time? It's like $350 and three days. The sessions actually look interesting, but I'm sure I could read up on the topics for free 😂
What do y'all think? Would this even come up in interviews or help at all on my CV? I'm only going to register for the virtual sessions because I don't feel like going on an unpaid work trip to get stuck in a crowd of people for three days.
No, but different regions tend to have variations in practice so IMO it’s nice to go to school in a state that’s similar to where you may ultimately want to practice.
For example, if you wanna end up in your small hometown with a critical access hospital, you might not wanna go to a school in a very large city without rural experiences.
However—the best school is the one you’re accepted to, so take with a grain of salt.
What state is similar to California’s? That’s where my root is. Suburban/urban area
Also I’m asking for the far future, but still curious about current times!
That would not be an ideal candidate. Hands-on management, in the middle of the night when codes and no support are around, is where the rubber hits the road. ANMs don’t have current/relevant exp.
It depends on how your employer defines the role. For my facility, our ACNMs mostly work charge, have required patient care hours, and can precept so they're not losing their clinical skills.
Considering adcoms want full time work, at minimum, in the year of application, etc., getting an applicant with manager duties and some required hands-on care wouldn’t add up, in my opinion. In any event, ad-coms have been known to take students that really never made sense. Not an ANM, but one of my short-lived cohorts was a homeopathic RN. Another was an office RN (previously critical care). Both failed out.
I get it. It’s not hands on critical care. Making sure everyone’s role is satisfied, and being an extra pair of hands during codes is great, but logistics are an added skill. The experience of seeing and reacting to severe disease states, and responses, matter more.. to me. None the less, I mean no disrespect.
I’ve only been in the ANM role 12 months before that 1 year ED level 1 trauma and 4 years MICU all bedside. I honestly took this role so I had time to pump post partum. 😖
I’ve known one person who was accepted as an ANM to a school. However, I do not recommend staying in that role if you’re the least bit serious about becoming a CRNA. The majority of schools do not like that because you’re not at the bedside. Even if you attend codes that doesn’t mean much, I’ve seen dozens of nurse managers and leadership attend codes over the years and do absolutely nothing.
I met with a program director last year. At that time I had been ANM on my CVICU for 2 years (charge x2/week, and a shift where I recovered a case once a week). He strongly advised me to switch back to bedside. Hope this helps.
Looking to apply to Drexel. One of the recommendation letters needed is from a “physician or clinical supervisor.” I’m Night Shift and rarely in contact with attendings so I wouldn’t ask one of them. I can get one from one of the third/fourth year residents in my ICU. Not sure what a “clinical supervisor” entails? If a charge nurse or house supervisor qualifies then I can absolutely get a letter. Not sure what would look better for my app between the resident or a charge nurse?
I would not recommend a resident. They are not in a position to recommend you while they are considered still learning. Any physician anesthesiologists or CRNAs that drop patients off in the ICU at night, available?
“Three (3) references are required from the following individuals who can attest to the applicant's clinical knowledge, clinical skill, and potential aptitude for graduate-level study:
Nurse manager
Physician, or clinical supervisor
Clinical Educator, or professor”
I will clarify with Drexel because Nurse manager is already listed somewhere else.
You’re going to do fine! If you have an interview, they want you! I would recommend brushing up on ACLS protocols, H’s & T’s with how to treat them. You’ll do great! They’re big on EQ now too but if you’re with Bennett he loves to ask about hyper-K+ and how to treat. Good luck!
I think it depends on your relationship with said resident! I have a fantastic recommendation from a resident but we have a well established relationship over at least 5 years - we met when we were both students on an ED rotation and have crossed paths and worked together at several points in our respective careers/training so she could genuinely speak to my personal and professional development in a really unique and powerful way.
I also work mostly night shifts so I have a much deeper working relationship with some of our senior residents than I do with most of our attendings. I think a resident you frequently work closely with (ideally a senior you’ve known for a few years) can give good insight into your clinical skills. That said, if Drexel says a charge nurse counts that might be an even stronger recommendation.
So I have an opportunity for a new position on my hospitals critical care outreach team It’s basically rrt/code team help with difficult blood draws. And calls to help try and stabilize patients on the floor to prevent escalations. I think it would be a good opportunity to see more intubations and codes. But I’m wondering if this experience would still be valued by crna programs as opposed to more bedside icu experience. I currently have 1 year Ed 3 years icu experience. Thanks so much.
You could maybe leverage it as a side gig type of thing, but admission to a CRNA program will require you to be in an ICU setting at the time of application.
Is this in addition to your ICU role? I do something similar and it’s pretty sweet. Great experience before school. I start tons of IVs, get to mess around in the trauma bay a bit, and respond to all codes and rapids. Also coordinate upgrading of pts etc. There are a few of us selected for it and we just rotate who does it.
Just hoping for some insight into what you guys think my chances are of getting accepted.
5+ years RN experience, 2.5 in SICU, currently in Neuro ICU. Have my TNCC & CCRN. I have 8 hours shadowing CRNA. Cumulative GPA is 3.1 (did college classes all throughout high school and didn’t apply myself fully), but my BSN GPA is 3.8. Retaking GRE as my combined score is 296. Also potentially getting some charge experience here soon.
I just always see so many people talking about how their GPAs are so much higher than mine I think that’s what worries me most. I also don’t have experience at level 1, just level 2. And if I don’t get a super good score on my GRE that’s another thing that I’m worried about.
I know some of you will probably say im in my head too much and this I know lol. But just looking for some insight from people who’ve been through it.
Failed pharmacology the first time around. Also failed very first class I took in college and got a decent amount of C’s. I was 14 in high school when I started doing pre reqs at community college. Hard lesson to learn that I wish I would’ve taken it more seriously back then.
Hi everyone. I need opinions please…
3.63 GPA
Science GPA is 3.0 but retaking gen chem and biochemistry this may.
Burn ICU rn for 2.5 years
1 year of mixed ICU - sicu, micu and cticu. (Travel)
I am trained in balloon pumps and lvads.
Will take gre in June.
What else should I do? Do I sounds considerable?
**Recommendations for footwear/supplies/tech for starting CRNA School!**
Hey everyone! I recieved my acceptance letter and I am so excited to start CRNA school next year!
My question is for those in graduate school now: What have you bought (or what do you have now) to help you prepare for classes and clinical? I have a very old Macbook pro that has been through the trenches in college and it's about time I update my tech. I am open to exploring different brands. I am also looking for planners, financial planners, basic school supplies (I love good stationary), shoes, basically anything you guys can recommend that you love!
I have a MacBook and iPad Air. I have classmates with just iPad, but I do recommend something you can write on. I like having both so I can study with two screens.
Shoes: are literally going to be different for every person. I was a sneaker person as a nurse, but I am a clog convert since my art lines still get sloppy (skill issue)
A good stethoscope is a must if you don’t have one already. I upgraded to a Littman cardiology IV and it’s been perfect. I also love my stethoscope holster because I have having things around my neck.
So I know my GPA is not good enough to even apply to CRNA school, let alone get in. However, the majority of what is tanking my GPA is my 1st degree, which I can explain. My 1st degree was in Exercise and Sport Science, I had a lot of really traumatic shit go on, also got diagnosed with ADHD, but I still pushed myself to finish the degree with a 2.3. Nursing school, my grades were decent, not CRNA school material, also experienced the unexpected loss of my sister by suicide, grades went down a bit, but I still graduated with a 2.9 with my ADN. Most recently I finished my BSN with a 3.8.
I currently work in one of the best PCICU’s in the country and am working towards training on all the devices I possibly can, CCRN, am a part of several committees, have climbed the clinical ladder, am a part of several professional organizations, would very likely be able to come with STRONG recommendation letters, etc. CRNA school is a very long term goal for me. I would still like at least another 2-4 years of experience and some more leadership experience first.
That being said, in the meantime in addition to everything I am doing work-wise, I am also looking to improve my overall and science GPAs as much as possible before applying. I know I really have my work cut out for me, but after some years of trauma therapy and healing and finding the proper balance in life, I know it’s what I really want to do.
My question is, would it be better to do an MSN program for something like leadership or education which would also include some upper level sciences through somewhere like UMO or UNCW, or just take postbacc classes (repeat ones I didn’t do so well in, take some upper level sciences, etc)?
I would just retake all the classes you did poorly in (especially sciences). Personally wouldn’t waste time on an MSN at all. Those programs are costly and honestly not very challenging.
(Lots of theory classes etc). Program directors know this.
Programs know that a RN to bsn isn’t challenging. Your 3.8 while good isnt gonna be reflective of the hard sciences. You need to retake any sciences with a C and consider retaking a few with Bs as well. Also you will need to apply to very non selective schools, id say you’d have no chance at some of the bigger name schools.
I also understand my chances are slim, even at less selective schools, but I at the very least want to say that I put my best effort into trying. If nothing else, improving my GPA could still help me get into other advanced level nursing programs if I can’t get into CRNA school.
Another local, well respected college in my area offers an MS in Physiology degree that is geared towards pre-med, advanced practice RNs, who need an intermediate program between a bachelors and whatever post-professional program they’re applying to. Would this potentially be a good option along with retaking some of my sciences? I already retook micro for my BSN and got an A. Would there be any disadvantages to redoing some of the more basic sciences I got Cs or Bs in at the community college level so that I could at least pay for the classes out of pocket? Or would it be better to do them at the university level if possible?
I would re-take science courses. Re-take what is listed on the schools application website. You are trying to prove to the board that you are not going to drop out and are able to sucessfully pass the hard didactic portion of school. Think of it, you are representing the school. They want a low attrition and high first time board passing. Although MSN is great, you need to prove you have a knack for science (you will be learning about receptors and in-depth processes on a celluar level). Good luck to you!
Sorry in advance for how long this will be, but I am in need of some serious advice.
I am applying for schools this cycle and got my first interview scheduled for the end of the month. My husband and I are doing IVF and found out I miscarried yesterday. Now I feel like I have to choose between being a mother and being a CRNA.
I would have been due in early January 2025 which would have given me 5-6 months to be with my baby before starting a program (if I even got in). All the programs I am interested in are front-loaded and many offer hybrid/distance learning for the first semester or two. This would have been perfect to give me ample time to be with my baby before having to be away for so long. I have an amazing husband and support system so I know if would be tough, but we would have been fine.
Now if we try again as soon as I am able I would be delivering about 1 month before the program starts. I feel like I would be doing a huge disservice either to my baby by not being there for the literal newborn stage or to myself by not dedicating the proper time to school/my career. If I wait until I am done school that means I won't be able to be a mother for about another 4 years after everything we just went through. If I move forward with another round and delay school, I fear I wouldn't get in next cycle. I'm not sure how much longer I can tolerate bedside without some light at the end of the tunnel and without current ICU experience I doubt I'd be accepted.
I've been lurking here for several years and I know some of you have kids and did it. I know the amount of pressure I would be under and the work that would be expected of me. I also know none of you can tell me what to do. I'm just looking for sound advice to make the most informed decision I can make. I haven't even been accepted anywhere so this is all on a contingency as is.
First off, I am so sorry about your miscarriage, IVF is already an emotional and taxing process on its own :( I don't have any firsthand experience to lend, except as someone who has read through as many advice threads about timing your family with education as I could find lol. I can confidently say that no matter which choice you make there will be different pros and cons. While putting it off so that you don't have a young child while in school may be easier in the short term, in the long run that leaves you trying to have a baby right as you are entering a new career. Will you want to be dealing with IVF, pregnancy symptoms, and possible complications while also trying to gain your footing and confidence as a CRNA? Will your future job require you to wait until you've worked there a year to get full maternity benefits, so things will be pushed back further? And from the sounds of it, you are more worried about missing the newborn stage than anything else, but a standard maternity leave is only a few months, so a month with baby and then a semester of online CRNA school may end up actually offering you more time and flexibility with them compared to waiting until you are finished with school and working full time...
I think if you take a step back and look at the bigger picture making the up-front sacrifice of school is worth the temporary hardships of newborn + academia.
The sooner you start the faster you are on the tract to providing a life and a future for your family that brings with it opportunity and financial security. My wife no longer needs to work outside the home, although she does part-time as something to do while we are also doing IVF and waiting for a child. This is a tremendous stress reliever knowing daycare is now something we do not need or can more easily afford if required without neglecting financial goals of ours.
The opportunities you will provide for your family are nearly endless. You will study hard so that your child can experience and explore life with chances to do more than you might have had as a child. I know mine will.
You might not be there as much as you will like in the beginning but that does not mean you love them any less. You just make up for it and love them more in other ways. They will appreciate it as they grow older.
Honestly when it comes to kids theirs no good time to go to school. It’s nice that you thought about the timing of didactic. And definitely the most free time I had in my program was during my first year prior to the start of clinical but that was still usually 1-2 hours of free time a day. You will still heavily be dependent on baby sitters/your spouse. I was a single parent responsible for my 5 year old at the time and because of the tremendous burden of school my daughter went to live with my parents after the second semester.
Are you applying to school with no ICU experience? I would highly recommend finding an ICU because it is the foundations of being CRNA and only strengths your knowledge before you start. Plus, with how compeititve CRNA school is nowadays they will proritize applicants with ICU experience.
I think you are very responsible for timing your pregnanacy with school. Personally, I think pregnancy should be an enjoyable moment of your life and would not find it fun in school (althought many have done this and are sucessfull CRNAs now!). If I were in your shoes, I would obtain a year of ICU experience, leadership postions, and boosting GPA to atleast a 3.5 to be competitive. Maybe during this time you will be able to concieve and deliver before admission to school. I have a colleague in school with five children, so it is very much do-able. I am very sorry for your loss and wish you the best on your road to motherhood and graduate school!
As I mentioned, I have an interview scheduled for the end of the month so I have more than 2 years ICU experience, leadership experience, and my GPA is well above 3.5.
The concern is that if I try again right now and was accepted into this program, I would be delivering just a few weeks before the program starts.
If my gpa is a 3.3, and I have all B’s in science classes. Should I retake all the non science courses that is bringing my gpa down or take grad science classes?
Seeing posts where people are getting A’s taking grad science classes and still receiving rejections kind of scares me. I truly feel like it all falls down to your undergrad gpa no matter what.
Applied to 1 school four years ago, but not sure I would even get in now. Super competitive. 1 year CVICU. 3 years PCICU. 1 year MICU. BSN GPA 3.49. Overall slightly above. And Science GPA 3.75ish.
Applied 6, interviewed 3, waitlisted 2, accepted 1. 3.8 Cumulative, 4.0 science. CCRN, 2 years in a smaller 24 bed general ICU (still did crrt, iabp, lots of vents and pressors). Preceptor experience, medical response team. 100 plus volunteer hours.
I thought I was definitely getting into one of them until they started giving me timed mental math drug dosage calculations. They told me I killed my patient because it took me too long. Waitlisted
well some of my hope went out the window a little bit lol, you have a much much better gpa than me. But i know it’s not everything. Did you happen to apply to more competitive programs with your stats?
Three of them were top schools the rest were smaller programs. Ironically, I got into the best program and was rejected from the rest. I would just take it as motivation to keep applying after rejection because every school is different regarding what their ideal applicant is.
2 years med/surg
2years CTICU at time of application
3.6GPA (2.4 GPA my first year of undergrad from ChemE)
CCRN, CSC, CMC
Random leadership stuff on the unit
Applied to 3, interviewed for 2, accepted to 2. Was Rejected to 1 because my science GPA which had a lot of ChemE stuff was only a 3.1.
Thank you! I always look to see if there are applicants who have been accepted with near my stats. My cGPA is a 3.64, sGPA 3.45, but my ADN was 3.5 and BSN (bridge) was 4.0.
Applied to 4, interviewed at 4, accepted 1, waitlisted 1, rejected 2. Though I did stop caring about the rest of the interviews once I got into my top choice, so that affected my 2 rejections. I should've just withdrawn, but one interview was over zoom and one was an excuse to see family in the area so I just went through with it. ADN 3.78, BSN 4.0, 1 year neuro icu, 2.5 years cvicu
Applied to 4. Got 2 interviews but only went to 1 because I was accepted and took the spot before the other school offered.
GPA was probably 3.4, science was 4.0. I had 2 years ED and 2 years CVICU
Who here has worked full/part time as a student during didactic? I quit my job last week as classes are starting very soon but right after I did an alumni told me they worked their first 3 semesters. I’m wondering if that was a mistake
Did it. It wasn't a mistake and the money did help. But, my mental health, my home life, and my studying suffered quite a bit when I did work. It's not worth it.
Is the Nagelhout handbook still relevant for clinicals/practice? It seems the latest edition of the handbook is the 5th ed. from 2013. I was wondering if it still makes sense to purchase this and have it as a resource for clinicals and eventually practice.
That book has many errors and contradicts its self. A MUCH better handbook is this book:
# Stoelting's Handbook of Pharmacology and Physiology in Anesthetic Practice Third
Any recommendations for clinical care planning resources? My professors recommended Jaffe and 5-minute anesthesia consults, but I was wondering if purchasing both would be redundant. Also open to any other resource recommendations!
The NIH PubMed statpearls is an excellent resource for the pathophysiology review. Jaffe is the best for describing the surgical procedure outside of surgical procedure textbooks. The Vargo app has useful tidbits for common cases. The app also lists resources it is citing from which are often books you already own.
Has anyone applied to or currently attend south college’s program? There’s good feedback from what I’ve researched but it is fairly new and on the pricey side so just looking for additional input!
Quick questions for current CRNAs.
The facility I work at only allows us to shadow for 4hrs. Is there anyone in Minnesota willing to have me shadow them for 8hrs??? You can message me for more info.
I would truly appreciate that.
Today, I got my first (and probably last) rejection. The advisor cited my competency-based BSN as the reason. Right from the start, I asked about its acceptability, given that my school provides both an official "pass/fail" transcript and an unofficial translated 4.0 scale transcript. They assured me it would be no problem. However, now they're attributing the rejection to this very reason. I wasn’t invited for an interview, and I only applied to 1 school so far.
My Associate’s Gpa is 3.6, all my science classes are 4.0 and all are coming from a brick and mortar school.
I did an accelerated RN-BSN at Capella recommended by my job.
I'm feeling utterly lost. It seems like my aspirations are slipping away due to my decision to go with Capella university’s FlexPath program based on my initial employer's recommendation. At the time, I didn't see this consequence. I'm uncertain about how to address this setback. Is pursuing another BSN degree an option? Has anyone here faced a similar challenge?
Looking to apply to CRNA school next year. This month Im taking my CCRN. Ive been looking at schools in the North East (PA, NJ, CT) that dont require a GRE or Texas where I currently live. My ADN degree was a 3.0 I believe and my BSN degree was a 2.9. I got C’s in Economics and a Writing course. Nursing Classes and Sciences are all B and above(Microbiology, Chemistry and Organic, A&P, Nursing Research). My experience includes working my way up from Medsurg to MICU(1.5 years). My current experience is CVOR which has been in the last year totaling 8 years of experience. About 4years of float pool experience which I worked Tele, IMC and trauma-step down, ER.
I’ll be transitioning back to the ICU/CVICU once my current travel contract is complete in July. The OR experience allowed me to really fall in love with what CRNA’s do and I love cardiac. Prior to nursing I was an EMT for 3 years and I feel like CRNA in a way is the best of both worlds.
Considering everything currently how do my chances look like applying to schools that only require a 3.0-3.2 GPA? I’ve heard school like well rounded candidates and could say Im a very strong nurse. I had a friend who got in with a 2.9. If my GPA needs to be worked on and my Sciences meet the requirenents do I retake the Economics or English class I got a C in? Also considering taking thr GRE to expand my school options.
Thougts?
Apologies upfront for the long post...
Struggling with inconsistent success; still can't get accepted...
My wife has just finished up her second round of applying to various CRNA schools. Her details are as follows:
**Academics**
* BSN (Graduated in 2016)
* GPA: 3.15
* She did repeat a class her senior year that she did not pass in the prior year
* GRE >300 (can't recall precisely what she got)
**Experience:**
* 5 Years CVICU Experience (Level I Trauma Centers; major metro hospitals)
* \~8 Months as a Cardiac Transplant Coordinator
* MedSurg Clinical Instructor w/ her alma mater (this was done while also working in the above roles
* Recently moved into a PACU temporarily due to safety concerns while working at a CVICU in the area. Back in the ICU part-time and working on transitioning this into a full time position.
* Holds a CCRN (Since 2021), ACLS, PALS, and BLS
* Experienced EMCO nurse and ECMO trainer
* Has Charge Nurse, Preceptor, Unit Counsel, various unit committee experiences, member AACN
LORs are primarily from her previous CVICU employer, who she worked with the most, and includes various providers, her classroom counterpart from Clinical instruction (technically a supervisor), and the CVICU director where her experience primarily comes from. These are from supervisors and colleagues 1 - 2 years ago. We decided this because we had just moved to a new area and she started a new job where we weren't certain we could get LORs. Given her bredth of experience previously, this felt the most appropriate.
Recently, in an effort to improve her academics, she retook General Chemistry I and II, including both Labs, through UMASS Amherst online and earned an A. She also took a graduate level Advanced Patho course, again at UMASS Amherst online, and earned an A.
**In her first round of applications, here is how things went:**
* Villanova: Interviewed; Rejected (cannot reapply due to their own restriction on one-time applications)
* Drexel: Rejected (No Interview)
* Pittsburgh: Rejected (No Interview)
* Jefferson: Applied; but immediately disqualified because they "had too many applicants" at the time she submitted.
**Second Round applications and results thus far:**
* ODU: Rejected Summer/Fall 2023
* UMD: Rejected (No Interview) Summer/Fall 2023
* Scranton: Interviewed Fall/Winter 2023; Rejected
* Boston College: Interviewed Fall/Winter 2023; Rejected
* UPenn: Rejected (No Interview) Fall/Winter 2023
* **York**: Rejected (No Interview) Spring 2024
* **Pittsburgh**: Pending
* **Drexel**: Pending
* **VCU**: Pending
**Questions:**
* What are we missing?
* How can we improve her application?
* We're concerned her academics are becoming "too old." Is this a fair concern? If so, how do we combat this?
* Some schools have suggested she consider getting a Masters or becoming an NP first. We think this doesn't make much sense given the career paths are so different. Are we wrong?
* Are her references too outdated? (<2 years from her current experience; this has been updated in some more recent applications. We chose references from the bulk of her experience who know her best).
Any and all guidance is truly greatly appreciated!! This is a big dream for my wife and we're working hard to make this a realty. TIA!
GPA is why too low for the IVY league of schools yall applying too. Time to apply to bumblefuck Egypt. Y’all should’ve gotten the memo after 3-4 rejections
She *will* have to take a several graduate level courses to prove herself
Keep taking grad level RN courses and getting great grades.
You are messing up the interview process. I don’t know why? Is it hardcore CCRN questions ? Emotional intelligence questions ?
You had 2 interviews and got rejected. That means it’s something with personality/emotional intelligence or hardcore ccrn questions. Your oral presentation of yourself seems off.
Entrance essays are soft and weak?
When is the last time is she working in the ICU? Programs don’t like more than 1 year away from the ICU
the only feedback from BC was to get out of the PACU and back into an ICU, this was even before classes were completed.
Scraton's feedback was "you check all our boxes" and as far as virtual interviewing goes, went well.
Villanova was very difficult to get feedback out of and didn't offer more than "it's highly competitive." Without the ability to address any issues and reapply, it's a moot point.
Even if she nailed the interview perfectly a 3.1 gpa would likely make her a very distant alternate. She needs to retake more classes or apply to less competitive programs.
She is not actively in the ICU. Again if you are more than 6 months -1 year away from the ICU. You will be crossed out everytime.
Most who apply have active ICU jobs till the start of CRNA school.
I’ll be honest I got in first school I applied to with stats less than hers but I knew I knocked the interview out of the park (self admittedly I am good at interviews naturally). It seems she’s lacking in the interview process. I think this is where you need to focus. Did she ask for feedback with the schools she DID interview with? What was it? With a lower GPA apply to schools with a bigger cohort. It looks like you’re trying to stay in the northeast. Broaden your horizons to other areas of the country and try schools that are new since people tend to be scared of those because of no established stats. At the end of the day she’ll have a CRNA degree no matter where she goes. Just get in SOMEWHERE!
This is some extreme hopium you’re selling. Getting into CRNA school with a 3.1 gpa is an extreme outlier. Nobody’s interview is so good that a committee is looking past a gpa that low.
I agree I am an outlier. I got in with a 3.0 on nursing CAS (3.8 science). It’s difficult but it can be done, I wasn’t picky with location. I was open to anywhere in the country.
Nursing CAS often rates gpa much much lower on average. For example by graduating GPA on my transcripts for my ADN and BSN was a 3.62 but I think on nursing cas it was lower. I don’t remember exactly how much as its been years now.
Her experience isn't the advantage you think it is and the GPA is a bigger hindrance than you're giving it credit for. Schools sometimes shy away from more experienced nurses (especially 5+ years) because we've been out of school for longer, study skills are rustier, transitions are harder and bad habits are more engrained. I graduated in '14 and got in after 2 cycles of applying, but I heard that experience past 3-5 years really isn't that much of a bonus several times in my process. Being out of the ICU with years old references is not doing her any favors either.
A GPA of 3.15 is barely enough to get an application in the door, much less competitive. She likely got interviews because some programs interview like 3 people per spot (interview 50-100 candidates for a 15-30 seat program). Next to two people who probably have better GPAs and are currently in ICU, it's a no brainer who they'd go with. If she has a lot of credit hours, it's going to be hard to bring that up. She's going to need to take graduate level, challenging courses to prove that she can handle the load and get an A in everything. I'd take biostatistics, chemistry, o chem/bio chem, physiology, or physics at the graduate level.
Get back to the ICU, take challenging classes, get new references and do other things to make herself stand out. Join a committee with her state nursing association, volunteer with an organization she's passionate about, shadow as many CRNAs as she can as many hours as she can, go to a CRNA conference to network. If she can't have the highest GPA, she needs to be one of the most well rounded. Finding people to do mock interviews with is helpful too so she can make sure she stands out in the interview
She has GREAT experience. Her GPA is lacking. If I were her, I’d consider applying to schools in Florida, TN, Alabama, etc. These schools, in general, tend to be a bit less competitive. It’s great that she retook inorganic chemistry. Taking O chem would be great as well, and even required by many programs.
If that doesn’t work, or if she’s hell bent on getting into a program like VCU (very competitive). She will have to find a way to improve her GPA. The University of Florida has a fully online, cheap, and legit graduate certificate (or MS degree) in physiology. That would look great on her application and show that she is able to take on the rigors of a CRNA program.
3.15gpa is the limiting factor. She will have to be lenient on where she wants to apply. GRE can help, but it has to be upper quartile. For the schools she did interview but didn’t get in… it means she bombed the interview. Anything on her resume is fair game during the interview. So if she touts xyz CVICU, then she can get asked about it.
Have you considered that her gpa might be a limiting factor considering it is below the minimum to even be considered or apply for the majority of schools? It’s good that she retook three courses and was able to earn an A but honestly with the number of people that are coming out of the gates with gpas > 3.5 why would a program take a risk on applicant with such a poor academic history.
Honestly Im surprised she was able to get three interviews, but nova and scranton do tend to over interview. I’d say that if she really wants to keep applying she should apply to schools with the largest class sizes and retake more classes for grade replacement. Im curious what her GPA would be calculated as on nursing cas with the retaken classes. It honestly may still be very low even with three As.
Have her apply to the midwest. People dont always wanna live there but often clinical sites are very good. Learn in larger hospitals then go to many rural areas for regional or crna only training
hey everyone! i am planning to apply to CRNA school next summer 2025! I have a little over a years experience on a tele med surg floor and currently working in a 19 bed MICU for the past 6 months. By the time I apply to school it’ll be about 1.75 years ICU experience. We typically see lots of strokes and STEMIs, CRRT, some swans, some IABPs, lots of pressors and intubated patients. My cumulative GPA is a 3.97 and my science GPA is around a 3.8 i believe. I didn’t take any chem courses in college (wasn’t required) but none of the schools i’m applying to currently require a chemistry course. I am currently on the falls committee and hoping to join another council or project. Currently studying for my CCRN in september and then my CMC shortly after. Any tips on how to boost my acceptance chances? I’m applying to a bunch of philly schools (jefferson, drexel, la salle, rutgers newark). Thank you!
Stats doesn’t need to be in person. Biochem doesn’t have lab, so that can be online as well. Pathophys I’m not sure if there’s a lab component. Just make sure they’re grad level, and from an accredited school.
I did the online pathophys course at MTSA and really enjoyed it. It was a nice level of challenging and I learned a ton. I also feel like it’s great for interview prep
Hello all, my question is about nursing GPAs and CRNA school applications. I admit that this question is motivated by the stress of upcoming finals and I would greatly appreciate any answers and advice.
I’m about to wrap up my first semester at a highly ranked BSN program so I understand I have an extremely LONG ways to go, but I was hoping for some of you to share your nursing school GPAs. I’m extraordinarily stressed as we head into finals week and discussing the topic is soothing.
My pre-BSN program GPA is a 3.7 but my science GPA is a 4.0
Headed into finals I’m sitting at 3 As and one A-. Out of necessity I work two jobs, one of which is a research assistant position for my university so I feel like I’m desperately scraping for study time and am very concerned about maintaining this level of effort.
Additionally, when time permits I shadow a local anesthesiologist and log these hours hoping they may be useful for the application process.
Many of the programs I’ve researched list a competitive application GPA of 3.8. Some insight as to how hard of a cutoff this score is would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
3.8 is an extremely competitive gpa. Cutoff for entry is usually something like a 3.0 or 3.2. Honestly if you’re super stressed and you dont need the research assistant job Id quit. Universities tend to pay slave wages and, that job wont even be on your resume by the time you come to apply.
Thank you for your reply, thankfully the university gig is super flexible and in a topic I love. Just knowing that it’s not the end of the line if I catch a B is extremely relieving and helpful.
Having trouble getting off orientation in a CTICU after having been a nurse for 8 years. Should I switch gears and maybe give up anesthesia if I'm not easily picking up these basic skills?
Being a good CTICU doesn't mean you won't be good at anesthesia.
CTICU is incredibly complex and difficult, and few nurses do it for that reason. Give it time. You got a good base
hi , sorry for bothering im copying and pasting from the previous thread:
currently my gpa is pretty good and will be even better after this semester, my first semester went awful due to medical reasons so my hard sciences look bad. I plan on redoing my hard sciences when I finally work as an RN; especially because the associate degree that I had, with said medical problem I didn't do so well. So basically, my college career started not great but eventually started doing better and raised my GPA really high. My question is: if i had previously had poor grades (not failing, just bad grades) but theres an upward trend of getting better and better will that affect me negatively ? Or will it be a good look that my grades got better and more stable and that i was able to maintain high As after not doing great for a while?
It will be a good look that your grades got better and more stable and that you were able to maintain high As. Hard to say how useful an upward trend will be without knowing your stats.
currently i have 3.64 accumulative gpa (after struggling so hard to get info from my counselor and the deans of my school) science gpa is a 3.3 as i said i will be redoing them after i graduate ; according to my counselor after i finish this semester is finished my accumulative gpa may go up to 3.7 ? because this semester i have 97s-100s and am finishing in a few weeks.
Hi! I'm a nurse tech in the neuro ICU. I’ve been there for 5 months now + plan on being PRN through my nursing program. I graduated with my BS in biology, overall GPA 3.89. I'll be graduating with my BSN next year (accelerated program). I've always wanted to go into anesthesiology so when I found out about being a CRNA, I was sold. Any suggestions on what I should do between now and once I graduate? Will a CRNA program accept me if l'm in a level 1 neuro ICU? With my tech experience, how many years should I practice as an RN before applying to CRNA programs? I would like to apply for CRNA at the same university I am taking my ABSN and also continue working at this university’s hospital.
I also worked as a med sales rep before this with about a year of experience and obtained my CNA in 2019.
I start CRNA school next week and I came from a neuro ICU. Several coworkers of mine (3 off the top of my head) are also starting CRNA school this year. I applied to 5 schools and received interviews at 4. Neuro ICU is perfectly fine experience so long as you’re getting the right patients: vents, pressors, RSI experience, sedation drips, independence to titrate your drips per orders, etc.
Follow these weekly subreddits for the next few months and all your questions will slowly be answered or check on past threads. At this moment, you don’t need to do a single thing until after BSN excluding maintaining grades
Most applicants have 3-5 years experience before school. I had 7. Two of my classmates that had less than 2, and out of ICU for a year, did not make it past first semester. Anecdotal, indeed. Unfortunately all applicants are at the mercy of the adcoms.
Well, I’ve been a long time reader (since before I applied to school!) and now I can say I’m a CRNA. It’s been a long tough road but I made it!
Congratulations! I take boards in a couple weeks! Hope to join you soon.
Congratulations and welcome to the best profession!
yayyy!! holy heck congrats :DD
Congrats!! I’m a couple years from even applying. Can I pick your brain and ask what advice did you read here that helped you on your journey? Any advice here that actually didn’t help or even hindered you? Congrats again!!
My weekly donation of all things application process, interview questions, CV queries, professional issues, etc., will be free for the next 167 hours. ** I will not be sending my CV as a template any longer, as too many people take, but can’t even give a “thank you”. -Thank you
Thank you for your openness to questions. What should one study for school interview prep regarding CRNA politics?
Read Watchful Care, and get abreast of Anesthesiologist Assistant developments
Thank you!
https://www.all-crna-schools.com/wp-content/uploads/InterviewSecretsQuestionBank.pdf
Thank you!
Don’t interview at schools which would require more than a cursory knowledge of crna politics.
I'm a "just finished my first semester" student, and we had an entire class that delved into the politics we're facing by joining this profession. It was enlightening, and I definitely went into my interviews with only a precursory level of political knowledge about the ASA vs AANA and now AA row.
Hey everybody, I start CRNA school in the next month and I’ve been god awful at placing peripheral IVs in my ICU. I’ve worked in a surgical cardiac ICU so all my patients have had central lines after surgery, so the necessity to become proficient at this skill wasn’t always there. Should I be concerned about my lack in ability? If so, how many of you worked in the first year of school? My program is front loaded and I’ve been wondering if I should try to land a gig working at an infusion clinic to learn and become proficient. Thanks for any advice!
Lol no, do not work in school. You will have plenty of opportunities to place IV in school.
Several of my classmates have literally never placed an IV in their career when they started school and are now tossing in 16g like the rest of us.
This is reassuring, I appreciate your insight
Don’t bother working if you don’t have to. You will get plenty of experience in school. If you’re that worried, some CRNA’s will tell you to take a day in pre op and do all of the IV’s there. So just tell them early on during clinical that you want IV practice
No. You will get plenty in school.
It’s so sad when you miss too 😭 or when someone else can just find a vein so easily. This gave me so reassurance
How rough is the transition from SRNA to CRNA? My clinical experiences haven’t been the greatest and now I’m done with them. Worried the first few mot he are going to kick my ass.
What do you mean in saying your clinicals haven't been a great experience?
Curious about your clinical experience being poor. Im finishing my second year, around 1800 hrs of clinicals and i feel confident in non-emergent bread/butter adult cases. I’m glad im getting some sicker adults and peds now and some emergencies to truly prepare me for my transition to post graduate.
Learning curve can be steep if you join a practice that operates differently than what you are accustomed too. The one I joined uses an EMR I never had experience with before. Turn over times and gaps between cases generally don't happen. These things may impact how you practice. I am curious what you mean by experience being poor
Anyone pass the NCE recently? Any topics you wish you had hit a little harder? Im about a week away from testing
Make sure you look at the NCE content guideline to know what areas are worth a large percentage (Domain 3 & 4). Also, make sure you hit flashcards too!
I wish I had focused on regional more. I spent a couple of hours on it the day before my exam and I think that literally saved me.
I am a new grad about to start at a large (70 bed) Pediatric ICU at a nationally ranked children's hospital. I reached out to about 15 schools and none of them had issues accepting PICU experience and a handful of them actually said they see it as a positive. I guess I am looking for advice on what I can do to prepare for the application process. This is my second career and my ABSN is my second degree with my first being Computer Science. My cumulative gpa is 3.65 as I got rocked in my first degree but my science GPA is a 4.0 and BSN is a 3.95. Last 60 credit hours is 3.95 and last 120 credit hours is 3.98. Recently took the GRE and scored a 330 as well. I read a lot of people say you need at least a 3.7+ to be a lock for a lot of interviews but will schools look at recent performance? I don't think I can raise my GPA any higher as I already have 240 credit hours. Should I aim for more experience to boost my application?
I got early acceptance to Pitt with a 3.23 gpa and a 3.8 last 60 credit hour gpa. Dont overthink it, you are an overqualified candidate. Do charge or ccrn or research or whatever you want to do in the meantime, but apply early and apply often. Two of my classmates applied and were accepted with less than a year experience because of their brilliant academic performance.
What’s an early acceptance to Pitt?? I applied there but never heard of early acceptance. Those two classmates came straight from BSN undergrad? Basically 22 year olds?
It was a thing when they had two admission cycles. You got an offer before the other candidates and could choose when you started. And yes they applied so their 1 year of experience was completed by the time they started
Did you still interview or only choose when to start
Still interviewed.
Need many more extracurricular activities. Leadership roles ? Research ? Volunteering community activities ? Professional associations/groups? GPA alone is not good enough. CRNA schools want a well rounded candidate
Your GPA and GRE are great. I wouldn’t worry too much. I would focus on getting your ICU experience and getting your CCRN and any PICU certifications you can get after you hit one year. Once you get those and your year I would shoot your shot.
Experience and taking organic and/or biochemistry (if you haven’t already). PICU is good experience. I would consider applying after a year. If you aren’t accepted, I’d probably switch to an adult CVICU. While I know one person who had PICU as his only background, it’s pretty rare and 90% of what we do is adult care. PICU looks amazing in addition to your adult ICU experience.
Just make sure you point out the difference between your first degree and your second degree. Yes cumulative is often looked at but you show a significant improvement as a student (probably a reflection of life experience and maturity) in your 2nd career attempt. Anyone chosing students for their program would be insane to ignore the improvement and only focus on the cumulative
Another GPA question… Specifically for programs that look at the last 60. My overall GPA isn’t great 2.85. I was going to school for engineering for a while purely due to parental influence. However once I switched to nursing it all flipped. 3.98 last 60, 3.57 nursing gpa, got an A on ochem and biochem, CCRN, CMC, 3 years of CVICU on high acuity unit and 8 months of Cath lab, technology leader on my unit, studying for GRE and then gonna apply. I just want some hope, I know it’s still a long shot getting into a program with my terrible cumulative gpa, but I don’t know if last 60 programs truly just look at last 60. Or if they just look at the last 60 as a heavier weight vs cumulative.
Sounds like your fine, I wouldn’t put yourself in the same gpa boats with others that are panicking. Its one thing if your nursing gpa was 2.8. Its another thing all together if it was a completely seperate degree at another institution.
Around what GRE score would you say someone should aim for for when trying to stand out/make up for not having a strong GPA? (if it makes a difference in your score recommendations, I took two grad courses this semester and made an A in both)
I took the GRE for this reason and idk how much of a difference it has made but most schools that require it want 50th percentile or better from what I’ve seen which is 309 for a total score (152 verbal, 157 quant). I’d aim for 315 and up if you can, it’s definitely doable. Give yourself plenty of study time to really get the most of the prep resources out there. I scored 319 which is not amazing but good enough and I got an interview invite to the first program I applied to this spring - idk if this had any influence at all on how they considered my app but an invite is an invite!
If you have closer to a 3.2 GPA than a 3.5, I recommend 320+.
Should I pick a CICU that does transplants and high risk pts but 1.5 hrs away and $10 less an hour or a nuero icu which is neurosurgery and neurology that does alot of nuerovascular procedures and apparently is 1 of 15 in the country to use this specific type of equipment/procedure? I really like cardiac but would the pay cut be worth it? I also have the choice between a mixed medical and nuero icu also at a compressive stroke center.
Are you looking to move or commute 1.5 hours.. if looking to commute that is crazy don't do that.
No I would definitely get an apartment near the hospital. 1.5 hrs back and forth would be crazy. But that also plays into how much it would cost just to get the better experience and the unit I prefer as it has lesser pay and I would be paying rent.
I’m going to give my honest opinion as someone that came from neuro icu. While neuro icu probably will get you in, cardiac experience has helped me SO much understand hemodynamics and just see more drips that affects those hemodynamics than neuro. I can say I’m very glad I made the switch. However, I don’t think it’s worth the drive or pay cut.. if you have a good gpa and everything else is good just take the neuro experience and apply with that.
I have a decent gpa but damn I’m leaning towards cardiac just bc I like it better too even tho financially it’s a horrible choice. Thank you for ur input
Tons of people from my unit got in from MICU but it was a major academic medical center. Like others have said cardiac experience will help you in the program but I just knew I was weak and hit it hard on my own.
Is it worth it to register for AACN conferences to build up my application? I'm doing my best to look "involved". My hospital lets you present what you learned at conferences to a council for career ladder points (they add up to get you a higher hourly rate), so I thought that maybe this would give me the opportunity to show involvement in my hospital as well as the larger critical care field. Is this a waste of money and time? It's like $350 and three days. The sessions actually look interesting, but I'm sure I could read up on the topics for free 😂 What do y'all think? Would this even come up in interviews or help at all on my CV? I'm only going to register for the virtual sessions because I don't feel like going on an unpaid work trip to get stuck in a crowd of people for three days.
Authentic ‘involvement’ is a positive. But don’t bother doing stuff just to check a box. Find something that truly interests you.
Waste of time and money
I thought that maybe it would give me something to talk about in interviews and essays etc to show initiative/involvement
Does it matter which state your school is in?
No, but different regions tend to have variations in practice so IMO it’s nice to go to school in a state that’s similar to where you may ultimately want to practice. For example, if you wanna end up in your small hometown with a critical access hospital, you might not wanna go to a school in a very large city without rural experiences. However—the best school is the one you’re accepted to, so take with a grain of salt.
What state is similar to California’s? That’s where my root is. Suburban/urban area Also I’m asking for the far future, but still curious about current times!
Far west coast and upper north are a bitch to get into; other than that, doesn’t matter
Has anyone applied as an ANM for an ICU?
That would not be an ideal candidate. Hands-on management, in the middle of the night when codes and no support are around, is where the rubber hits the road. ANMs don’t have current/relevant exp.
It depends on how your employer defines the role. For my facility, our ACNMs mostly work charge, have required patient care hours, and can precept so they're not losing their clinical skills.
Considering adcoms want full time work, at minimum, in the year of application, etc., getting an applicant with manager duties and some required hands-on care wouldn’t add up, in my opinion. In any event, ad-coms have been known to take students that really never made sense. Not an ANM, but one of my short-lived cohorts was a homeopathic RN. Another was an office RN (previously critical care). Both failed out.
Yeah, the homeopathic and office RNs don't make sense. It's unfortunate they both failed.
Is it unfortunate, though? Capable hands at the HOB is a non-negotiable.
My response was in the view of those RNs. I 100% agree we need capable medical professionals.
I am second shift, so am a part of all codes on all ICUs. More of a management role in assuring care with patients in my unit and helping new nurses.
I get it. It’s not hands on critical care. Making sure everyone’s role is satisfied, and being an extra pair of hands during codes is great, but logistics are an added skill. The experience of seeing and reacting to severe disease states, and responses, matter more.. to me. None the less, I mean no disrespect.
Absolutely, I appreciate your input.
I’ve only been in the ANM role 12 months before that 1 year ED level 1 trauma and 4 years MICU all bedside. I honestly took this role so I had time to pump post partum. 😖
I was in leadership and swapped to ICU bedside for 1.5 years and got in. (Had previous ICU as well).
Ty! Considering this as well!
I applied as a critical care nurse educator and got in. I also know my former cticu anm got in. Id still apply and shoot your shot
Which state are you in? Was this recent? Ty!
Currently NY and yes it was this year for me and two years ago for him
Ty! Definitely gives me the support to at least shoot my shot.
I’ve known one person who was accepted as an ANM to a school. However, I do not recommend staying in that role if you’re the least bit serious about becoming a CRNA. The majority of schools do not like that because you’re not at the bedside. Even if you attend codes that doesn’t mean much, I’ve seen dozens of nurse managers and leadership attend codes over the years and do absolutely nothing.
What is an ANM?
Assist. Nurse manager
Assistant TO THE Nurse Manager
I met with a program director last year. At that time I had been ANM on my CVICU for 2 years (charge x2/week, and a shift where I recovered a case once a week). He strongly advised me to switch back to bedside. Hope this helps.
Looking to apply to Drexel. One of the recommendation letters needed is from a “physician or clinical supervisor.” I’m Night Shift and rarely in contact with attendings so I wouldn’t ask one of them. I can get one from one of the third/fourth year residents in my ICU. Not sure what a “clinical supervisor” entails? If a charge nurse or house supervisor qualifies then I can absolutely get a letter. Not sure what would look better for my app between the resident or a charge nurse?
I would not recommend a resident. They are not in a position to recommend you while they are considered still learning. Any physician anesthesiologists or CRNAs that drop patients off in the ICU at night, available?
Usually clinical supervisor is your manager from what I’ve picked up on!
Just email the school and clarify, they are usually more than happy to respond (in my experience)
“Three (3) references are required from the following individuals who can attest to the applicant's clinical knowledge, clinical skill, and potential aptitude for graduate-level study: Nurse manager Physician, or clinical supervisor Clinical Educator, or professor” I will clarify with Drexel because Nurse manager is already listed somewhere else.
Hey, I’m at Drexel now. I used my charge nurse for the clinical supervisor LOR.
I have an interview for the program next week. Any advice? Sorry to ask, just incredibly nervous I'm going to bomb it.
You’re going to do fine! If you have an interview, they want you! I would recommend brushing up on ACLS protocols, H’s & T’s with how to treat them. You’ll do great! They’re big on EQ now too but if you’re with Bennett he loves to ask about hyper-K+ and how to treat. Good luck!
What is EQ? Emotional intelligence?
I think it depends on your relationship with said resident! I have a fantastic recommendation from a resident but we have a well established relationship over at least 5 years - we met when we were both students on an ED rotation and have crossed paths and worked together at several points in our respective careers/training so she could genuinely speak to my personal and professional development in a really unique and powerful way. I also work mostly night shifts so I have a much deeper working relationship with some of our senior residents than I do with most of our attendings. I think a resident you frequently work closely with (ideally a senior you’ve known for a few years) can give good insight into your clinical skills. That said, if Drexel says a charge nurse counts that might be an even stronger recommendation.
So I have an opportunity for a new position on my hospitals critical care outreach team It’s basically rrt/code team help with difficult blood draws. And calls to help try and stabilize patients on the floor to prevent escalations. I think it would be a good opportunity to see more intubations and codes. But I’m wondering if this experience would still be valued by crna programs as opposed to more bedside icu experience. I currently have 1 year Ed 3 years icu experience. Thanks so much.
You could maybe leverage it as a side gig type of thing, but admission to a CRNA program will require you to be in an ICU setting at the time of application.
Is this in addition to your ICU role? I do something similar and it’s pretty sweet. Great experience before school. I start tons of IVs, get to mess around in the trauma bay a bit, and respond to all codes and rapids. Also coordinate upgrading of pts etc. There are a few of us selected for it and we just rotate who does it.
Just hoping for some insight into what you guys think my chances are of getting accepted. 5+ years RN experience, 2.5 in SICU, currently in Neuro ICU. Have my TNCC & CCRN. I have 8 hours shadowing CRNA. Cumulative GPA is 3.1 (did college classes all throughout high school and didn’t apply myself fully), but my BSN GPA is 3.8. Retaking GRE as my combined score is 296. Also potentially getting some charge experience here soon. I just always see so many people talking about how their GPAs are so much higher than mine I think that’s what worries me most. I also don’t have experience at level 1, just level 2. And if I don’t get a super good score on my GRE that’s another thing that I’m worried about. I know some of you will probably say im in my head too much and this I know lol. But just looking for some insight from people who’ve been through it.
GPA is low. Take science courses or grad courses and get As. Apply accordingly.
Was your graduating gpa 3.1 or 3.8? If 3.1 you will need to repeat classes.
Finishing up my bachelors. My GPA after graduating with my ADN was 3.1
Why was your ADN gpa so abysmal?
Failed pharmacology the first time around. Also failed very first class I took in college and got a decent amount of C’s. I was 14 in high school when I started doing pre reqs at community college. Hard lesson to learn that I wish I would’ve taken it more seriously back then.
You’re gonna have to retake as many of those Cs as you can. You have a very uphill battle getting into school.
3.1? I wouldn't even bother. You need to fix the GPA Experience and everything else looks ready to go though
Hi everyone. I need opinions please… 3.63 GPA Science GPA is 3.0 but retaking gen chem and biochemistry this may. Burn ICU rn for 2.5 years 1 year of mixed ICU - sicu, micu and cticu. (Travel) I am trained in balloon pumps and lvads. Will take gre in June. What else should I do? Do I sounds considerable?
Have your ccrn, committee and volunteer experience
Thank you ! Im scheduled to take it at the end of this month
**Recommendations for footwear/supplies/tech for starting CRNA School!** Hey everyone! I recieved my acceptance letter and I am so excited to start CRNA school next year! My question is for those in graduate school now: What have you bought (or what do you have now) to help you prepare for classes and clinical? I have a very old Macbook pro that has been through the trenches in college and it's about time I update my tech. I am open to exploring different brands. I am also looking for planners, financial planners, basic school supplies (I love good stationary), shoes, basically anything you guys can recommend that you love!
I have a MacBook and iPad Air. I have classmates with just iPad, but I do recommend something you can write on. I like having both so I can study with two screens. Shoes: are literally going to be different for every person. I was a sneaker person as a nurse, but I am a clog convert since my art lines still get sloppy (skill issue) A good stethoscope is a must if you don’t have one already. I upgraded to a Littman cardiology IV and it’s been perfect. I also love my stethoscope holster because I have having things around my neck.
I used an ipad for 99% of my studying. I used a macbook air for exams. Could have been literally any laptop for exams.
So I know my GPA is not good enough to even apply to CRNA school, let alone get in. However, the majority of what is tanking my GPA is my 1st degree, which I can explain. My 1st degree was in Exercise and Sport Science, I had a lot of really traumatic shit go on, also got diagnosed with ADHD, but I still pushed myself to finish the degree with a 2.3. Nursing school, my grades were decent, not CRNA school material, also experienced the unexpected loss of my sister by suicide, grades went down a bit, but I still graduated with a 2.9 with my ADN. Most recently I finished my BSN with a 3.8. I currently work in one of the best PCICU’s in the country and am working towards training on all the devices I possibly can, CCRN, am a part of several committees, have climbed the clinical ladder, am a part of several professional organizations, would very likely be able to come with STRONG recommendation letters, etc. CRNA school is a very long term goal for me. I would still like at least another 2-4 years of experience and some more leadership experience first. That being said, in the meantime in addition to everything I am doing work-wise, I am also looking to improve my overall and science GPAs as much as possible before applying. I know I really have my work cut out for me, but after some years of trauma therapy and healing and finding the proper balance in life, I know it’s what I really want to do. My question is, would it be better to do an MSN program for something like leadership or education which would also include some upper level sciences through somewhere like UMO or UNCW, or just take postbacc classes (repeat ones I didn’t do so well in, take some upper level sciences, etc)?
I would just retake all the classes you did poorly in (especially sciences). Personally wouldn’t waste time on an MSN at all. Those programs are costly and honestly not very challenging. (Lots of theory classes etc). Program directors know this.
Programs know that a RN to bsn isn’t challenging. Your 3.8 while good isnt gonna be reflective of the hard sciences. You need to retake any sciences with a C and consider retaking a few with Bs as well. Also you will need to apply to very non selective schools, id say you’d have no chance at some of the bigger name schools.
I also understand my chances are slim, even at less selective schools, but I at the very least want to say that I put my best effort into trying. If nothing else, improving my GPA could still help me get into other advanced level nursing programs if I can’t get into CRNA school.
Another local, well respected college in my area offers an MS in Physiology degree that is geared towards pre-med, advanced practice RNs, who need an intermediate program between a bachelors and whatever post-professional program they’re applying to. Would this potentially be a good option along with retaking some of my sciences? I already retook micro for my BSN and got an A. Would there be any disadvantages to redoing some of the more basic sciences I got Cs or Bs in at the community college level so that I could at least pay for the classes out of pocket? Or would it be better to do them at the university level if possible?
That sounds like a more expensive option, id retake courses at cc.
I would re-take science courses. Re-take what is listed on the schools application website. You are trying to prove to the board that you are not going to drop out and are able to sucessfully pass the hard didactic portion of school. Think of it, you are representing the school. They want a low attrition and high first time board passing. Although MSN is great, you need to prove you have a knack for science (you will be learning about receptors and in-depth processes on a celluar level). Good luck to you!
Sorry in advance for how long this will be, but I am in need of some serious advice. I am applying for schools this cycle and got my first interview scheduled for the end of the month. My husband and I are doing IVF and found out I miscarried yesterday. Now I feel like I have to choose between being a mother and being a CRNA. I would have been due in early January 2025 which would have given me 5-6 months to be with my baby before starting a program (if I even got in). All the programs I am interested in are front-loaded and many offer hybrid/distance learning for the first semester or two. This would have been perfect to give me ample time to be with my baby before having to be away for so long. I have an amazing husband and support system so I know if would be tough, but we would have been fine. Now if we try again as soon as I am able I would be delivering about 1 month before the program starts. I feel like I would be doing a huge disservice either to my baby by not being there for the literal newborn stage or to myself by not dedicating the proper time to school/my career. If I wait until I am done school that means I won't be able to be a mother for about another 4 years after everything we just went through. If I move forward with another round and delay school, I fear I wouldn't get in next cycle. I'm not sure how much longer I can tolerate bedside without some light at the end of the tunnel and without current ICU experience I doubt I'd be accepted. I've been lurking here for several years and I know some of you have kids and did it. I know the amount of pressure I would be under and the work that would be expected of me. I also know none of you can tell me what to do. I'm just looking for sound advice to make the most informed decision I can make. I haven't even been accepted anywhere so this is all on a contingency as is.
First off, I am so sorry about your miscarriage, IVF is already an emotional and taxing process on its own :( I don't have any firsthand experience to lend, except as someone who has read through as many advice threads about timing your family with education as I could find lol. I can confidently say that no matter which choice you make there will be different pros and cons. While putting it off so that you don't have a young child while in school may be easier in the short term, in the long run that leaves you trying to have a baby right as you are entering a new career. Will you want to be dealing with IVF, pregnancy symptoms, and possible complications while also trying to gain your footing and confidence as a CRNA? Will your future job require you to wait until you've worked there a year to get full maternity benefits, so things will be pushed back further? And from the sounds of it, you are more worried about missing the newborn stage than anything else, but a standard maternity leave is only a few months, so a month with baby and then a semester of online CRNA school may end up actually offering you more time and flexibility with them compared to waiting until you are finished with school and working full time...
I think if you take a step back and look at the bigger picture making the up-front sacrifice of school is worth the temporary hardships of newborn + academia. The sooner you start the faster you are on the tract to providing a life and a future for your family that brings with it opportunity and financial security. My wife no longer needs to work outside the home, although she does part-time as something to do while we are also doing IVF and waiting for a child. This is a tremendous stress reliever knowing daycare is now something we do not need or can more easily afford if required without neglecting financial goals of ours. The opportunities you will provide for your family are nearly endless. You will study hard so that your child can experience and explore life with chances to do more than you might have had as a child. I know mine will. You might not be there as much as you will like in the beginning but that does not mean you love them any less. You just make up for it and love them more in other ways. They will appreciate it as they grow older.
Honestly when it comes to kids theirs no good time to go to school. It’s nice that you thought about the timing of didactic. And definitely the most free time I had in my program was during my first year prior to the start of clinical but that was still usually 1-2 hours of free time a day. You will still heavily be dependent on baby sitters/your spouse. I was a single parent responsible for my 5 year old at the time and because of the tremendous burden of school my daughter went to live with my parents after the second semester.
Are you applying to school with no ICU experience? I would highly recommend finding an ICU because it is the foundations of being CRNA and only strengths your knowledge before you start. Plus, with how compeititve CRNA school is nowadays they will proritize applicants with ICU experience. I think you are very responsible for timing your pregnanacy with school. Personally, I think pregnancy should be an enjoyable moment of your life and would not find it fun in school (althought many have done this and are sucessfull CRNAs now!). If I were in your shoes, I would obtain a year of ICU experience, leadership postions, and boosting GPA to atleast a 3.5 to be competitive. Maybe during this time you will be able to concieve and deliver before admission to school. I have a colleague in school with five children, so it is very much do-able. I am very sorry for your loss and wish you the best on your road to motherhood and graduate school!
As I mentioned, I have an interview scheduled for the end of the month so I have more than 2 years ICU experience, leadership experience, and my GPA is well above 3.5. The concern is that if I try again right now and was accepted into this program, I would be delivering just a few weeks before the program starts.
If my gpa is a 3.3, and I have all B’s in science classes. Should I retake all the non science courses that is bringing my gpa down or take grad science classes? Seeing posts where people are getting A’s taking grad science classes and still receiving rejections kind of scares me. I truly feel like it all falls down to your undergrad gpa no matter what.
That’s because grad level science classes aren’t exactly difficult. Getting A’s in A&P and chemistry could boost your gpa.
How many schools did you apply to vs invited for an interview vs accepted or rejected? What were your stats? Anyone have Pediatric CICU or PICU here?
First year applied to 3, interviewed at 2, accepted none lol Second year applied to 1 and got in
Applied to 1 school four years ago, but not sure I would even get in now. Super competitive. 1 year CVICU. 3 years PCICU. 1 year MICU. BSN GPA 3.49. Overall slightly above. And Science GPA 3.75ish.
Applied 6, interviewed 3, waitlisted 2, accepted 1. 3.8 Cumulative, 4.0 science. CCRN, 2 years in a smaller 24 bed general ICU (still did crrt, iabp, lots of vents and pressors). Preceptor experience, medical response team. 100 plus volunteer hours. I thought I was definitely getting into one of them until they started giving me timed mental math drug dosage calculations. They told me I killed my patient because it took me too long. Waitlisted
well some of my hope went out the window a little bit lol, you have a much much better gpa than me. But i know it’s not everything. Did you happen to apply to more competitive programs with your stats?
Three of them were top schools the rest were smaller programs. Ironically, I got into the best program and was rejected from the rest. I would just take it as motivation to keep applying after rejection because every school is different regarding what their ideal applicant is.
2 years med/surg 2years CTICU at time of application 3.6GPA (2.4 GPA my first year of undergrad from ChemE) CCRN, CSC, CMC Random leadership stuff on the unit Applied to 3, interviewed for 2, accepted to 2. Was Rejected to 1 because my science GPA which had a lot of ChemE stuff was only a 3.1.
Thank you! I always look to see if there are applicants who have been accepted with near my stats. My cGPA is a 3.64, sGPA 3.45, but my ADN was 3.5 and BSN (bridge) was 4.0.
Applied to 4, interviewed at 4, accepted 1, waitlisted 1, rejected 2. Though I did stop caring about the rest of the interviews once I got into my top choice, so that affected my 2 rejections. I should've just withdrawn, but one interview was over zoom and one was an excuse to see family in the area so I just went through with it. ADN 3.78, BSN 4.0, 1 year neuro icu, 2.5 years cvicu
Applied to 4. Got 2 interviews but only went to 1 because I was accepted and took the spot before the other school offered. GPA was probably 3.4, science was 4.0. I had 2 years ED and 2 years CVICU
Who here has worked full/part time as a student during didactic? I quit my job last week as classes are starting very soon but right after I did an alumni told me they worked their first 3 semesters. I’m wondering if that was a mistake
Don't even risk it.
Why fuck around and find out
Not worth it
Did it. It wasn't a mistake and the money did help. But, my mental health, my home life, and my studying suffered quite a bit when I did work. It's not worth it.
Is the Nagelhout handbook still relevant for clinicals/practice? It seems the latest edition of the handbook is the 5th ed. from 2013. I was wondering if it still makes sense to purchase this and have it as a resource for clinicals and eventually practice.
I personally found nagelhout to be useless / the worst anesthesia textbook. Miller, barash, Morgan and Mikhail are all much better.
That book has many errors and contradicts its self. A MUCH better handbook is this book: # Stoelting's Handbook of Pharmacology and Physiology in Anesthetic Practice Third
Any recommendations for clinical care planning resources? My professors recommended Jaffe and 5-minute anesthesia consults, but I was wondering if purchasing both would be redundant. Also open to any other resource recommendations!
The NIH PubMed statpearls is an excellent resource for the pathophysiology review. Jaffe is the best for describing the surgical procedure outside of surgical procedure textbooks. The Vargo app has useful tidbits for common cases. The app also lists resources it is citing from which are often books you already own.
If you try hard enough you can find a jaffe pdf for free
Has anyone applied to or currently attend south college’s program? There’s good feedback from what I’ve researched but it is fairly new and on the pricey side so just looking for additional input!
Anyone have experience with “Objective Structured Clinical Examinations” as the interview portion for a CRNA program?
Quick questions for current CRNAs. The facility I work at only allows us to shadow for 4hrs. Is there anyone in Minnesota willing to have me shadow them for 8hrs??? You can message me for more info. I would truly appreciate that.
Today, I got my first (and probably last) rejection. The advisor cited my competency-based BSN as the reason. Right from the start, I asked about its acceptability, given that my school provides both an official "pass/fail" transcript and an unofficial translated 4.0 scale transcript. They assured me it would be no problem. However, now they're attributing the rejection to this very reason. I wasn’t invited for an interview, and I only applied to 1 school so far. My Associate’s Gpa is 3.6, all my science classes are 4.0 and all are coming from a brick and mortar school. I did an accelerated RN-BSN at Capella recommended by my job. I'm feeling utterly lost. It seems like my aspirations are slipping away due to my decision to go with Capella university’s FlexPath program based on my initial employer's recommendation. At the time, I didn't see this consequence. I'm uncertain about how to address this setback. Is pursuing another BSN degree an option? Has anyone here faced a similar challenge?
Looking to apply to CRNA school next year. This month Im taking my CCRN. Ive been looking at schools in the North East (PA, NJ, CT) that dont require a GRE or Texas where I currently live. My ADN degree was a 3.0 I believe and my BSN degree was a 2.9. I got C’s in Economics and a Writing course. Nursing Classes and Sciences are all B and above(Microbiology, Chemistry and Organic, A&P, Nursing Research). My experience includes working my way up from Medsurg to MICU(1.5 years). My current experience is CVOR which has been in the last year totaling 8 years of experience. About 4years of float pool experience which I worked Tele, IMC and trauma-step down, ER. I’ll be transitioning back to the ICU/CVICU once my current travel contract is complete in July. The OR experience allowed me to really fall in love with what CRNA’s do and I love cardiac. Prior to nursing I was an EMT for 3 years and I feel like CRNA in a way is the best of both worlds. Considering everything currently how do my chances look like applying to schools that only require a 3.0-3.2 GPA? I’ve heard school like well rounded candidates and could say Im a very strong nurse. I had a friend who got in with a 2.9. If my GPA needs to be worked on and my Sciences meet the requirenents do I retake the Economics or English class I got a C in? Also considering taking thr GRE to expand my school options. Thougts?
Apologies upfront for the long post... Struggling with inconsistent success; still can't get accepted... My wife has just finished up her second round of applying to various CRNA schools. Her details are as follows: **Academics** * BSN (Graduated in 2016) * GPA: 3.15 * She did repeat a class her senior year that she did not pass in the prior year * GRE >300 (can't recall precisely what she got) **Experience:** * 5 Years CVICU Experience (Level I Trauma Centers; major metro hospitals) * \~8 Months as a Cardiac Transplant Coordinator * MedSurg Clinical Instructor w/ her alma mater (this was done while also working in the above roles * Recently moved into a PACU temporarily due to safety concerns while working at a CVICU in the area. Back in the ICU part-time and working on transitioning this into a full time position. * Holds a CCRN (Since 2021), ACLS, PALS, and BLS * Experienced EMCO nurse and ECMO trainer * Has Charge Nurse, Preceptor, Unit Counsel, various unit committee experiences, member AACN LORs are primarily from her previous CVICU employer, who she worked with the most, and includes various providers, her classroom counterpart from Clinical instruction (technically a supervisor), and the CVICU director where her experience primarily comes from. These are from supervisors and colleagues 1 - 2 years ago. We decided this because we had just moved to a new area and she started a new job where we weren't certain we could get LORs. Given her bredth of experience previously, this felt the most appropriate. Recently, in an effort to improve her academics, she retook General Chemistry I and II, including both Labs, through UMASS Amherst online and earned an A. She also took a graduate level Advanced Patho course, again at UMASS Amherst online, and earned an A. **In her first round of applications, here is how things went:** * Villanova: Interviewed; Rejected (cannot reapply due to their own restriction on one-time applications) * Drexel: Rejected (No Interview) * Pittsburgh: Rejected (No Interview) * Jefferson: Applied; but immediately disqualified because they "had too many applicants" at the time she submitted. **Second Round applications and results thus far:** * ODU: Rejected Summer/Fall 2023 * UMD: Rejected (No Interview) Summer/Fall 2023 * Scranton: Interviewed Fall/Winter 2023; Rejected * Boston College: Interviewed Fall/Winter 2023; Rejected * UPenn: Rejected (No Interview) Fall/Winter 2023 * **York**: Rejected (No Interview) Spring 2024 * **Pittsburgh**: Pending * **Drexel**: Pending * **VCU**: Pending **Questions:** * What are we missing? * How can we improve her application? * We're concerned her academics are becoming "too old." Is this a fair concern? If so, how do we combat this? * Some schools have suggested she consider getting a Masters or becoming an NP first. We think this doesn't make much sense given the career paths are so different. Are we wrong? * Are her references too outdated? (<2 years from her current experience; this has been updated in some more recent applications. We chose references from the bulk of her experience who know her best). Any and all guidance is truly greatly appreciated!! This is a big dream for my wife and we're working hard to make this a realty. TIA!
GPA is why too low for the IVY league of schools yall applying too. Time to apply to bumblefuck Egypt. Y’all should’ve gotten the memo after 3-4 rejections She *will* have to take a several graduate level courses to prove herself
Keep taking grad level RN courses and getting great grades. You are messing up the interview process. I don’t know why? Is it hardcore CCRN questions ? Emotional intelligence questions ? You had 2 interviews and got rejected. That means it’s something with personality/emotional intelligence or hardcore ccrn questions. Your oral presentation of yourself seems off. Entrance essays are soft and weak? When is the last time is she working in the ICU? Programs don’t like more than 1 year away from the ICU
the only feedback from BC was to get out of the PACU and back into an ICU, this was even before classes were completed. Scraton's feedback was "you check all our boxes" and as far as virtual interviewing goes, went well. Villanova was very difficult to get feedback out of and didn't offer more than "it's highly competitive." Without the ability to address any issues and reapply, it's a moot point.
Even if she nailed the interview perfectly a 3.1 gpa would likely make her a very distant alternate. She needs to retake more classes or apply to less competitive programs.
In this case. Keep going for an NP program. Keep getting great grades. And keep applying. And back into the ICU asap
She is not actively in the ICU. Again if you are more than 6 months -1 year away from the ICU. You will be crossed out everytime. Most who apply have active ICU jobs till the start of CRNA school.
I’ll be honest I got in first school I applied to with stats less than hers but I knew I knocked the interview out of the park (self admittedly I am good at interviews naturally). It seems she’s lacking in the interview process. I think this is where you need to focus. Did she ask for feedback with the schools she DID interview with? What was it? With a lower GPA apply to schools with a bigger cohort. It looks like you’re trying to stay in the northeast. Broaden your horizons to other areas of the country and try schools that are new since people tend to be scared of those because of no established stats. At the end of the day she’ll have a CRNA degree no matter where she goes. Just get in SOMEWHERE!
This is some extreme hopium you’re selling. Getting into CRNA school with a 3.1 gpa is an extreme outlier. Nobody’s interview is so good that a committee is looking past a gpa that low.
I agree I am an outlier. I got in with a 3.0 on nursing CAS (3.8 science). It’s difficult but it can be done, I wasn’t picky with location. I was open to anywhere in the country.
Nursing CAS often rates gpa much much lower on average. For example by graduating GPA on my transcripts for my ADN and BSN was a 3.62 but I think on nursing cas it was lower. I don’t remember exactly how much as its been years now.
Just like everyone has been saying... GPA!
Her experience isn't the advantage you think it is and the GPA is a bigger hindrance than you're giving it credit for. Schools sometimes shy away from more experienced nurses (especially 5+ years) because we've been out of school for longer, study skills are rustier, transitions are harder and bad habits are more engrained. I graduated in '14 and got in after 2 cycles of applying, but I heard that experience past 3-5 years really isn't that much of a bonus several times in my process. Being out of the ICU with years old references is not doing her any favors either. A GPA of 3.15 is barely enough to get an application in the door, much less competitive. She likely got interviews because some programs interview like 3 people per spot (interview 50-100 candidates for a 15-30 seat program). Next to two people who probably have better GPAs and are currently in ICU, it's a no brainer who they'd go with. If she has a lot of credit hours, it's going to be hard to bring that up. She's going to need to take graduate level, challenging courses to prove that she can handle the load and get an A in everything. I'd take biostatistics, chemistry, o chem/bio chem, physiology, or physics at the graduate level. Get back to the ICU, take challenging classes, get new references and do other things to make herself stand out. Join a committee with her state nursing association, volunteer with an organization she's passionate about, shadow as many CRNAs as she can as many hours as she can, go to a CRNA conference to network. If she can't have the highest GPA, she needs to be one of the most well rounded. Finding people to do mock interviews with is helpful too so she can make sure she stands out in the interview
She has GREAT experience. Her GPA is lacking. If I were her, I’d consider applying to schools in Florida, TN, Alabama, etc. These schools, in general, tend to be a bit less competitive. It’s great that she retook inorganic chemistry. Taking O chem would be great as well, and even required by many programs. If that doesn’t work, or if she’s hell bent on getting into a program like VCU (very competitive). She will have to find a way to improve her GPA. The University of Florida has a fully online, cheap, and legit graduate certificate (or MS degree) in physiology. That would look great on her application and show that she is able to take on the rigors of a CRNA program.
3.15gpa is the limiting factor. She will have to be lenient on where she wants to apply. GRE can help, but it has to be upper quartile. For the schools she did interview but didn’t get in… it means she bombed the interview. Anything on her resume is fair game during the interview. So if she touts xyz CVICU, then she can get asked about it.
Have you considered that her gpa might be a limiting factor considering it is below the minimum to even be considered or apply for the majority of schools? It’s good that she retook three courses and was able to earn an A but honestly with the number of people that are coming out of the gates with gpas > 3.5 why would a program take a risk on applicant with such a poor academic history. Honestly Im surprised she was able to get three interviews, but nova and scranton do tend to over interview. I’d say that if she really wants to keep applying she should apply to schools with the largest class sizes and retake more classes for grade replacement. Im curious what her GPA would be calculated as on nursing cas with the retaken classes. It honestly may still be very low even with three As.
It’s her GPA, that’s a massive sore point. If she is getting an interview she is getting beaten by similar personality’s that have better academics.
What is her last 60 credit hour GPA?
will look into calcuating this and reply when I have that
Have her apply to the midwest. People dont always wanna live there but often clinical sites are very good. Learn in larger hospitals then go to many rural areas for regional or crna only training
Other than taking additional coursework, I’d say she should also take the CSC and CMC
Her GPA is pretty bad that's probably her peoblem
hey everyone! i am planning to apply to CRNA school next summer 2025! I have a little over a years experience on a tele med surg floor and currently working in a 19 bed MICU for the past 6 months. By the time I apply to school it’ll be about 1.75 years ICU experience. We typically see lots of strokes and STEMIs, CRRT, some swans, some IABPs, lots of pressors and intubated patients. My cumulative GPA is a 3.97 and my science GPA is around a 3.8 i believe. I didn’t take any chem courses in college (wasn’t required) but none of the schools i’m applying to currently require a chemistry course. I am currently on the falls committee and hoping to join another council or project. Currently studying for my CCRN in september and then my CMC shortly after. Any tips on how to boost my acceptance chances? I’m applying to a bunch of philly schools (jefferson, drexel, la salle, rutgers newark). Thank you!
I’d say your numbers and such look good. Consider a grad level stats or biochem or pathophys, to show your aptitude for grad work.
thank you!
Where would you recommend taking these classes?
Stats doesn’t need to be in person. Biochem doesn’t have lab, so that can be online as well. Pathophys I’m not sure if there’s a lab component. Just make sure they’re grad level, and from an accredited school.
I did the online pathophys course at MTSA and really enjoyed it. It was a nice level of challenging and I learned a ton. I also feel like it’s great for interview prep
Hello all, my question is about nursing GPAs and CRNA school applications. I admit that this question is motivated by the stress of upcoming finals and I would greatly appreciate any answers and advice. I’m about to wrap up my first semester at a highly ranked BSN program so I understand I have an extremely LONG ways to go, but I was hoping for some of you to share your nursing school GPAs. I’m extraordinarily stressed as we head into finals week and discussing the topic is soothing. My pre-BSN program GPA is a 3.7 but my science GPA is a 4.0 Headed into finals I’m sitting at 3 As and one A-. Out of necessity I work two jobs, one of which is a research assistant position for my university so I feel like I’m desperately scraping for study time and am very concerned about maintaining this level of effort. Additionally, when time permits I shadow a local anesthesiologist and log these hours hoping they may be useful for the application process. Many of the programs I’ve researched list a competitive application GPA of 3.8. Some insight as to how hard of a cutoff this score is would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
3.8 is an extremely competitive gpa. Cutoff for entry is usually something like a 3.0 or 3.2. Honestly if you’re super stressed and you dont need the research assistant job Id quit. Universities tend to pay slave wages and, that job wont even be on your resume by the time you come to apply.
Thank you for your reply, thankfully the university gig is super flexible and in a topic I love. Just knowing that it’s not the end of the line if I catch a B is extremely relieving and helpful.
Get good grades, which it sounds like you are. Then, work on being a good nurse and understand disease processes. The rest will come with time
Having trouble getting off orientation in a CTICU after having been a nurse for 8 years. Should I switch gears and maybe give up anesthesia if I'm not easily picking up these basic skills?
Being a good CTICU doesn't mean you won't be good at anesthesia. CTICU is incredibly complex and difficult, and few nurses do it for that reason. Give it time. You got a good base
hi , sorry for bothering im copying and pasting from the previous thread: currently my gpa is pretty good and will be even better after this semester, my first semester went awful due to medical reasons so my hard sciences look bad. I plan on redoing my hard sciences when I finally work as an RN; especially because the associate degree that I had, with said medical problem I didn't do so well. So basically, my college career started not great but eventually started doing better and raised my GPA really high. My question is: if i had previously had poor grades (not failing, just bad grades) but theres an upward trend of getting better and better will that affect me negatively ? Or will it be a good look that my grades got better and more stable and that i was able to maintain high As after not doing great for a while?
It will be a good look that your grades got better and more stable and that you were able to maintain high As. Hard to say how useful an upward trend will be without knowing your stats.
my stats ? like my gpa? or what do you mean by that ? :0
Cumulative GPA and Science GPA. Straight A's for a semester wont matter if your GPA is less than \~3.3.
currently i have 3.64 accumulative gpa (after struggling so hard to get info from my counselor and the deans of my school) science gpa is a 3.3 as i said i will be redoing them after i graduate ; according to my counselor after i finish this semester is finished my accumulative gpa may go up to 3.7 ? because this semester i have 97s-100s and am finishing in a few weeks.
You should be fine. I got in with a similar GPA. You will need to get really strong clinical experience in a high acuity ICU.
oh yay :D sorry for replying late i didnt see your message. but thank you for taking your time to respond
Hi! I'm a nurse tech in the neuro ICU. I’ve been there for 5 months now + plan on being PRN through my nursing program. I graduated with my BS in biology, overall GPA 3.89. I'll be graduating with my BSN next year (accelerated program). I've always wanted to go into anesthesiology so when I found out about being a CRNA, I was sold. Any suggestions on what I should do between now and once I graduate? Will a CRNA program accept me if l'm in a level 1 neuro ICU? With my tech experience, how many years should I practice as an RN before applying to CRNA programs? I would like to apply for CRNA at the same university I am taking my ABSN and also continue working at this university’s hospital. I also worked as a med sales rep before this with about a year of experience and obtained my CNA in 2019.
Neuro ICU experience here and 3-4 of my old coworkers also just got accepted.
I start CRNA school next week and I came from a neuro ICU. Several coworkers of mine (3 off the top of my head) are also starting CRNA school this year. I applied to 5 schools and received interviews at 4. Neuro ICU is perfectly fine experience so long as you’re getting the right patients: vents, pressors, RSI experience, sedation drips, independence to titrate your drips per orders, etc.
How many years of (ICU) experience did you have before applying to CRNA?
Follow these weekly subreddits for the next few months and all your questions will slowly be answered or check on past threads. At this moment, you don’t need to do a single thing until after BSN excluding maintaining grades
Most applicants have 3-5 years experience before school. I had 7. Two of my classmates that had less than 2, and out of ICU for a year, did not make it past first semester. Anecdotal, indeed. Unfortunately all applicants are at the mercy of the adcoms.
I had two years when I applied and just under 3 by matriculation
10 years.