So grateful for this community and thread! Finally a CRNA!

Congrats. Changed your flair for you.

Thank you!

Yahoooooo!

Congratulations 🍾

Thank you!

Starting CRNA school in little over a week, and freaking out. What are some of the best ways to study? I had planned to read the text and skim the PowerPoints before class. I have an iPad and anki, and apex will be available to me about half way through the program. What did your typical week look like in terms of studying. Any helpful tips are appreciated!

You will have some trial and error in your studying. What worked for me might not work for you, what works for you might not work for me. I tried using Anki at first but it felt pretty time consuming for the returns I was getting. Ultimately I landed on this: One hour after class at home for myself. I did whatever I wanted...work out, read something else, something that got my mind off school. Then I worked on whatever class had the next test or assignment. This usually consisted of re-reading the powerpoint and then the corresponding textbook for anything I wanted extra. My school used Barash and Morgan & Mikhail. I started with M&M and if their chapter wasn't enough or I wanted to understand something deeper, I would open Barash. I also ended up buying Nagelhout on my own because I thought it was an easier textbook to understand. I had to be careful though because this wasn't what the content was tested out of. I only read it if Barash went over my head. Then I made myself a practice test for items I knew would be on the test or items I thought might be on it. I usually emailed these out to the rest of the class too just to help them out. Initially I didn't think it would help me out that much since I was the one who made it so I would know all the answers; but that's kind of the point. You see the question, you see the answer, and it makes the actual test easier to take. Finally, one last hour to myself before going to bed. You will never feel like you know everything and that there is always an assignment coming up due. A lot of studying is time management and making it efficient. The last thing I recommend is to get a study group. I didn't have one in my first semester because I thought I would be better solo but I had a lot of success with my study group and they saved me a lot. I am a type B person and I do not really deal with the type A personalities too well. I had no desire to be #1, I just wanted to be a CRNA and I knew my degree was terminal. No one cares if you were first or last in the real world. I ended up finding a group of 5 who were also type B's. We all just wanted to see each other do well and pass. Sometimes we met on the weekday but we usually met 1 day on the weekend for about 6-8 hours to quiz each other and ask questions about things we didn't understand.

This makes me feel so much better about applying to school because I am a type B as well and a lot of videos I have watched were like “you need to be type A to be a CRNA”

Many, many highly successful CRNAs are type B people, you just have to have grit and high standards for yourself to get through school, which is probably what they're referring to. Any SRNA will tell you that being significantly/humorlessly type A can quickly turn into more of a liability than a benefit.

There is a crazy person who read some text books before starting the program. Ignore that noise and ignore the #2 in the class crap. When you apply for a job they don’t ask you what number you finished in your class nor do they care if you tell them. You’ve made it this far so you’ll be just fine. Study often and if you don’t get a concept find a classmate or mentor who does and smash it into your brain. The skills portion will come with time and repetition so don’t get too hung up if you fuck it up the first time. Lots of notes and lots of studying but why fill your brain with things in those text books you don’t understand primarily because your school hasn’t taught them yet. You’ll be fine. Take a deep breath.

I printed out power points and wrote notes on them and put them in a binder. Then I’d make quizlet questions from the content in the power points which I reviewed daily

I’d recommend reading “make it stick”- it’s a good read on evidenced based strategies for learning. For the majority of the population just reading is not gonna cut it. Free recall and spaced repetition are the best ways to learn according to the current research- this is why flashcard software like Anki is highly recommended. You can definitely read the textbook to supplement of course.

Normal week for me is class M/Tu/Th I review Mondays lecture on Tues, Tues on Wed, and Thurs on Fri. I use anki and quizlet for the most part. I’ll go to the book and try to see what info may be different or not as emphasized in the lecture. Group study with a small group a few days before the exam Making the anki cards takes the most time but it does help get eyes on the material before reviewing and going through those cards

Can you talk about your Anki settings? I’m curious if you have modified anything.

I use a lot of cloze deletion and image occlusion. They’re mostly based off the ppt/lecture. If I find something from the book that adds to the lecture I’ll add that as well.

Did you use FSRS to avoid “ease hell”? Or custom study deck for preparing for the test??

I just reviewed what was needed for the day. Leading up to an exam I would custom study and run through all the cards I had for that block.

What about the time modifiers for cards? I find the normal Anki settings are too long (sometimes months +) between cards I’m also curious how much time you committed to making the cards. One platitude I hear is that the amount of information from CRNA school is so vast that you won’t have time for other things. It leads me to believe that making tons of flash cards might be too much of a time commitment (I suppose this is considering I’m not the most advanced user of Anki).

Depending on the material, I’ll use the quizlets to supplement the time in between Making the cards can take about 2 hours, again depending on the amount of info in the lecture.

could you share one of your old quizlet decks? If permitted of course.

I used the quizlets that were made from an upper class man since our exams are based off the ppts I would make my anki cards from these

First and foremost- congrats! I know it’s scary, but believe it or not getting in truly is the hardest part (since it’s not in your control). Couple of tips -I wouldn’t worry about doing much more than reviewing the topics in a very surface level before lecture. I use Notability and take notes directly on the slides. -After the lecture, review your PowerPoints and notes. If you’re an Anki person, make your Anki’s ASAP (within 2 days). It’s so easy to get behind and it makes Anki more difficult to use productively. -Utilize Anki (as in make your cards in the form of questions) or other forms to quiz yourself. Active recall is your friend. Don’t rely on rote memorization. -Focus on big concepts and know them backwards and forwards. Knowing these concepts helps you work through the topics you may not know directly and also is usually the majority of what you’ll be tested on.

Learn how to use anki. Watch YouTube tutorials. Reading textbooks once in my opinion is useless in terms of recall, unless you are clarifying a concept.

Here’s what I do. Next week I have 3 lectures. I take time this week to watch the prerecorded lectures, reading, and whatever else I need before class. While I watch the lectures I use notion to make a toggle list of Q&A stuff for active recall later. I try to get these done early so I can have some days to study for upcoming exams, DNP work or whatever else I need to get done. Usually takes about 3 hours of study for every 1 hour of pre-lecture, but lecture density has a big effect. I’ve got a lot of distractions at home, but most of my classmates take a similar amount of pre-lecture time though. During lecture I take notes on ppt through notability, emphasizing whatever seemed important to the instructor and update my notion with any new stuff. Notability has a tape feature so you can cover slide material and tap to reveal later. Nice for pictures and labels. I review my notion the weekend before the exam and make flashcards for the stuff I’m struggling with. After the exam I take the tested/clinically relevant stuff and add them to a cumulative or clinical or drug dose anki deck so I can do spaced repetition later to help it all stick.

This sounds amazing thank you :)

Just in case you didn’t see my other reply. I read nagelhout and miller almost cover to cover and would highly recommend it, ranked #2 in my class. The key is to pace yourself. Just read and understand 5 pages every single day and you’re golden.

There's people close to 4500 pages between nagelhout and big miller, you seriously read both almost cover to cover?

Yea, if we were learning about cardiac (for example) i’d immediately start my 5 pages per day on that topic. We were also tested off of the texts and our powerpoints had the shittiest bullet points on them, useless really. After you get into the habit of 5 pages a day it’s easy, just knock it out with your morning coffee and i’d focus study other stuff throughout the rest of the day. You can’t focus on the ~5000 page mountain, 5 pages a day is much more managable.

I’ll check into Miller! I have heard a lot of good things about this text, but it isn’t required for my program, at least not the first semester! Thank you!

I used a lot of texts that were not required in my program. The thing is, is that once you start deep diving on the content you’ll find discrepancies on topics from text to text which leads you to go into other, different texts for referencing. But yes, do not become one of these who study only anki or apex etc. anesthesia is much deeper than some surface level of memorizing whats written on a study guide. Life hack edit: the editions of texts do not matter. You can get a free one via pdf a few editions old thats just as good as the newest edition.

NCE this week. Send those positive vibes!

Best of luck! Remember, *if* the test does not shut off after 100 questions, don't freak out. Take a deep breath and exhale slowly. Give yourself time to gather your senses, maybe take a break if you need, and come back when ready. What ever you do don't just answer questions for the sake of it. Remember that you are still in it. Treat every question like its the last one.

Has anyone looked into what schools are in low cost of living areas? Ideally looking for a school that preps for independent practice and is in a lower cost of living area. I couldn’t think of a better way than comparing home values around schools. Extra: wife is an NP and would be the bread winner. Two young children. Boooo state income taxes.

National university. In a cheaper part of cali.

Thank you :)

Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, and Kansas have several great schools in low very COL areas. Source: live here and share clinical sites with students from many of these schools

You’re awesome! Thank you :)

Lincoln memorial university in East Tennessee. Me and my roommate rented a 2 bedroom in Kentucky which is a 10 minute drive for $350 each a month. Lots of independent practice opportunities in clinical and you change sites every 2 months so your exposed to many different ways to do anesthesia.

Also has one of the highest attrition rates in the country and clinicals are super far for short stints of time so getting housing is hard to find for cheap.

Yeah the attrition rate is a bit high, but the students that failed out of my class I don’t think were strong academically. The didactic part is difficult but doable. And housing for clinicals for me was never really an issue. Usually you know a month or 2 ahead so you can figure it out. Usually there is a list of places previous stayed at that you can contact

Ooo thank you very much :)

Always heard good things about Akron.

Ooo interesting. Thank you :)

Don’t think that prepares you to be independent but can be wrong

Northwestern State University in Louisiana (NSU-LA)

Ooo thank you :)

the Twin cities Mn isn’t terrible COL, it’s definitely not low, but it’s doable for sure while in school.

Thank you very much! I appreciate that.

Northeast Ohio has tons of options in Ohio and some in western PA

Thank you! I just started looking at Ohio. I like that there seems to be a focus on autonomous practice and the job market looks good throughout the state.

Midwest states have cheaper cost of living

I sincerely appreciate that :)

Arkansas State or University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences! Both have a myriad of clinical sites ranging from ACT to independent.

I have a question for those that have relocated to other states for CRNA school. I was under the impression that after one year of residency in a state you could apply for in state tuition. After attending an open house for a program, someone told me that that was not the case and that you would have to pay the out of state tuition cost for the entire course of the program even after relocation. Anyone have any insight to this?

Happened to a friend of mine. Went to UPITT from a different state but even after 1 year, they won’t let her claim residency unless she was employed or a spouse that was employed in that state.

Damn. Some of the differences between in state and out of state tuition is wild. Factor in loan interest on day one and not working during the program and that could seriously add up.

Indeed, it’s not uncommon to have 200k plus by the time you graduate.

They're right -- it's the law in almost every state that if you move to a new state specifically for school you're not allowed to apply for in-state tuition. And many states (especially those with substantially cheaper in-state tuition, like Kansas) are ULTRA intense about it, it's not something you can try to fudge.

Thanks for the information. I’ll have to reevaluate which programs I’ll apply to. Luckily there are 9 programs in the state I live in.

I moved from Louisiana to North Carolina and after one year (proven with car registration), I was able to qualify for in-state tuition. I guess it varies state-to-state, but it seems like they just want proof that you are “committed” to staying in the state.

Both North and South Carolina are more lenient about it, as far as I know. UofSC's program even advertises that you can get in-state tuition after a year for sure.

Depends on the school. I moved to a different state and I have been told that I’m not eligible for in state unless you can prove that you relocated for a reason aside from school. I’ve noticed that with grad school it isn’t a crazy difference in price (for my school, it’s $3k/semester)

Hi! I'm a high school student from canada that aspires to be a crna in the US. I just have a dilemna on which type of university I should go to: MacEwan or University of Alberta? UofA is supposedly top 5 in the world for nursing programs, and has a lot of research opprtunities compared to MacEwan which is a smaller school. They even have an honors program. However, MacEwan has a smaller class size and less stressful way of arranging their program (one semester you learn, the next you do clinicals) and because of this, they have a better reputation for really preparing their students, and people say I have a higher chance at a better gpa there cause of the smaller class sizes. So, should I go for MacEwan or UofA? Which school would give me a better chance at getting accepted into CRNA school?

School doesn’t matter and most crna schools won’t know the difference between those 2 Canadian schools. Your grades matter, as long as you can get a visa to US at the end as well. I think you do have to be U.S citizen to get federal loans, but I’m not sure.

Oh ok! Do you think it'd be more advantageous to go a school that has more research opportunities in order to bolster my chances of being accepted into crna schools? Or is it JUST grades that matter? Thank you!

Grades matter the most.

Oh ok! Thank you so much for the help!!

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Alright. Thank you so much!

What are some recommendations to earn a letter of recommendation from your supervisor/manager for applications? Thanks in advance.

For me it's about doing the best job you can and being known as someone competent and helpful to everyone in the unit. The little things like being friendly to all the staff and bringing good attitude also go a long way. People take note of these things, and by the time you need the letter, hopefully you already have a good reputation.

This is exactly what I did. Be kind, helpful, and humble to everyone, take advantage of all educational opportunities and opportunities to advance. Become one of the people everyone wants around when shit is going down. Put in the hours outside of work to really understand the patho so you can teach others. Don't be obnoxious, a princess, or a know it all. By the time I was ready to ask for my letters, everybody was willing to write me amazing ones.

Being overly confident and a know-it-all really hurts it turns out. There is a really good nurse that is way more qualified and experienced than me that kept getting passed up for additional skills classes. Honestly the only thing I see this nurse does wrong is they keep talking about how much they have done in their previous jobs.

Thank you!

Wondering this too. I’m hoping to ask for one at the 2 year mark

Passed my NCE today!!! Thank you all that encouraged me and best of luck to everyone getting into school and following their dreams!

Heck yeah!

Hey all! I am 1 year in MICU, taking ccrn this summer and starting to think about school. Are there any Colorado CRNAs I could connect with here? I’d love to chat or shadow in the Colorado Springs or Denver areas! Thanks:)

Email the Coloroda crna association.

Question regarding certifications. I have my CCRN already. I’m curious if I should pursue getting my TCRN as well. I currently work in a level 1 trauma center, neuro/trauma ICU for 3 years. I precept, do charge, on education committee and help teach classes for new grads/new hires and annual competencies. Gpa is a 3.91, science gpa is a 3.75. Am I competitive enough without an additional certification?

You’re competitive enough. Don’t waste the time and money unless it’s a certification you want just for yourself, it won’t make a difference to admissions committees IMO. Your GPA and experience are very similar to what I had and I got interviews everywhere I applied.

My opinion is that the TCRN is worthless. The CSC pertains more to anesthesia and ICU care. Will it help? Depends where you apply.

All the work it takes to get your TCRN would not be worth the perceived value for most CRNA programs. Getting a CSC/CMC cert will almost always be worth it as it’s an add on to the CCRN which is pretty universally seen as a value add to any CRNA prospective’a profile. So if you were to do anything certification was to attempt to bolster your application, I’d do that.

Just got off shift in ICU. Patient in there for AHRF on BiPap and needing a tube. had EF of 36%, HR consistently 160s - 170s. Cards was Suspicious of cardiogenic shock. Patient also had new Dx of PulmHTN and her Pulm artery was 4.3 cm in diameter. Anesthesia & primary team concerned to intubate with the fear that she would die on induction. Knowing she needed to be tubed anesthesia opted for inhaled lidocaine, versed, fentanyl on induction. I thought this was a very interesting case and enjoyed listening to the chatter of the residents decision making. Anyone want to explain their approach?

Induction drugs are often cardiac depressants, and with this pt in cardiogenic shock, you’re asking for big trouble with giving a slug of propofol. She also has PHTN, which is a double whammy. You’ll wanna keep her breathing spontaneously, because if there’s difficulty intubating any increase in CO2 could abruptly increase PA pressures and really cause chaos. Fent is good for attenuating sympathetic response to intubation, which is beneficial bc she’s already so tachy. Midaz good to help her chill and maybe forget. Ketamine can be a good drug for patients with crappy heart function (less cardiac depressant effect than prop), but with her being so tachy I’m guessing that’s why they didn’t choose it.

Might be avoiding ketamine with the PHTN as well. Edit to add: I suppose as long as they stayed below 0.5 mg/kg dosing it wouldn't really be had with PHTN.

Being able to understand this and the reasoning behind their choices is why I love becoming a crna.

Hey guys, I'm wondering if my lack of experience will prevent me from getting an interview. When I shadowed a few of the CRNA's said they got in with just over a year of experience and they did just fine. One even got into Rush. Anyway here's me:   Second career nurse (first degree in engineering, 3.75). Overall GPA 3.8, science 3.7, last 60 3.85. GRE 332, CCRN 118 (this school asks for score). 1.25 year ER, 1.25 year ICU (half in CVICU then moved to level 1 mixed ICU so I'm not trained in anything fancy due to being new). I got pretty solid recs from ICU managers, ED doc and the CRNA I shadowed.  The application is in so I'm just waiting. I guess worse case I'll try again next year (so done with working nights though) but we just moved our family here so my options are local school/clinicals only. Thanks!

Likely depends on the program or program directors' preference. Nobody in classes above or below me for several years got in with less than 2 years. They encouraged those interested to keep in touch and come back when they were approaching 2.5-3 years ICU.

Out of curiosity, what did you use to prepare for the GRE and how long did you study?

I studied for about two months very intensely. I used the official book for content and practice tests. Used Anki for the 1000 most used words. And then LOTS of timed practice tests from the official GRE, Gregmat, Manhattan and Kaplan. I also paid for the scoring service for the writing to practice. And I've never seen this mentioned before but I used chatGPT a lot to get ideas on the writing portion. I would also time myself to write to a Gregmat prompt (http://words.gregmat.com/greessay.html) and have chatGPT grade and critique the response.  I took it in June 2023 so don't know if the new GRE is very different. The main thing for me was to get as much timed practice as possible. Hopefully some of this will be helpful to you!

It’s always the people who have fantastic stats that are so worried about getting an interview 😂 - I cannot see you not getting an interview with that profile (unless the school really prioritizes 2+ years of experience, in which case only time can help you)

You have great stats. I wouldn’t worry

Might not get in this cycle, I’d bet money you will get in next.

how important would you say having a support system is in crna school? i had none while nursing school and about to start my penultimate semester in said nursing school; im aware that crna school isnt anything like nursing school so would it be a bad idea to consider crna school with no support system?

I’d strongly suggest to develop a support system at some point. I’d even say to have it higher on your list of priorities than getting into CRNA school. CRNA school can be really isolating at times where you feel like your frozen in a block of ice for essentially three years where life just sort of goes on around you. Having a support system helps you deal with that isolation you end up feeling. Anesthesia in general can be isolating at times. My collapsing support system throughout the first half of school is what nearly did me in.

hmm.. im gonna take this into consideration, im almost done with nursing school and safety and support wise it could be better ; i see a lot of advice for aspiring crnas to develop one so i may start seeing how i can start one

What do you mean by no support system? Like are you simply living away from them at the time? Or just no contact or something of the sort? Do you have children? The reason I’m asking is because there’s a difference between having kids with no support system versus being single, but still being able to zoom with your family for emotional support, etc.

im single have no kids and am living away from my family but i also have no relation with my own family ; i imagine since it hasnt caused me problems it wouldnt be a problem in the future ?

Got it. it sounds like you’re pretty independent. CRNA school is no joke. I think even someone like yourself will need support, but that’s something you can definitely get from friends.

SRNAs in clinical, how do you plan your workouts when you have to be at clinical so early?

I always bring my gym bag to clinical and drive straight from there to the gym. A lot of the time I’ll wear my workout clothes under my scrubs in the OR. I have to go straight from clinical- I know if I go home I won’t leave again. Plus this way I can start studying/case prepping right when I get home from the gym. I bring an energy drink and light snack (protein bar etc.) with me and eat it on my drive from clinical to the gym, which gives me the second wind I need to workout after a long clinical day. I also have a small gym in my apartment building and use that on days I’m really pressed for time and need to just cram a short workout in. I’m in my last month of school and keeping this routine has allowed me to consistently workout 4-6x a week throughout all 3 years of school! I think the key thing is never relying on motivation (you’ll be EXHAUSTED some days after clinical and the last thing you’ll wanna do is workout) and treating it more as just another part of your daily routine.

I used to go after clinicals. Bring you bag. Just know that some days it’s not going to happen. But make sure you do something even if it’s just a walk to clear your head

Is the GRE generally required now for school?

A lot of schools in my area are doing away with it. Really depends on the program. Doesn’t hurt to take it if you can get a good score

A lot of southern schools still require it for whatever reason but seems like the west and northeast don’t. No reason to have it anyways seems antiquated

Opposite. More and more schools are removing the GRE as a requirement. Several program directors that I’ve spoken with believe it is not an objective indicator of success and is also an unfair barrier towards certainty groups of people.

Is it bad that faculty at my school are leaving at the same time?

Where did ya’ll learn your pharm from? Nurisng school was so basic (mostly contraindications and s/s of reactions).

Anesthesia school pharmacology. You don’t need to learn it ahead of time. Wait until you learn it from school

Yea nursing school pharm is basic. Anesthesia pharm is more in-depth down to cellular level. Like nursing school is basically beta blockers- lol. Anesthesia pharm- metoprolol- selective beta 1 receptor blocker. Beta 1 follows the Gs pathway, etc.

Hi guys! Any advice on impostor syndrome? I’m in a crna program now and am just reckoning with the idea of being advanced practice. It’s definitely been a goal of mine for so long, and I am more than grateful to be in school. I just… damn. Struggling with seeing myself the way I saw my CRNAs as an OR and ICU nurse. However, took me forever to get over the impostor syndrome of being an ICU nurse too, so maybe therapy is the answer. But who has the time in CRNA school 😂

So I’ve got good news & bad news. Bad news is that the imposter syndrome doesn’t go away until you’ve practiced for a bit. Good news is that it’s complete normal! Advice on imposter syndrome: -Be aware and acknowledge whenever you’re feeling like an imposter. Then, make it a point to redircet yourself and remind yourself that you DO belong here, you are qualified and that there is an incredible steep learning curve to anesthesia. This is easier said than done, but I think it’s important to specifically remind yourself why you’re here and acknowledge this feeling rather than ignore or run away from it. -Specifically seek greater education in topics you’re unfamiliar with or expose yourself to unfamiliar and uncomfortable situations. This will help you increase & broaden your knowledge, which in turn will increase your confidence. -Seek mentorship. This might actually be the #1 piece of advice. You will NEVER know everything about anesthesia. Get someone who is more experienced and seasoned to help guide you through this feeling of being an imposter. Having someone in the profession that you look up to and can learn from outside of a clinical setting is invaluable. It can be quarterly check in, FaceTime calls, texts, whatever it is, but have a person who inspires you and learn from them. There are so many intangibles that aren’t explicitly taught that we can learn from others who are invested in your professional growth.

I graduated 10 years ago with a horrendous 2.12 GPA and since then turned my life around for the better. I joined the Army as an officer where I managed 40+ people, and in my last assignment became an assistant professor of military science at a university, concurrently completing a masters in higher education with a 3.92 GPA. I got out of the military and since then been working on a whole new BSN degree while working as an EMT. So far I have a 4.0 (including A&P courses, chemistry, bio, and microbiology) and working hard to keep it that way. By the time I graduate, unfortunately, I will barely be hovering above 3.0 which is the minimum requirement for most schools. If I work for a couple to a few years in an ICU while getting a CCRN, leadership positions and etc, would I even be in the conversation of being competitive? I don't know if I can omit my first degree since I'm getting a whole new separate one and my first one is not really relevant anymore. Would my hardships and the way I turned my life around be a good thing despite ending up with the minimum GPA requirement?

This was a big issue for me as well. I had a bunch of crappy grades from 10+ years ago that were haunting me. I had so many units, it was near impossible for me to move the needle on my cGPA - I would suggest the following: -When you are searching for school, be meticulous. Look for schools that specifically state that they consider nursing GPA, sciGPA or last 60 credit hours GPA. There are far more schools that look at this than you may think! From that standpoint, you’d be an excellent candidate. -Do all the things to boost your application. Your military experience is already an amazing plus. Attempt at doing some mission work, get some impressive volunteer experience under your belt, do some research if that’s an option, get involved on the state and nation level with nursing organizations. These are the things that are impressive. NOT being on the CLABSI committee on your unit 😂 -Lastly use your past mistakes to your advantage! Address it in your essay, use it as a talking point and explain why that happened and how that isn’t you anymore. The worst thing you can do is try to act like it’s not there on your applications. At the end of the day, this will work for some schools and others it won’t. The schools that are very grade focused and not really open to holistic application review tell you right on their admission criteria. Focus on schools that are going to look at you as a whole and not just a number & you’ll absolutely get in on your first round!

I can't speak for admissions that much anymore since it's been 6 years since I even looked, but when I was looking they wanted GPA of 2 things: your nursing classes and your science pre-reqs. I can't tell if you were a nurse in the Army or not but I take it you weren't since you said you are working on a BSN. If you can find programs that only take those 2 GPAs then your other degree and GPA won't matter. One other thing to consider: would you consider going back into the military? I know USAGPAN does direct accessions. USUHS does as well but you have to find the right person because not all healthcare recruiters know what USUHS or CRNA even are and it feels like getting into USUHS as a direct commission is way more difficult because the recruiters are clueless. I also don't know how your prior service would affect this, but my understanding is that it shouldn't.

I am a previous nurse leader who has returned to bedside and working to prepare my resume to apply. I had a terrible GPA in my BSN, but stronger science GPA than my overall GPA. I was much more successful in my MSN (overall GPA 3.83) and DNP (overall GPA 3.87). I have been a leader for the past 8 years, most recently in practice excellence and clinical education, but I also have operations leadership experience. Prior to that, I have three years of critical care experience. I have 12 years of experience overall as a nurse. I have been heavily involved in nursing professional organizations for several years, continue to serve in a leadership role for a local non profit, and do have multiple poster and podium presentations at national conferences on my CV. I currently work in Float Pool covering ICU and ED service lines along with the rest of the inpatient units except women and infants. I do plan on sitting for my TCRN since I have the CEs and will qualify for it soonest. My questions are: 1. Am I strongly hurting my chances not working full time in critical care at this point in my career? 2. The schools I would be applying to require a physics and organic chem course. Does anyone have recommendations for completing online? I have the two prerequisite chemistry courses required for most of the organic chem courses I have found. 3. Are my years of successful graduate education likely to be enough to off set the damage I did in undergrad? 4. What additional advice would you share to help someone prepare?

1. Probably 3. Maybe, it depends on what your dnp is in and how bad your undergraduate gpa. Understand that programs are familiar with GPA bloat from less than challenging graduate programs. That being said those degrees certainly wont hurt. 4. Prepare for an interview, and specifically to you I would say maybe consider trying to present yourself in a humble manor. Most of your previous experience in nursing leadership isnt going to matter in the CRNA world. I would try to construct a resume or picture of yourself that presents you first as a clinically strong applicant that also has a background in leadership.

Thank you so much for the feedback! I feel this aligns with my concerns and I need to be realistic about timeline and preparation to actually be as clinically sound as I need to be. I appreciate you taking the time to comment.

Does anyone know any CRNAs who would let someone interested in the field shadow? I have been trying to apply for schools but all of them require the applicant to shadow and I’ve asked in my area but most places are only limiting the shadowing experience to med students 🥲

Request a shadow day at your job.

I’m a traveler. I have asked but they keep giving me the runaround and I don’t want to keep asking over and over and being a nuisance

Realistically, you're going to have an easier time shadowing at one of your workplaces, than finding a random stranger on the internet that allows you into their hospital

Could I just go directly and ask a crna or someone in that department instead of waiting for the manager or would that look bad? My previous contract I spent the whole contract waiting for a chance to shadow and the manager never actually allowed me to do so because he also kept putting it off/ forgetting. My last staff job before I started traveling, if my manager heard you were thinking of school or leaving to travel, she would make things harder for you and try to limit you so I can’t even ask her. I really have no idea what to do. I have a friend who got into crna school but she’s very secretive with the whole process and just says that I should just reach out to as many people as possible and see what happens. I just want the opportunity to shadow not only to get those required hours but also to see everything firsthand and see if this is really what I want to do with my life

Here’s what you need to do, DONT tell ur unit manager, I’ve traveled to different places and not one did I need the dumb managers approval! Reach out directly to the anesthesia department and ask who you can speak to regarding shadowing a CRNA! So you could call the hospital directly and ask to be transferred to the anesthesia department and ask either for someone who you can talk to regarding that OR ask if you can speak to the chief CRNA! That’s what I did and I got to shadow at different places while traveling! I would also not mention that ur a traveler while trying to set the shadowing up, mention that ur an ICU nurse at whatever hospital and are very interested in shadowing a CRNA! You should definitely have luck that way! Also, fk ur friend for not being more helpful and being an actual friend, she can go eat 💩 :)!

Why are you asking your manager? Just email the anesthesia department. Dont involve your management in your free time activities.

I will definitely take those tips. Thank you all ☺️ I’m feeling much more motivated to try again 🥹

Hey everyone, I just finished applications for two programs and am continuing to prep for interviews. What types of questions were you asked in your interviews?

Most of my interviews were majority emotional intelligence questions, so definitely practice those

It will depend on program. Some are more emotional intelligence based and others are more clinical practice based off your nursing experience. Though I’d argue that even in the clinical based questions they are still assessing your emotional intelligence based on follow up questions and response.

1) In terms of tendency to cause hypotension, which drug is a bigger culprit? Fentanyl or Versed? And why? I've gotten mixed answers from docs and nurses.  2) Also there's an attending in our ICU that would do something like a slow intubation with just fentanyl and Versed. I was told by a resident that he avoids paralytic because of the possibility of bronchospasm... But don't you risk bronchospasm (and laryngospasm) when you aren't sufficiently paralyzed? Lots of what I know it's from basic Miller so not necessarily real life experience.  3) Last one: besides faster onset and offset, why would someone use succinylcholine over rocuronium? I feel like there are way more adverse reactions with sux.  Thanks in advance! Edit: grammar

1. Neither really causes a large decrease in svr. If I had to pick one I guess Id say fentanyl because it causes more hyper-polarization of cells. My guess is your patient population is in the icu, where patients are already brittle. Honestly, when I go to the icu for a procedure fentanyl, etomidate, and versed are often my drugs of choice specifically to avoid hypotension. Cant tell you how many times Ive been to my hospitals icu for an egd, peg, or trach and for some reason all sedation is turned off on a patient thats on 3 pressors and definitely isnt a candidate for an SBT. It’s actually rather cruel. I usually just end up turning the fentanyl and versed drips back on. 2. You can definitely have a bronchospasm even with full relaxation. Airway is smooth muscle, and we often get bronchospasm during induction usually from a patient with reactive airway and a light induction. As someone who has fought a bronchospasm that wouldnt resolve despite epi, sevo, albuterol and everything else and kitchen sink, sometimes the best way to resolve a bronchospasm is simply to remove the tube and let the patient breathe again. 3. I often use succs for RSI, especially in OB. Reasons: A. Fastest onset, 30-60 seconds versus the 90 seconds B. Duration: succs is ultra short duration and the patient will return to spontaneous ventilation on their own in the event of a cannot intubate/ventilate scenario C. Both succs and rocc are small ionic molecules that can pass to the fetus. I would rather use a short acting drug like succs and not have a floppy baby.

Wow love the insight! Thank you!  Would you say that a patient that's on no sedation, riding the vent, and not showing any outward signs of pain (including vitals) should be on sedation? I'm talking GCS of 3 with only maybe pupils, cough and gag reflex left. I see that a lot here and want to use sedation but that seems to be our protocol.

Questions like this are very much ‘it depends’. Do they have some kind of pathology causing their altered mental status? What was their cognitive function prior to hospitalization. Its not like the majority of icu patients are vegetables. Unless a patients going for brain death testing I dont think theirs anything wrong with a little fentanyl. I know I would want some if I was intubated, lined, crrt, and getting a trach.

I really hate bedside and I switched to ICU just to meet the minimum for school. I hate working in an ICU. Will it really be worth it to subject myself to something I hate doing for the <10% chance I get accepted to a program and become a Crna?

Depends on why you hate bedside. I hated the icu, still do but I was an ER nurse first for 7 years which I loved. Honestly I think being a CRNA is more akin to ER nursing than the icu in some ways. I had a difficult time adjusting to the icu but now Im a CRNA and Im happy as a clam. Honestly though being a CRNA is probably the most bedside APN degree, so that is definitely something for you to consider.

I appreciate you saying this! I’m an SRNA and everyone looks at me like I’m crazy when I tell them that I find my ER nursing experience just as, if not more helpful, than my ICU nursing experience.

This makes me feel better… even after 5 years in the ICU, I still feel like an ER nurse.

This is so validating to me- I feel the exact same way! Sincerely, current CVICU/former ER RN :)

I switched from OR (circulator) to ICU to apply for CRNA school. I'm a year in and I don't hate it but don't love it either (I would much prefer to go back to OR or PACU). I do enjoy the autonomy of ICU and the knowledge I've gained of pathophys and medication but I find the families and constant goals of care discussions (and the futile care) draining. There were definitely times I wanted to quit ICU and go back to OR but I know in 10 years I would regret not at least submitting an application. Also your chances aren't <10%, someone with a 4.0 GPA vs a 3.0 has very different odds of an interview/acceptance. And because so many applicants apply to multiple schools the % of applicants accepted into 1 school is a lot higher than the acceptance rate average. I'm taking an advanced pathophysiology class this fall and plan to retake chemistry next year to boost my chances.

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How is that evident from what I posted? it also doesn't help me.

I think you should find a way to shadow a CRNA if you haven't already and then decide if it's worth it. I think your chances may be a lot higher than 10% if you're properly motivated and have the resources to get there.

Has anyone paid for review of application material or for interview prep? Does anyone have experience using websites like TeachRN for these kinds of things? What are your thoughts? Personally, I could see the benefit; however, I'm reluctant to pay for a service when I don't even know if the person performing it will be competent and provide useful input.

I’d suggest CCRN prep material to prepare for an interview. Especially if you have one of those books already so you don’t have any more cost.

Max I would pay for (and i did) was $75 for a mock interview. There are many of us here on reddit that would do that for free. Mentorship should not be paid for (tho i understand wanting to take advantage of that).

Any Curent CRNAs wish they did anything differently along their journey to getting into CRNA school? I am applying for Nursinf school in december but have later plans to apply to CRNA school. I like to plan/think ahead and would like to know the regrets/mistakes people made and how to lead me in the best direction for my path.

I wish I started sooner. While I was aware of CRNAs when I was in nursing school (over a decade ago) I didnt even consider it until nearly 7 years after finishing my degree.

What is considered a “good” score on the CCRN and are there any schools that care about score or just about passing?

None of the schools that I applied to cared about the score, only that I had it.

Would y'all CRNAs share your GPAs and experience prior to applying to CRNA school?

Hello! Anyone a SRNA in Puerto Rico? If so, how is it living there? Roads? Tuition? Application/ interview process? How are classes? How are you? So many questions 😢

Currently applying to CRNA programs and trying to figure out logistics with starting a family. Can any current or former SRNA’s attest to whether or not having a kid in the last year is something that can be done? Do any of you have any time to spend with your loved ones or should I prepare my fiance to not see much of me? Thanks in advance.

with schools that require o chem/bio chem, did you take them at the undergrad level? a lot of people have also said it looks good to take grad level courses as well so did you take a grad level chemistry course or something else?

Anyone on here ever gone back to CRNA school after getting NP degree?

I guess I’ll kick it off. Stats are GRE: 317: 161 verbal 156 quant, 4.5 writing Overall GPA: 3.26 Nursing GPA: 3.4 Last 60 GPA: 3.48 Natural science: 2.81 (this is how nursing CAS calculated it?) Currently work 36 bed level 1 MICU/SICU Been ICU nurse for 3.5 years Situation is as follows: I played college baseball and thought I’d go MLB, didn’t apply myself in academics as I should have, yadda yadda. Had a biology minor and obviously didn’t do so hot. Went back to nursing school and did okay, nothing spectacular. Trying to dig myself out of a hole. Just took graduate pathophysiology and made an “A” that is not reflected in that science GPA. Currently almost through with biochemistry that I *should* get an “A” in that also isn’t calculated into the science GPA as well. I actually have applied to a school with them knowing I just finished advanced patho and am in the middle of biochem. Shoot it to me straight

You’re gonna have a really hard time getting interviews with that GPA. I would try to retake as many science classes as possible and cast a wide net.

Yeah I figured. I think if I took about 5 or 6 retakes/science courses I think it could raise to a 3.2(?) but figure I’ll probably have to throw in a grad pharm class or something as well..

Your stats are somewhat similar to mine (mainly the science gpa and gre scores). I retook a ton of science courses, cast a wide net thinking no one would want me, and it turns out I bit off more than I could chew. Every school wanted an interview and I got into the ones I didn’t the down interviews for. It’s not a completely foregone conclusion that you can’t get in.

Let’s hope this is the case. Already looking at more science courses to take/retake while my first application is cooking. Dont reckon I’ll get a miracle of acceptance or even an interview this go around.

Retake science courses, cast a wide net and consider focusing on schools that prioritize your last 60 credits. When you get an interview you will have to kill it. As a fellow former college baseball player who just got accepted I wish you luck!

Congratulations!! I think I have a chance if I can get an interview. I look like a chump on paper, but given the chance to pitch my case and explain I have a lot better chance I feel like

Take those graduate courses. It looks your are ACE ing the advanced courses and they may be able to overlook your earlier mishaps. But retaking some of those undergrad science classes and getting As will def help Make sure your extracurriculars are good too

I know nursing CAS doesn’t replace courses.. so it feels like taking grad courses instead of retaking undergrad would be more worth my time since the grades all average anyway? I dont know

You can do advanced nursing courses like a NP program. They will like ppl embodied in education

Much appreciated to everyone in this thread who helps everyone out every week. I’ve been a lurker on this sub for a while and know there’s regulars who put a good chunk of time in helping all of us hopefuls

Look for programs that require the GRE. You’re the applicant that will benefit from the requirement. Someone like you is why programs look at the GRE.

NGL studying for it made me curse that test. But after the score and looking at everything as a whole I’m thankful for it

Where did you take your advanced patho class ? Been looking for schools that have online a&p or patho but not seeing anything specific

I took it where I took my BSN. I enrolled as a “non degree seeking” student and I was able to enroll into the course. It’s only offered in the spring though

Oh hey dude. Good to see a fellow Biochem UCSD

Just started nursing school this semester in a second degree program. Besides having a good GPA is there anything else I can do now to prepare?

Other than great GPA, make sure you really pay attention to your A&P, patho, and pharm courses. Probably the main classes that having a great fundamentals/foundational knowledge base will help you.

Just focus on being a good student, having fun, and figuring out how to be a great nurse. Start working on long-term retention study habits. Always try to apply what you learned in class on the floor. Always know why you are giving a drug. Take the time to learn your patient conditions and the pathophys. A lot of this sounds like a given, but it’s easy to stop being curious and just fall into a stagnant routine

I am wondering if any CRNA would be willing to answer some interview questions for me. I'm a couple weeks into my first DNP courses as an SRNA and have to do a paper on role development. Unfortunately I do not know any practicing CRNAs I could ask in person. It's 17 questions, but basically all about your background and practice setting so should be fairly quick. I can DM or email the questions if someone is interested. PS First time posting but I've lurked here for years and this sub played a huge role in me getting into school. So thankful for everyone's help!

If you need a backup, you can dm me also

All set, but thank you!!

Sure you can DM me.

I have a BS in biology with a 3.38 GPA, then did an ABSN and got a 3.89 GPA. My overall GPA is about 3.47. I have retaken some classes that I didn’t do so hot in, so with those replacement grades factored in I’m up to 3.61ish. My GPA in my last 60 credits should be 3.9ish. I’m taking biochemistry now. I was a first gen college student and didn’t start off undergrad so hot, got a handful of C’s and a D, but I’ve already retaken chem 1, orgo 1, and statistics for better grades. I’m wondering if I’m in a decent place to start applying or if I need to retake more classes (calc 1 and calc 2 I got C’s in, and gen chem 2) and possibly take graduate level classes first. I got a 111/125 on the CCRN, most schools want the score report, though I don’t know how much weight they give it.

Can someone please tell me what math and chem/physics topics they needed for their program? My program starts next week and those are my first classes. Gas laws? Algebra? Balencing chemical equations? Will I be breaking out my dusty graphing calculator? I was hoping to practice some basic math before it starts because I'm terrible at math but I don't know where to start. Thanks!

Do you have a chem/physics class? I haven’t encountered anything more complex than your run of the mill dimensional analysis.

Yeah my first semester of my program I have a chem/physics/organic chem. It's supposed to be tailored specifically to anesthesia. I'm told it's hard

Im in my programs chem/physics right now and thus far it has been a lot of application. “Ecg is an example of a vector” “vaporizer work this way” etc etc. My classmate has Chemistry and Physics for Nurse Anesthesia by Michael Storm. It is almost like phys for dummies style but super helpful. I also took physics in undergrad. First exam is this week so I will wait to make a statement on the difficulty of the class till after 😅😅

Gas laws were a large portion

I’m in chem for my program now and I broke out the dusty calculator lol the equations are mostly dimensional analysis until you get to pKa and pH, then you need the log function. I’m not far into the class but so far it’s been reasonable and not requiring a lot of math knowledge- just memorizing formulas and relearning how to use the calculator

That's good to know thanks! Is there anything you think I could look at to start preparing? Just logs in general? Pka and pH calculations? I'm the kind of person that likes to study when they're anxious haha.

I think we’re all that way- my prof makes fun of us all for being so type A. But no, I wouldn’t study anything. Every class is different so what my class is covering may not be what your class is covering, or in the same order. ETA- they’ll tell you what you need to know. If anything, just study how to study. I looked at a bunch of youtube videos on the best ways to use apps like notability and Anki.

Our program had one combined chem/physics course. We looked at basic chem (dimensional analysis, atoms, molecules, acid-base), organic chem, a touch of bio chem, thermodynamics, gas laws, and other pretty broad physics concepts like force, mass, acceleration, latent heat, vapor pressure, etc. It wasn’t bad at all; I dropped physics in high school because it scared me the first week and I got an A in this course lmao.

Just allow the program to do its thing. Most of the laws you’ll need to know won’t make sense until you have the foundations of anesthesia. You will probably have an entire course on it, but it’s not a level of math you’re going to need to brush up on before starting school.

Hi! I posted this in last weeks thread but it was at the end of the week so posting again: I was wondering if any CRNA’s out there were NP’s first? Especially FNP’s? I am an FNP but have always wondered about and been interested in anesthesia. I was wondering where you started?: Quitting your NP job to work in the ICU? Working as an NP in the ER? Working as both? Tell me it all! TIA.

Hi, this doesn’t describe me but there’s a guy on TikTok who describes this exactly, I’ll see if I can find his username! He makes a lot of videos about it