Hi guys, I wanted to discuss a bit about the qualifications I had prior to applying to CRNA school that helped me get in. These aren't set in stone and may differ based on school requirement and obviously no guarantees but something that I noticed helped me.
School: Honestly, I was only a B Student in nursing school and my GPA wasn't the greatest (considering the fact the first class I ever had to retake in my whole schooling... OB). I started my BSN six months after school and worked hard to improve my grades. Luckily my GPA improved tremendously, which then I could use to promote myself during the interview.
Work: My work experience wasn't full of versatility (as I was repeatedly told I needed to help me get in). So, I worked hard to get a broader experience. My confidence on this section was low as the job I was hoping to get the experience from didn't start until 1 week prior to my interview. Another luck factor, I think, as I could tell them that I am focused towards making myself a better candidate for admission. So, my total work experience, 1.5 years. F.Y.I when I talked to the students currently in the program, most of them had only one year ICU experience ( only based on one school though, that's their minimum requirement). I only have med-surg ICU experience but having cardiac experience is considered better.
Certification: The third thing I did was to work towards getting my CCRN certification. Again, got that six days before the interview... I wouldn't suggest doing that, HIGHLY stressful if you do it so close to your interview. It may not be required but definitely looks good on your resume. I think if you have strong application and add things like CCRN when you are in the interview, it boosts you up greatly.
Let me know if you have any more questions. Hope it helps. :)
11 comments :
what classes did you take to boost your GPA?
I didn't take any classes for that specific purpose but BSN courses helped my GPA greatly.
I'm currently a sophomore at Valdosta State. Right now my gpa is a 3.27, I still have 31 more hours before i even get into the actual nursing program. So needless to say that leaves plenty of room to get my gpa even higher. I am a little concerned because I'm retaking anatomy and physiology I, my first semester I had a horrible teacher. Do you think that if I make an A this time, I could still be competitive for a spot in a crna program? The first time around I made a D, but I am going to try my hardest for an A this time. I want to succeed so badly! I don't want to just get thrown out over a mistake of taking a bad teacher and not knowing how to deal with it do to it being my first semester. I'm doing a lot better, had an A in chemistry last semester, even made the Dean's List. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!:) i love your blog!
-Ashley
Thanks for reading my blog. I think you will be fine! Just work hard through nursing school and try to bring your GPA up. I was in a similar situation kept working hard. It does pay off! Let me know if you need any help! Good luck!
I don't think it's hurts or helps. Anesthesia is a totally different field and if you learn it well, you wouldn't hopefully need to use what you learned in ICU. It however, may help you get into the program.
Sorry didn't mean to delete your comment
Thanks for the info and added confidence; it's exactly what I needed to hear!
Thank you for your page! Love your blog! I was wondering what type of extra job experience anesthesia school was looking for/interested in when you applied. What was the job you had a week before your interview with the school? I have a year of step down open heart experience and 2 months into the open heart ICU. If I were to apply for a part-time or PRN position, which type of job would you recommend?
All schools are a little different in their experience requirements. Mine was ok with ICU, and flight nurses. I was in a medical surgical ICU before the interview. I recommend being in ICU for at least a year, some require even 2 years. Good luck with your journey!
I am Happy To read your blog and its very useful for me.
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