How do I get into CRNA school?
Everyone person that wants to get into CRNA school has different work experience. This is why it is so important to figure out which requirements you will to specifically focus on first. For example someone may just be starting nursing school, and they will need to focus on completely different things compared to someone who has 5 years of ICU experience under their belt. If you are still in nursing school I recommend working hard to keep that GPA above a 3.5. This will ensure that your application will be competitive.
CRNA School Admissions: The Cold Hard Facts
You should also get involved with several extracurricular activities. CRNA schools really like applicants that are well rounded and have good social skills. Another thing to consider is looking for a list of organizations that you can join through the school or nursing program. If you are currently a nurse, but not working in the critical care setting your main focus at this time is finding a position in ICU. Nurses employed at a hospital can go by Human Resources, and ask what ICU positions are currently available. They will be able to answer any questions you may have about the process of applying and what paperwork will be needed.
“I had offers from 3 top CRNA schools, Minneapolis School of Anesthesia, Samford University, and Webster University. I am 100% certain that this eBook was what made the difference.” (W. Collins RRNA)
Nurses that want to get into CRNA school that working full time in ICU have a much easier road then those people who are not. The good thing is that you won’t have to worry about gaining the work experience that is specific to the critical care environment. All ICU nurses that are interested in applying to CRNA school should look at the eBook “CRNA School Admissions: The Cold Hard Facts”. It includes a lesson called “Areas to Work.” This chapter will make sure that you are getting experience in the ICU unit with the highest acuity possible.
CRNA School Admissions: The Cold Hard Facts
Learn How to Become a CRNA!
When it comes to critical care SICU, MICU, CCU, etc are not all equal in the eyes of the nurse anesthesia program’s admission committee. In order to have a strong application and get into CRNA school you must be working day in and day out with ventilators, hemodynamic monitoring, vasoactive drips, and EKG interpretation.
Preparation for applying to CRNA school
In order to have adequate preparation for applying to CRNA school you must have a solid understanding of what the requirements are to apply. All the top nurse anesthetist programs pretty much have the same general requirements. Most schools are very similar and have only a few variations to what they require in order to gain admission into their anesthesia program. All CRNA schools require a BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) and an unencumbered RN license. Pretty much every school wants their applicants to have more than 1 year of ICU experience. The ideal number is 3-5. Certain certifications such as the Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) may also be required. A minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is considered to be the lowest acceptable grade point average by the majority of nurse anesthetist programs.
“I was horrible at interviews. I would get nervous, stumble over my words, and I was positive that it would keep me out of CRNA school. The interview tips in this eBook gave me confidence to make a great impression on the admission committee and ultimately get an offer. I am currently a RRNA at Boston College’s CRNA school. If you aren’t good at interviews I highly recommend this eBook.” (F. Stevenson RRNA)
You will also be asked to job shadow a CRNA at least once. I recommend doing it more than one time, and keep a detailed summary of each time. This will come in handy later on when you are writing your personal essay. While you are getting the required critical care experience make sure that you are forming good friendships with your charge nurse, director, and physicians. Reference letters are required, and they can make all the difference in the world. When it comes time to write your personal essay make sure you pay attention to what the CRNA school wants you to write about. Not all nurse anesthesia programs want the same thing, and it would not be good if you didn’t address the topics they wanted you to. Once your application is sent all you can do now is sit back and wait to be offered an interview.
Preparing for a CRNA school interview is no easy task. I interviewed at Texas Wesleyan University’s CRNA school, and it was 45 minutes of intense clinical based questioning. You will need to study for it the same way you would a test. Here is a great resource that will help you ace the CRNA school interview. The CRNA School Interview: Bonus Pack is a made up of 8 practice tests and study guides that are geared towards helping the applicant ace the anesthesia interview.
CRNA School Interview: Bonus Pack
Over 500 practice questions were collected from actual CRNA school interviews that were held all across the United States. Here is a list of all the topics covered: basic anatomy, cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, pharmacology, renal, endocrine, and advanced med math. You can compare your scores on each test to the “Pretest Scoring Chart” after each test to see how prepared you are for a nurse anesthesia school interview. Each test comes with it’s own study guide that you can refer to for the correct answers and rationals. The study guides are great for studying and cover all the material needed for you to do well at your CRNA school interview. Try taking our a Free CNRA School Interview Practice Test and see how prepared you are currently for the questions that will be asked.
“I agree that this program not only gives the applicant a stellar resume and application, but the tools to develop a strong knowledge base in the areas of hemodynamics, pharmacology, anatomy, physiology, and critical thinking. I highly recommend this program” (T. Sharp CRNA)
How to get admission into CRNA school
Every year thousands of well qualified applicants try to get into CRNA school, and that number continues to go. There are 7 qualified applicants for every 1 position in CRNA School. Now you may be asking yourself, “What do I need to do in order to stand out?” Besides the obvious like having great work experience, a high GPA, extra certifications, and stellar references there are a lot of things that you can do to impress the admission committee. All of our Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists at CRNA Career Pro have been through the tedious application process, so we know exactly what CRNA schools are looking for. We have created a CRNA career guide called, “CRNA School Admissions: The Cold Hard Facts” which is divided into 5 different phases (Analysis Phase, Preparation Phase, Development Phase, Implementation Phase, and Acceptance Phase).
CRNA School Admissions: The Cold Hard Facts
Become a Nurse Anesthetist!
Our program will help you tackle every part of the application process. We make it easy to attain all the important classes, work experience, and certifications, needed to form a professional application that you will feel confident sending to any CRNA school. In addition to that, we will help you to save a lot of time and money. We want to make the application process a truly exciting time in your career. We wish you the best of luck!
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