My Journey from RN to SRNA
Hello to everyone, I’m from the Decatur Alabama area. I currently work in a CCU. I ran across Lena’s info in the minority nurse magazine last year around this time. I send her an email and she has be mentoring me ever since. She was and is my angel, I can recall one time when I called her feeling so inadequate and almost ready to throw in the towel on pursuing my dreams of becoming a CRNA. But lena was very calm, steady and most of all certain that I could and will become a CRNA. Her words of encouragement really resonated with me I actually believed her; because she had become a CRNA against serious odds and she has held the hands of many other minority SRNA’s and saw them actually become CRNA’s. That’s the background. Now I am happy to report that I got into CRNA school and will be starting Jan 2010. HERE IS MY PEARLS OF WISDOM:
*Apply to several schools
*Shadow a CRNA
*Work in a challenging ICU, be a active learner
*Be prepare for technical questions in interviews
Be calm, and most of all be yourself, your best self during the interview, be sure to connect with the interviewers and that way you can best sell your self. Connecting with the interviewers is a great way to leave a lasting impression.
Please feel free to ask any questions you may have?
BROWSE
Featured Content
EMPLOYER
NAME: University of Washington Medical Center LOCATION: Seattle, WA DESCRIPTION:Located in Seattle, University of Washington Medical Center provides comprehensive primary care services and serves as a regional referral and treatment center for specialized medical care. Recognized as the first Magnet* hospital in the U.S., our commitment to nursing excellence has been honored for an unprecedented fourth consecutive time — the only hospital in the world to achieve this — and serves as a testament to our dedication to our staff.
READ MORE READ ALLACADEMIC PROGRAM
SCHOOL: Mercy College of Northwest Ohio DEGREES: Associate Degree DESCRIPTION:St. Elizabeth Campus, Youngstown, Ohio: Now Accepting Applications for Fall 2009!
The Associate Degree Nursing Program at St. Elizabeth is now accepting applications for the Fall 2009 term. We will begin reviewing applications starting in January 2009. Submit your completed application today! Questions? Please email us at stelizabeth@mercycollege.edu or give us a call at (888) 80-MERCY.
READ MORE READ ALLSCHOLARSHIP
SCHOLARSHIP: National American Arab Nurses Association OFFERED BY: NAANA Scholarships DESCRIPTION:Offers various scholarships for current nursing students, practicing nurses, and students interested in pursuing a career in nursing.
Phone: (313) 982-4070
Web site: https://n-aana.org/scholarship/index.asp
Deadline: July 1, but may vary from year to year
Amount: Unspecified
Questions from a hopeful
Sat, 06/13/2009 - 9:51pm — crnahopefulHI,
First off, Congratulations! This is an amazing achievement. I am currently a nursing student pursuing my bachelors degree and I will graduate in July 2010. I was just wondering if you could share some additional advice about what I should be doing now to prepare for Crna school. I was planning on retaking Anatomy and Physiology part 1 and 2 bc I recieved a C in this course. Would you recommend I do this now as an undergrad? Doing so, would force me to become a part time nursing student and graduate in December 2010. Any of your advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
P.S. what school will you be attending?
What BSN students need to consider to get into Nurse anesthesia
Mon, 06/15/2009 - 5:32am — sarvillaHi,
Congratulations on entering nursing school! Concerning what you can do to prepare yourself for CRNA school is really simple. Concentrate on doing well in all of your classes since many CRNA programs look at your overall GPA while others focus on the GPA from the last 60 credits (mainly your nursing classes and your science classes such as A&P's, Micro,Chem,Bio, etc) The thing to note is the requirements are constantly changing, therefore it is best to have a great overall GPA. Concerning repeating the A&P classes now or after completion of nursing school depends of several factors:
* Ask yourself what is the advantage of repeating classes now vs. after you have your BSN.
* Consider that you can start working in an ICU while taking those classes simultaneously.
* Does you BSN program have classes schedule for summer? If they don't you can attempt to complete the A&P classes then.
* There are also A&P classes offered online, but you need to be sure the school is regionally accredited, and that the class has a lab, some schools meet once a week or so to meet that requirement.
Finally, I personally used the step-wise-approach to get into CRNA school, here are my steps:
1. Maintain a high GPA, goal should be A's so if you come short you'll end up with a B. (I KNOW YOU CAN DO THIS)
2. Build relationships with nursing faculty and CRNA's they can help guide you, also you will also need them for references.
3. Get yourself a mentor who will encourage you.
4. After BSN school, work in a dynamic ICU and be an active learner.
5. Start looking at CRNA's and their requirement to determine which ones best meets your needs.
6. Get ACLS and PALS
7. Start applying to nurse anesthesia schools.
If you don’t' remember much of my post remember this:
"Every step is important, so give it your best shot to have great grades, great references, great work experiences, and a great attitude" Some times is okay to focus on one task, while other times you may need to focus on your long term goals, The thing is to have the wisdom to know when you need to focus on short term goals vs. long term goals. PLEASE DON'T FOCUS ON THE C YOU MADE IN A&P!
Undergraduate Student
Mon, 07/06/2009 - 12:23pm — kaitv26Hi,
I'm currently an undergraduate (senior) at a university right now. I'm majoring in Human Biology, and am still indecisive as to what type of health care field I would be interested in. If you don't mind me asking, what are some advantages and disadvantages of pursuing a career in CRNA? Also, how would I began my career as a CRNA or Pediatric Nurse Practioner after I have obtained a Bachelor's degree in science (not specifically a BSN, but just a BS)? Would obtaining the BS in a four year university allow me to accelerate my education in any way?
Thanks!
- Kaitlyn