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Response to Should I do CNA before BSN Program/Lena Gould, CRNA, MSN

Hello

I commend you on your strong desire to become a CRNA and change your profession. I too, did the same. I was an Auditor for a Big Six Accounting and
Auditing International Firm in New York City. I worked for almost a year then decided to attend Nursing School. I applied to three Nursing Schools and chose
the Associate Degree in Nursing. I did not enroll into a formal CNA program prior to entry into nursing school. I placed on my application how I was the primary caregiver of my mother who was hospitalized on numerous occassions post-operatively. Last year, I stepped down as the Chief Nurse Anesthetist at my facility and work at the hospital and endoscopy center as a CRNA.

Your academic record is stellar. Please start taking anatomy and physiology and or general chemistry this fall semester. You will probably have to take a pre-nursing entry exam for the school. If the nursing school has an open house, register and attend to find out more information and deadlines. In the spring, take
the second half of anatomy and physioogy and or child psychology. All of these courses are prerequisites for the nursing program, regardless if it is a BSN or ADN Program.

I am the Founder of the Diversity in Nurse Anesthesia Mentorship Program. We will offer the Diversity Information Session Luncheon on October 10th (Saturday) in Miami. You will meet four Nurse Anesthesia Program Directors in Florida who will share the panel with myself, minority Nurse Anesthesia Students and CRNAs. You will find out about the admission and selection process, rigors of the program, balancing finances and family, clinical and didactic courses and Board preparation. There will be ICU Nurses and Nursing Students from across the county who will be in attendance. Please visit my website, www.diversitycrna.org
to view pictures from previous Diversity Information Session Luncheons this year. If you prefer, email me at crna4u@comcast.net.

Take Care Lena
Wallena Gould, CRNA,MSN
Founde, Diversity in Nurse Anesthesia Mentorship Program
www.diversitycrna.org