Becoming a CRNA was my career goal that I've had since I began nursing school. I graduated with my fingers crossed, hoping I'd get hired in a CVICU and I did! From there I had my goal in mind, and pressed on. It was wonderful making money, only working 3 days a week, but I wanted more out of my career and my life so it was essential that I made my dream a reality. Getting into CRNA school wasn't easy, however it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. For those already in critical care, here's what I did to get accepted into CRNA school.

1. Shadow

I cannot stress this enough.  Although being a CRNA may sound great, it's definitely not for everyone.  I'm a firm believer in doing things that you love and not for the money.  While the paycheck will be fabulous, I can't imagine waking up every morning doing something I hate, just to have a more cushioned lifestyle.  

It's important that you shadow, and shadow enough to see if it's a great career fit or not.  I shadowed about 20-30 hours before I even applied to school to make sure this career was actually for me.  Some people think that it's boring, the OR is too cold, and they need more excitement.  Myself, on the other hand, loved the adrenaline rush I felt while I was merely watching a difficult intubation.

I shadowed CRNAs in labor and delivery, outpatient, and general surgery. It is good to get a diverse look at the career, as different areas have different roles for the CRNAs and some are definitely more interesting than others.  It is also important to keep in mind how the practice is set up.  Some places have a Physician Anesthesiologist available for induction, while at other facilities there’s no Physician Anesthesiologist at all. CRNAs may not even be employed by the hospital but by the Anesthesiologist, Surgeon or Anesthesia Group.  Ask those questions when you shadow and don't assume the structure is the same everywhere you go.

When you finally decide to shadow it is beneficial to brush up on your critical care knowledge. Know your vasopressors/inotropes, basic anesthetics and ventilation management.  I used Bojar's Manual of Perioperative Care in Adult Cardiac Surgery and Duke's Anesthesia Secrets, 5e to prepare for shadowing and for my interview. A good CRNA will quiz you and won't let you sit back and relax the entire time.  

Grab some gloves, get involved, and ASK QUESTIONS (even the "stupid ones").  Some schools require that you get a recommendation from the person you shadowed even if it's only for an 8-hour day.  It's your job to utilize those few hours to make a lasting impression to get a good recommendation.

2. I got my stuff together

I only applied to one school. Yup, just one! I threw all my eggs in one basket but there was a specific reason why. I didn’t want to move away from my family, so I made it my mission to get accepted, or I was going to take up travel nursing.

Here were my stats at the time of application.

*Note: Most schools require a **minimum** of 1 year of critical care experience at the time of application, while others require this to be completed by the time you begin the program. Also, say you're applying May 1st 2019, to begin May 2020, if you have **one** year at the time of application, you'll have **TWO** years of experience by the time you start the program.

~ 1.5 years of nursing experience in the CVICU at a level 1 trauma center

3.8 overall undergraduate GPA

306 GRE (decent, but not a great score. I used MAGOOSH to prepare.)

• Verbal: 149

• Quant: 152

• Writing: 4.5

Recommendation letters from:

• Current Nurse Manager

• Assistant Dean of my Nursing School (we were basically BFFs )

• CRNA that I shadowed and was also a graduate of the school I applied to (brownie points)!

ACLS/BLS

• I did not get PALS because I had to pay for it out-of-pocket and it was not required for admission. *Update, I finally got my PALS a week before clinicals started*

CCRN and CSC

• The CSC is the cardiac surgery subspecialty certification that is offered through the AACN. I wanted to have one more thing that would make me stand out from other applicants and also help me in clinical practice. If you are in a CTICU/CVICU I would highly recommend that you get your CCRN and CSC prior to starting school.

Application Hacks

• A year prior to applying, I logged into the application system and printed out the application so I knew what questions they would ask. Know your license #, expiration dates of your certifications, reference names/numbers, extracurricular activities and skills. I scanned all of my certifications/licenses/transcripts and saved them as .pdf files into a dedicated "CRNA School Application" folder on my computer. This saved me a lot of time when I applied because all I had to do was copy & paste my information into the system. My school had rolling admissions so it was imperative that I got my application in as soon as the application opened.

3. Plan!

Going to CRNA school will take away most of your social life and important time with your family. Be sure to discuss this with your family and or significant other to make sure you have a great support system that will understand. It’s also important to have a solid financial plan PRIOR to applying to school. Most CRNA schools aren’t cheap and it will be very difficult for you to work (although I did). If it’s all loans or not, make sure you don’t put yourself or family into a financial crisis.

My workplace offered tuition assistance so I took 3 classes (Research, Patho & a Scientific writing course) for 70% off. After that, I took a local travel position in addition to working full time so that I could pay off my car & credit cards from college. I didn't want to start CRNA school with any debt, rather than saving up to pay for school itself.

Learn more about my financial fiasco here!

4. INTERVIEW PREP!

Don't wait until you receive an invitation to interview to start preparing.  Once you have your GRE, CCRN and application tackled, it is time to start preparing for your interview. Having the information fresh from your CCRN is extremely helpful, so don't delay.

Here’s more information about the interview process (video and free download)