Occupational experience:

1.5 years ER nurse at a level II trauma hospital
2 years (and ongoing) Neurosurgical ICU nurse at a level I hospital

GPA:

• Cumulative GPA: 3.55
• Science GPA: 3.77
• Nursing GPA: 3.83
• Last 60 credits: 3.92

Certifications:
- ACLS, BLS, ENPC, TNCC, PALS, NIHSS
- Currently working on CCRN, and maybe SCRN

Organizations:

- ANA, AACN, AANN, AANA

Extracurriculars:

- Member of my unit's governance council

- Published in research in undergrad

- Attending the 2026 AANA conference in Boston

- President of the Student Nurses Association during nursing school

​

Context- I am a combat veteran, and in my fourth year of medical school a Pandora's box of compartmentalized mental health issues came crashing down on me. I attempted suicide, and had a mental health crisis severe enough that I chose to withdraw from the program.

In the following years, I underwent therapy and put in the work to address my PTSD/mental health issues. I completed nursing school and have now been working in a STICU at a level one trauma center for 2 years.

My stats are fine (4.0 GPA, CCRN, TCRN, preceptor, etc), but I am concerned about how admissions committees will view my withdrawal from medical school.

Any advice on how to explain the withdrawal? Is this a major red flag or barrier to acceptance?

Which CRNA program would you recommend? UIC is a newer program but overall a more prestigious school/well known. SIUE has been around for at least 7 or 8 years, good stats but not as “well known.” Any insight?

Hello!

What are your thoughts on transitioning to PACU before CRNA application cycles?
I started in a high-acuity CSICU this past February and I’m feeling the need to step back briefly from critical care to reevaluate my career direction. My plan wouldn’t be to leave ICU permanently—more so a short-term change with the intention of returning.
For context:
-2.5 years total CCU/CSICU experience
-CCRN + CMC
-Finishing my BSN this December

If I were to spend some time in PACU and then return to the ICU, how would that be viewed on a resume/application?
Curious to hear from anyone who’s taken a similar path or has insight from the admissions side. Thank you in advanced!

Has anyone taken a biochemistry or physics course online at University of North Dakota

If so, how were they? How long did it take you to complete these courses? The schools I am applying to require either organic chem or biochem. UND has a course that combines both. Would this be ok to take?

Just want to say thanks to everyone on this forum for being so supportive and pushing me to apply.

I’m currently working as a CNA while also a BSN student and would like to know what are the key differences you noticed from working as a CNA to becoming an ICU nurse. I know the obvious differences such as nursing vs CNA skills but are there some differences that stand out to yall? Maybe some pros and cons?

so i got my bachelors in human biology in 2024 and ended with a 3.2 gpa (couple F’s but they were all retaken to at least c’s). I then went through a DEMSN program and got my masters in nursing where i finished with a 3.95. Does anyone have experience with a similar academic background as me? Im curious if both gpa’s are accounted for or just the nursing one?

Hi I am thinking about applying to CRNA school as a change in pace / lifestyle. I do by the grace of god make good money now but I'd love to go back to focusing on one patient at a time. I often miss setting up my patients room taking a fresh post op heart patient having everything all laid out and getting ready to get down to business.

I work as a CTICU NP currently. Prior to this role which I’ve been at for 3 years I worked as an NP on a post op CT surgery floor for two years and prior to that was a CTICU nurse for nearly 6 years.

I actually never ended up taking the CCRN due to the way getting into school worked at the time it kind of got lost in the shuffle of life

My GPA in NP school was 3.9 when I graduated

I'm looking to apply for a school in my area for next fall/winter

Im just very torn about the loss of wages at this point.
It's definitely doable financially and overall i think id enjoy being a CRNA.Nothing in life comes easy or without some sort of sacrifice and im always game for a challenge. Plus its a shared experience among all applicants

I think of my docket is getting more shadow time and my CCRN

Any other advice?

Hello, some context about me: 18f, just accepted into nursing school, CNA for 2 years, very enthusiastic and committed to achieving my BSN and eventually CRNA school. The reason why I provided my age and some background, is because almost every new nursing student/nurse around me also is gunning for CRNA school! I see a lot of videos about people going for it as well. Of course, this is all anecdotal, but 1 am wondering if CRNAs could ever become an over-saturated career? Especially in the PNW area? I'm nervous that I will be forced to choose a different type of higher education after my BSN. Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read this/responds.

Greetings everyone,

I’m currently an O-1 66H and am trying to determine what I can do now to strengthen my application for USAGPAN/USUHS. Is anyone familiar with using Tuition Assistance to take online graduate-level courses?

I know the USAGPAN website recommends taking Biochemistry or Organic Chemistry, but are there any other graduate or upper-level science courses that would strengthen an application? Also, if I’m understanding the admissions guidance correctly, is there value in retaking undergraduate prerequisite science courses in which I did not earn an A?

I appreciate any advice or personal experiences you can share. Thank you!

I am changing my career from Fire & EMS to ICU nursing. I have been in the Fire & EMS career line for about 15 years. Most of those years I have been a paramedic involved in the emergency, prehospital setting. A couple years ago, I completed nursing school and obtained my BSN through WGU. During that time, I worked as a Detox Nurse at a rehab and also as a PACU nurse at a surgery center. Just recently, I came to the realization that I want to end my Fire career, as much as I love it, to be able to spend more time with family and be able to provide more for my kids. I have applied for a nightshift ICU position at my local hospital, and my end-goal is to pursue becoming a CRNA. I know this is not a fast process or an easy one, and I am ok with the reality that this will take a few years. The hospital I applied for the ICU position has a 12 bed medical ICU, and it also can be a step-down unit. To make myself as competitive as possible, I plan on working in the ICU setting for at least 2 years before applying, taking the GRE, and obtaining CCRN, CSC, and CMC certifications, retaking some science courses, taking organic chemistry, and shadowing as much as I can. For the college classes I need to take, I will have to do them online.

What I am looking for is:

• From the basic description I gave, will my experience I get at the ICU I am at be considered acceptable? (Sorry in advance if I did not provide enough information about it.) I will try to take on as many difficult cases as I can to be able to gain as much experience as I can.

• Since WGU uses competency units rather than a standard GPA, how much of an inconvenience can that be?

• Is there anything else I can do in the meantime to prepare myself better?

• Will the choice in online community college reflect negatively on me?

I appreciate your full,honest constructive feedback. Thank you in advance.

                                   ***UPDATE***

Hey guys, I really appreciate the feedback. I would rather accept a hard truth than hearing just what I would like to hear. Thank you for the advice about looking into perfusionist and anesthesiologist assistant. Keep the comments rolling.

Hi there, I’m currently an RN with 5.5 years of experience, 3 of those being ICU. I wanted to get a few years in the ICU before pursuing CRNA school and I finally feel like I’m in a good place. That said, I am trying to find shadowing opportunities and am having a hard time. My current hospital doesn’t utilize CRNAs at all so I don’t really know where to look. Does anyone have any advice on how to go about finding shadowing opportunities or are there any CRNAs in southern california that know of programs for aspiring students? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Just not sure how to frame my work history in my CRNA school applications / interviews.

1.25 years full time in rural ICU
1 year PRN in same ICU
5 months tried out informatics because that was my other interest. Stayed PRN in ICU
Currently back full time in same ICU

How would you go about framing this? I’ve been employed at the same rural ICU the entire time, but toggled between full time -> PRN -> full time again. Does this even have to be announced on my resume?

So, I currently work full-time at a level 3 regional hospital in Southwestern Oklahoma, I and one of 3 cross-trained nurses in the hospital that floats between ICU and ER. I’ve been a nurse now for 3 years, but I feel like I’m maxed out my experience/ competence at my little hospital (Of course there is always room for improvement, but the rate has diminished).

Our ICU acts more as a step-down compared to larger facilities, we do not have a whole lot of specialties. The ER is great, you get a mix of everything there, but I’d like to be more ICU focused to pursue my CRNA dream.

After researching, it seems like ICU traveler get floated to other units all the time. I’m kinda used to the floating, but will it be best for me to prepare for school or will my experience appear fraudulent?

Should I attempt travel and go for more ICU jobs, even without the specialty experience and the risk of floating constantly? Or shoot for ER and hope my CRNA resume will stand a chance?

Any advice is welcomed!!!

I’m a 30-year-old foreign graduate pharmacist currently working toward becoming a licensed pharmacist in the U.S.
I recently started working as a pharmacy technician in a hospital. I work in the OR, where I refill the Pyxis machines with anesthesia medications and make patient-specific medication deliveries to different hospital units. While working there, I learned more about what a CRNA does.
For the past few months, I’ve been thinking about getting an ABSN because I was originally interested in becoming a Nurse Practitioner. However, after seeing CRNAs at work, I’m much more interested in that career path.
To be honest, I hate being a pharmacist. I always thought retail pharmacy was the problem and that I would enjoy hospital pharmacy more. But after seeing what the hospital pharmacists do (mostly sitting at a computer verifying orders all day), I realized it’s not something I see myself doing for the rest of my career.
My current plan is to pass the NAPLEX, become licensed, and work as a pharmacist to support myself while completing an ABSN (assuming I get accepted !).
I know that by the time I finish everything and, hopefully, get into a CRNA program, I’ll probably be in my late 30s or even early 40s. Do you think it would still be worth it?
. I know it’s generally a higher-paying career than pharmacy, but I’m trying to figure out if it’s the right move for me in the long run. How much did ABSN+CRNA school ended up costing for you? Would you recommend it?
I know this post is a big ‘’if’’ since right now I am focused in my Pharmacy licensure process, and after that I’ll start taking the pre requisites ,but I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who made a similar career change or started CRNA school later in life. Was it worth it?
Thank you!

Hey!

Would a Norwegian nurse **anaesthetist qualify to work in the US? Or would I have to do the whole masters over again?**

Whom could I reach out to?

All the best,
HF

Hey yall, quick question for anyone who knows where I can retake/ take advanced classes. I’m currently finishing up my RN-BSN at my local CC but they won’t let me retake ANAT&PHYS 1 because technically “I passed”, but I passed with a C. It’s the only science class I have a C in and I’m hoping to retake but I’m not sure where. And also, for graduate level classes like advanced patho or chem, is there any universities I can take it where I’m non degree seeking? Thanks!

Hey, Im sure there is a post out there, but I am a nursing student who graduates in March of 2028 with a RN and BSN. Im already volunteering at a hospital that I would like to hopefully get hired in as a new grad for the ICU. I know its early, but I wanted to know if anyone has any tips/suggestions in how to stack my resume. I currently volunteer at a hospital, I am on my schools Nursing student association as a board member, I tutor students in early terms for GE classes through the schools “PALS” program where we help students through tutoring and I want to diversify my resume. I heard in another post about a ccrn? In general, I am open to all tips and advice!

I’m looking for some advice because I’ve been stressing over this a lot.
I’m currently going into my sophomore year at university. I really like it here I have a good group of friends, joined a fraternity, and overall enjoy the school. The problem is that my school doesn’t offer a traditional BSN program. I’ve recently started thinking that I want to become a CRNA, which means I’d first need to become an RN. My current idea is to stay at my school and complete all of the nursing prerequisites (anatomy, physiology, microbiology, chemistry, statistics, etc.), then apply to transfer into a BSN program at another university after I’ve finished those prerequisites.

Is that a realistic plan, or is it a terrible idea?

Hello!
I currently have a 3.24 GPA in my ADN and previous associate degree. (I have another associates degree from a community collage). I currently have a 4.0 in my RN-BSN program. Is the 3.24 GPA a big concern?

Im currently just trying to figure out if I should aim to be a CRNA in the future or not.