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CRNA School Essentials: Must-Haves for Success

B

Brice, SRNA

SRNA

· Updated · 3 min read
CRNA School Essentials: Must-Haves for Success

Hey CRNA Club gang! Brice here with some must-haves for CRNA school success before starting CRNA school. A little bit about me, I’m a second semester SRNA. Our program starts clinical in our 3rd semester, so I’ll have to update this list when that happens. As for studying and preparation in general, I got you! I’m breaking this list down into two parts: mental and physical! Let’s dive in!

Quick Answer To succeed in CRNA school, focus on mental resilience and essential tech tools. The CRNA Club suggests having a strong personal "why" and reliable devices like a good computer and iPad. These essentials can make your journey smoother and more manageable.

How Should You Prepare Mentally and Physically for CRNA School? Okay fam, as you know, CRNA school is no joke. Even your first semester can be overwhelming if you don’t come in mentally prepared.

Must have is your WHY. We always talk about how important it is to have resilience, grit, and determination when applying to school as well as during. This could not be truer. 3 years seems quick in the grand scheme of life, but it’s a good bit of time.

There will be times throughout the program when you’re burned out, just exhausted, and you won’t want to continue. This is where that WHY comes into play. Superficial reasons why you want to become a CRNA won’t carry you through the rigor of school, so establish (even write down somewhere that you can see every day!) WHY you want to be a CRNA.

Refer to this as often as you can to remind yourself why you wanted to do this when times get tough. Explore CRNA programs.

What Are the Key Mental Must-Haves for SRNAs to Succeed? Know Your ‘Why’. Reflect on your personal motivations and write them down. Plan your application timeline.

What Are the Essential Physical Tools and Materials Needed for CRNA School Success? Materials wise, there are so many things but we’ll stick to the essentials! Maybe , but a good computer is #1 on the list.

You’re going to be writing lots of papers (including the BIG one for your DNP/DNAP) so you need a good, reliable place to draft and work on assignments like that. For me personally, an iPad is also high on the list! Go ahead and get a smart pencil to pair with it, I know, you’re like, “wow that’s a lot of expensive tech,” but trust me it’s worth it.

The notability app for your iPad is a Big deal. You can literally write notes on PowerPoints (there will be many) and review them as often as you wish. Even in my first semester, this was bread and butter for me.

Another app you need on all of your devices is Anki (or quizlet, though I find Anki to be superior). Anki is a timed repetition app that assists with learning in flashcard style but the application itself determines how often a flashcard will appear based on performance and retention of the information. Understand DNP vs DNAP. Compare CRNA schools.

Why Is It Important to Embrace the CRNA School Journey and Its Essentials? Essentials and useful tools for CRNA schools are numerous and I could probably write all day about helpful items and tools to have on hand, but I’ll keep it to this brief list for now! If you have questions, reach out to the team at support@thecrnaclub.com! I’m always happy to discuss anything related to CRNA school. Till next time!

How Can You Stay Connected and Explore Our Resources at The CRNA Club? Ready for more tips on how to get into CRNA school? Check out our community here!

Our Final Thoughts Starting CRNA school is a challenging yet incredibly rewarding journey. By focusing on your mental resilience and equipping yourself with the right tools, you’ll set yourself up for success. Remember, your “why” is your anchor. hold on tight to it and use resources like The CRNA Club to work through this adventure confidently.

Frequently Asked Questions

What mental preparation do I need before starting CRNA school to avoid burnout?

The most important mental preparation for CRNA school is establishing your personal 'why' for becoming a CRNA. The CRNA Club emphasizes that superficial reasons won't carry you through the demanding program. Write down your motivations somewhere visible and refer to them daily during challenging times. CRNA school spans an average of 36 months, and there will be moments of exhaustion and burnout when you question continuing. Your clearly defined purpose becomes your anchor during these difficult periods, providing the resilience and determination needed to push through the rigorous academic demands.

Do I really need an iPad and Apple Pencil for CRNA school or can I just use my laptop?

While a good computer is essential for writing papers and your DNP project, an iPad with Apple Pencil significantly enhances your study effectiveness. The combination allows you to annotate PowerPoint presentations directly using apps like Notability. This becomes invaluable since CRNA programs involve numerous PowerPoint lectures that require active note-taking and review. The ability to write directly on slides and access them anywhere makes the iPad investment worthwhile for most students, even though the upfront tech costs seem substantial.

What's the difference between Anki and Quizlet for CRNA school studying?

Anki uses spaced repetition, meaning it automatically adjusts how often each flashcard reappears based on how well you actually recall it, showing you difficult concepts more often and spacing out the ones you've mastered. Quizlet is simpler and doesn't do that by default. Our writer's personal take, having used both in school, is that Anki wins for the sheer volume of material in a CRNA curriculum, but plenty of students do fine with Quizlet. Install Anki on all your devices to maintain consistent study sessions regardless of location.

How challenging is CRNA school compared to nursing school, and what should I expect?

CRNA school presents significantly more rigor than typical nursing programs. Even first semester can feel overwhelming without proper mental preparation and study strategies. The academic intensity spans approximately 36 months and includes extensive coursework leading to either a DNP or DNAP degree. According to current students, the workload includes numerous research papers, complex PowerPoint lectures, and demanding clinical rotations. Success requires both mental resilience and effective study tools to manage the substantial information load throughout the program duration.

What are the most important physical tools I need to succeed in CRNA school?

A reliable computer tops the essential tools list since you'll write extensive papers including your major DNP or DNAP project. An iPad with Apple Pencil ranks second for annotating the numerous PowerPoint presentations you'll encounter. Beyond hardware, download Notability for note-taking on presentations and Anki for spaced repetition flashcards that adapt to your learning patterns. These tools work together to handle the intensive academic workload effectively. The CRNA Club recommends investing in quality tech upfront rather than struggling with inadequate equipment throughout your program.

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Key Features of CRNA Programs that I Wish I Knew When I Was Applying

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The way a school looks on paper can be far from your in-person experience. I always advise people to speak to local students, nurses, even CRNAs, of their perceptions of the program and students currently attend. A school could look amazing through the website and even through their national rankings and people could have not so favorable experiences with them in real life. Word of mouth, of course, has to always be taken with a grain of salt but fielding firsthand experiences of a program can prove to be invaluable. Speaking to current students could give you more insight into what a program is like outside of just the numbers which are often not influenced by student experience. 1. Student Expectations & Support The capacity of a school and class numbers relative to faculty are important to consider. Is there mentorship between classes available? I’ve found that some of the best advice about making it through my specific program has come from upperclassmen. They have insight specific to a professor or class that you can not find on social media. Mastering the knowledge is one thing but also performing well is another that is better suited with a more direct counsel. Do students have advisors available or how are student concerns addressed? These are questions that you may want to ask to figure out the kind of support you will have through school from faculty. Programs will expect you to know what supports you have outside of school whether that be it family or friends but knowing the academic support you have is another thing. 2. Consider the Academic Calendar This is something I wish I would have considered early on. Is your program on a quarter, trimester, or semester system? How many classes do students take per academic block? Considering the amount of work, you’ll need to juggle is important and will impact your day to day scheduling in school. Taking 5 classes on a quarter system is much different than 5 classes on a semester schedule. It’s worth understanding this before committing to a program at least to anticipate what will be asked of you. Understanding the academic calendar and whether there are any breaks built in will also help you plan your time to rest and recharge. As you become a SRNA so much of your life becomes revolved around school, so any insight to plan your non-school related activities beforehand, the better! 3. Type & Quality of Clinical Placements How are clinical placements decided? What kinds of practice models are at these sites? How far do students on average travel for clinical? Commuting to clinical will become a huge part of your life once you start clinical rotations. Seeing as students are the first to arrive and last to leave, understanding how these placements are made could largely impact your experience to come. Our school tracks the number of miles we must commute and on our next rotation we get to travel closer to home. Also considering that the financial aspect of moving for clinical or commuting is often the sole responsibility of the student this could add another expense to your already sinking funds. Important to consider, to some people that matters more than to others, you just don’t want to be blindsided by the cost when the time comes. Are they mostly large academic centers or is there room for seeing CRNA independent practice? When it comes to the clinical portion of school this is building the foundation for your career. Not only are these learning opportunities, but as you get more familiar with sites, you’ll learn that the anesthesia culture varies per location and practice model. If your training only exposes, you to one practice model it will be hard to have the foundation to be a versatile CRNA once you graduate. The goal of anesthesia training is to give you enough exposure so you can learn where you’d like to work once you graduate. To build that self-concept adequate exposure to all varieties of cases, practice models and healthcare settings is needed. As a nurse anesthesia resident, you are constantly challenged and fully expected to rise to the opportunity. When you’re interviewing for schools, they are trying to sell you an education as well as you are trying to decide what is the right fit. To come to that conclusion, it is important to consider all things and be able to make a sound and educated decision. You would never want to regret such a large investment in your future. Knowing and being able to map out some of the unknowns of school will also help to ease your anxiety and make sure you have the right fit school for you. Good luck out there!

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