How to Manage Online Classes While Being in the OR 50 Hours a Week

A

Ashley, SRNA

SRNA

· Updated · 4 min read
How to Manage Online Classes While Being in the OR 50 Hours a Week
In This Article (7 sections)

So you’re in a front-loaded program, and you THOUGHT that all of your class work was *over* the second you hit clinical… think again As daunting as the title of this post sounds… The good news? It’s doable. The better news? I’ve already made the mistakes, so you don’t have to.

Here is how my program is set up during clinical:


2 online classes

1. One class is dedicated to APEX workbooks and APEX Password Protected Exams (PPE)s. These are spread out across clinical quarters/semesters so they’re not all due in one quarter! If your program has APEX workbooks due at any point in the program, I *highly* recommend integrating them day 1 into your studies!! They are daunting to say the least, and you’ll save yourself soooo many headaches by just incorporating them early on so they’re done well before they’re due (just ask my classmates who waited until the last second)

2. A second class dedicated to Doctoral level concepts (ex: Evidence Based Practice, Healthcare Policy and Advocacy, and our Capstone DNP project to name a few). This class usually consists of 1 Discussion Board a week with at least 2 replies to classmates, and either a paper, PowerPoint, or some other presentation thrown into the mix as well.

Anddd don’t forget about your daily/weekly careplans, preceptor evals, and clinical case logs!

Sound like a lot? Follow these simple steps to stay on top of your school work so you can really immerse yourself in the clinical experience!

1. FIRST Sunday of the Quarter/Semester = Prep Day

Don’t let Sunday just be about iced coffee and doom scrolling. This is the day you:

  1. — Download all your docs. Yes, all of them.
  2. — Print/screenshot/save syllabi.
  3. — Map out due dates for projects, discussion boards, exams.
  4. — Knock out that first discussion board post before Monday even knows what hit it.Future you will thank you.

2. Front-Load Like Crazy

The first couple weekends are gold. Use them to crush assignments, papers, or discussion responses in advance. I usually try to get alllll of my Discussion Boards done in the first 2-3 weeks. Then, start working on those bigger ticket assignments (papers, PWPTs, etc). Coffee shops are your best friend. Think of it as building a buffer so that when real life (SEE prep, family time, or just needing to stare at a wall for 3 hours) happens, you’re not behind.

Not sure where you stand as a CRNA applicant?

Find out exactly what gaps to focus on to strengthen your application.

3. Don’t Force the Post-Clinical Grind

Clinical is exhausting. Your brain is fried. Forcing yourself to study after a 10-hour day in the OR is like trying to do calculus after running a marathon. If you need sleep, sleep. Write down “review this later” notes in a notepad and revisit them when your neurons are actually firing.

4. Case Logs & Care Plans = Stay Ahead

Keep up with logging. Seriously. Do it throughout the day if your site allows it. And for care plans? If you can’t peek at patients the night before, do one on your very first patient of the day, you’re already knee-deep in their PMH and labs. Then fill in the rest as time allows.

5. Protect Your Sanity with Fun

Put events on the calendar that make you excited! Local concerts, hiking, or even a quick trip home on the weekends. Having something to look forward to keeps you from feeling like your entire life is school, OR, sleep, repeat.

6. Streamline & Give Yourself Grace

Find ways to automate and simplify your life (meal prep, preset alarms, a clinical bag that lives by the door). And above all: GIVE. YOURSELF. GRACE. You’re not lazy if you need a nap, you’re human. This season is tough but temporary.

Final Word

Balancing online classes with 50 hours in the OR isn’t about perfection, it’s about strategy. Prep early, get ahead, protect your time, and don’t forget to live outside of school.

If you want to hear from SRNAs, and understand more about what it’s like as a CRNA school student. Join us inside The CRNA Club Membership – the only community with SRNA mentors ready to answer your questions and support you on your journey to CRNA school acceptance.

Ready to find your perfect CRNA school match? Use our CRNA School Database to quickly filter and find programs you meet the requirements for in a matter of clicks!

Keep Reading

ICU vs. OR: The Same Drugs, Different World!

ICU vs. OR: The Same Drugs, Different World!

Think you know your vasopressors and sedatives? The OR flips everything you learned in the ICU. Here’s how common drugs change when you control every dose, every second.

November 23, 2025
AANA Annual Congress Recap (From an SRNA Who Has Attended 3 Year Straight)

AANA Annual Congress Recap (From an SRNA Who Has Attended 3 Year Straight)

Thinking about attending the AANA Annual Congress? Here’s what every SRNA should know—costs, networking tips, must-see lectures, and why it’s more than just CE credits.

September 26, 2025
Key Features of CRNA Programs that I Wish I Knew When I Was Applying

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

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!

September 26, 2025

Ready to start your CRNA journey?

Get personalized guidance on your GPA, ICU experience, and credentials. See exactly what to focus on next.

Start 7-Day Free Trial

$37/mo after trial. Cancel anytime. No credit card for the quiz.

Find My Blind Spot