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Study Methods That Helped Me Thrive in CRNA School

J

Jordan, SRNA

SRNA

· Updated · 3 min read
Study Methods That Helped Me Thrive in CRNA School
In This Article (5 sections)

If you’re knee-deep in CRNA school didactics, this post is for YOU! As I near the end of my first year, I can confidently say: there is light at the end of the tunnel. If your program is anything like mine, you’re constantly finding yourself trying to balance time, stress, and the impossible task of keeping a personal life. Let me save you a little trial and error, here are the study methods that worked for me and my classmates!

Quick Answer

To thrive in CRNA school, use study methods like spaced repetition and group study. The CRNA Club suggests setting a daily minimum of 50 flashcards per subject to reinforce long-term memory. This approach helps manage the rigorous demands of CRNA programs.

What Makes Spaced Repetition a Secret Weapon?

Before school started, I read the book Make It Stick, highly recommend. It convinced me to ditch cramming for good!

Spaced repetition works by reviewing material over increasing intervals, reinforcing long-term memory. I used apps like Quizlet, Brainscape, and ultimately landed on Anki, my go-to.

In semesters packed with 17+ credit hours (mostly heavy on the science), I set a daily minimum: 50 flashcards per subject. Every. Single. Day. By exam week, I wasn’t scrambling. I knew what I knew and could zero in on the tough stuff.

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How Can Group Study Be a Game-Changer?

If you’re trying to get through CRNA school without a solid study group… PLEASE rethink that.

Even if you’re more of a solo studier (me 🙋🏻‍♂️), having 3–5 reliable classmates to talk through concepts with is invaluable. They’ll fill gaps you didn’t know you had and help you see things from new angles. SERIOUSLY, do not sleep on this method. “Two heads are better than one”.

Bonus: there’s too much content to cover solo. Divvying up notes and sharing summaries can seriously save you time and sanity.

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Why Is Concept Mapping Essential for CRNA Students?

This one was a lifesaver for A&P. With all the anatomy structures, physiology concepts, and disease processes coming at you, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

I’d read through my notes, sketch out concept maps, and condense key ideas into 1–2 word summaries. It helped me see how everything connects, essential for application-based exams (which most of them are in CRNA school!).

CRNA school isn’t just about memorization; it’s about understanding systems and patterns. Concept mapping trains you to zoom out and think like a clinician.

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How Does the Pomodoro Method Help You Focus?

This is hands-down my favorite technique.

The Pomodoro Method breaks study time into focused 25-minute blocks with 5-minute breaks in between. After 4 cycles, you take a longer 15-minute break (this is totally customizable, by the way).

It’s perfect if you’re easily distracted (again, me 🙋🏻‍♂️). I use the Flow app on my desktop, it not only times your sessions but also blocks apps like Instagram or Messages to keep you on track. YouTube also has great Pomodoro playlists if that’s more your vibe.

What Should ICU Nurses Take Away from This?

These are just a few methods my classmates and I swear by. The truth is, no one really teaches you how to study in school. You figure it out through trial, error, and lots of late nights.

Unfortunately, CRNA school doesn’t give you much time for trial. You’ve got to hit the ground running with a plan that works for you.

So take what’s useful here, experiment with what fits your style, and remember: your adaptability and efficiency are everything. You can do this. Keep going, and best of luck! 💪🏽

Resources like The CRNA Club can help you bridge the gap between ICU knowledge and OR readiness.

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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!

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