how to write personal statement for crna school

• Member Login

Episode 56: Writing A Good Personal Statement For CRNA School

• March 16, 2022
• No Comments

Even before an interview, a good CRNA school personal statement can already reveal much about you. Though the essay that you write for each school may seem like just a small part of the application process, it still plays a significant role in making yourself stand out as an applicant!

Whether you are an adept writer or a beginner at writing, today you’ll learn how to let yourself shine through!

In this episode, you’ll learn more about –

• Why programs ask you to write a personal statement and how it can greatly affect your acceptance into CRNA school
• Some important tips and tools you can use on how to efficiently write and improve your essay
• How you can make your CRNA school personal statement stand out from the rest of the applicants
• Why having English as a second language or not being a very good writer should NOT be a deterrent to creating a well-crafted personal statement
• Knowing why proofreading is very crucial before submitting
• Avoiding common mistakes
• The benefits of utilizing the academy forum for you and other students

We believe you can succeed as a CRNA, and we are dedicated to giving you the best support you need. Cheers to your success, future CRNA! We’re rooting for you!

Get access to planning tools, valuable CRNA Faculty guidance & mapped out courses that have been proven to accelerate your CRNA success! Become a member of CRNA School Prep Academy here:

https://www.crnaschoolprepacademy.com/join

Book a mock interview, resume edit or personal statement critique:

www.NursesTeachNurses.com

Join the CSPA email list: https://www.cspaedu.com/podcast-email

Send Jenny an email or make a podcast request!

[email protected]

Watch the episode here

Listen to the podcast here

Writing a good crna school personal statement.

In this episode, we’re going to get into how to write a good personal statement for CRNA school. First, why do they have you write a personal statement? What’s the purpose behind writing a CRNA school personal statement? As you may know, your interview is only one piece of the puzzle. Sometimes it’s only 10 minutes long, maybe 15 or 20 minutes.

Some schools, I’ve heard of 30 minutes, 45 minutes, but the vast majority of schools only spend a short period of time interviewing you. They use your personal statement as another way to gauge your personality as well as your writing style. Your personal statement is for them to assess who you are as a person, get to know you, and assess your goals, educational background, work ethic, and writing style.

Remember, you’re entering into a Doctoral degree. There’s going to be a lot of graduate-level writing involved in getting your Doctoral degree. They want to assess your writing skills and word choices, whether it’s unprofessional or if you’re more of a conversational writer, which is the problem I have when I write. I write like I’m talking to you in person versus writing. Be aware of where you may lack and address these areas before starting your statement.

We’ll get into how you can do this and some resources for you to utilize to make sure that you’re looking over your writing prior to submitting that personal statement. Some of the things to point out, as far as looking at your writing style, they will think, “Is this student going to need a lot of guidance and help to get them up to speed, to be able to succeed at writing this paper?”

Let’s say they have two candidates who are relatively about the same interviewed and scored about the same. While one of them has a good personal statement, the other one is mediocre. They may lean on the student who had a better personal statement, knowing they’re going to need less help and less guidance to do all the Doctoral writing involved in the program. I’m not trying to discourage you if writing is not your strong suit.

Know that you need to make sure you make your CRNA school personal statement strong. When you’re in school, you’re going to have to rely on additional resources to make sure you’re getting extra help in proofreading where you need it. It doesn’t mean you can’t do it. It means that you’re going to need some extra help, and you need to identify that prior to submitting your personal statement.

To also point out, we’ve had students whose English is their second language. They’ve needed 3, 4, or 5 edits on their personal statement, and they still get into school. May they require some additional help during all their writing? Yes, but now they know they can get assistance. They can get someone to proofread their papers for them and help them where it’s necessary.

I don’t want to make you feel like this is not possible if English is not your strong suit. You can do this. You just have to be aware of the possible help you’re going to need along the way to accomplish the goal. That’s been addressed. Let’s get into the structure and some red flags that I want to point out. Students sometimes make themselves sound like they’re good writers.

Sometimes what they do is inflate their verbiage, meaning they use these big vocabulary words. They think that the more big words they use, it will make them sound smarter. The problem is if you don’t truly understand the word, not only is it going to become difficult to read quickly, but let me also remind you that these programs are getting 150 to 200 applicants or more sometimes.

They have a lot of essays to read. If it’s difficult to read, you’re automatically going to trigger something in their brains and say, “I need to be able to read this efficiently and quickly. They’re using many fancy words that I have to slow down and ask myself, ‘What do they mean by that?'” The reason why I want to bring that up is so that you will be aware of the word choices you’re using and use language that aids in your descriptions, but will also be cognizant of the flow of that and how difficult it is for someone to read quickly and get the gist of what you’re trying to say.

Richard Wilson, who does guided Q&As inside the academy, pointed out that sometimes it’s not about the word. The word definition matches, but it might be used out of context a little bit. You may have to be aware that even if the word definition fits what you’re trying to describe, maybe it’s not used in the best context or the best flow for the sentence.

I also want to point out that you need to proofread. It looks sloppy if you make pretty basic grammar errors in your essay. It shows them that you didn’t take the time to do your due diligence essentially to proofread the paper prior to submitting it. If that means getting help to do that, or reading it over when your eyes are not fatigued.

Sometimes I read something and put letters where they should go, which is my brain, but I didn’t write that down. Especially when I’m fatigued, I tend to do that more frequently. I miss little, tiny errors that I’ve made. If you haven’t used something called Grammarly, I highly recommend you do that, but that isn’t everything. There is a free version of it. While it’s amazing unless you pay for it, you can only get so much out of it. It shouldn’t replace a good proofread, but it’s a good place to start.

You can install it on Google Chrome. Make sure you’re doing that for your first proofread, for example. Also, I’ve noticed when you take documents and put it into a Word doc, Google doc, or whatnot, it will do some proofreading for you, but it can flip words that you may not even catch because maybe your spelling was off a little bit and it will pick a word that’s similar, but maybe it’s so similar that you didn’t catch it.

You have to be careful about that too. You think you’re correcting a misspelling, but in reality, you’re completely changing the word altogether. Maybe your brain doesn’t recognize that right away because it’s similar to the word that you wanted to say. You have to be careful. Don’t rely on spell-check and Grammarly to do everything for you.

Making Mistakes

You still need to put second eyes on that paper, walk away, and come back. Yes, you need to proofread. I want to take this moment to also share with you guys a story from one of our students because another thing that can happen too is when you’re writing multiple personal statements, sometimes you may make a mistake and leave in the wrong school name for example.

Maybe you express how you’d be a good candidate for school X, and you submit that personal statement for school Y. Even though it was relatively the same prompt, and you updated the prompt to match, you left in the wrong school name. That happens probably more often than I would even realize it happens. It’s easy to do.

Let me share with you this because this is from one of our students. I thought it was a great takeaway, “Jenny and CSPA family, I want to take time out to thank everybody who was a part of this community. This is my testimony to the effectiveness of the program. Back in June of 2021, Richard helped me write a concise and thoughtful letter of intent. This letter, along with my decent stats, got me interviews at 2 out of 3 schools. I used the content in the CSPA library and the resources on the site to prepare for my interviews.

I was offered a seat on the spot during my first interview. The second program also offered me a seat two weeks after my interview. I want to pause here and mention the importance of being honest, prepared, and not letting your mistakes define you. I sent my letter of intent with another school name on it to the program that offered me a seat on the spot.

Many people told me to forget about ever getting into that program. Instead of giving up, I wrote a letter to the director of the program, explaining my mistake and showing her that I take responsibility for my actions. In the interview, she later told me that my honesty and willingness to take responsibility for my actions without making excuses is why she wants me in her program.

“I owe my acceptance to this community. During my second interview, I was able to interpret graphs that I saw in one of Richard’s presentations. The interviewer told me I was the only one who was able to correctly interpret the data out of so many applicants. Thank you, Jenny, Richard, and everyone in this community. I look forward to using CSPA resources and crushing CRNA school.”

First, I love everything about it. The takeaway from this for you is the fact that this student had to own his mistake. He did this. He put the wrong school on his personal statement and sent it. He still got offered a spot during this interview, which is amazing. There are a couple of takeaways from this. One, he owned his mistake. There are probably plenty of students who make this mistake, who are fearful.

Plenty of people told him to walk away, to give up on that school. It’s not going to happen. He made a mistake, and he’s got to live with it. Instead, he was like, “I don’t want to end that way. I have to at least let them know that I’m aware that I made a mistake.” That’s what these schools want. They want a student who has a voice to say, “I messed up. I’m sorry.”

That’s important as far as your attitude. That’s what they’re looking for in a candidate. It’s not all about your ICU background, 4.0 GPA, etc. They want to see that personality characteristic that you’re going to take ownership of when you make mistakes. I also love the fact that he was well prepared for his interviews, and that is also clearly displayed in his interview skills.

Not only did he fess up and take ownership for his mistake, but he adequately prepared for his interview. I want to share that with you because I thought it was touching. If I’m speaking to you, mistakes happen. I also had shared a story of mine that originally, when I reached out to one of my programs I applied to, I was trying to see how it could stand out as an applicant, trying to see how it could be more competitive.

I interviewed the program director and addressed him informally, meaning that instead of saying, “Dear Mr. So-and-so,” I said, “Dear Charles.” That set him off. He was upset, “How dare you address me so informally?” He asked me to write a letter about how rude Generation X was or Generation Y, whatever you want to call me these days.

I had to do some research on Millennials and Generation X and write him this long explanation as far as how I am working towards being more respectful. I did that. It was a five-page paper. It ended up working in my favor because he was impressed with my writing and enjoyed the fact that I took the time to be that thorough in my research. It worked out, and I got into the program.

That was about a year’s time, and then I applied a year later. I’ll be honest with you. During the interview, it never got brought up. It wasn’t like I was going to point it out, but at the same token, I was like, “If they ask about it, I’m going to own it and talk to them about it because I clearly fessed up and wrote the paper. I apologized. We ended up being on good terms via email after that experience.”

It was one of those things where you can’t hold it inside and hope that no one notices. If you make a mistake, whether that’s in your essay, reaching out, or clinical, you have to speak up. That is the only way you can address it, learn from it, and move on. Don’t let that scare you. I also want to be careful and check to make sure. If it does happen to you, there’s still light at the end of the tunnel.

Future CRNA- here’s a quick tip for your CRNA interview. If you apply, assume you will get asked to interview. Do not wait until you get that phone call or email to start preparing. Remember, these panels have interviewed hundreds of students over the years and can easily tell the difference between a candidate who is well-prepared and a candidate who is not. Preparation is not about memorization. It’s about understanding. Understanding challenging concepts take time. It takes you building connections to existing knowledge.

CRNA School Prep Academy helps you build on existing ICU knowledge so that you are well-prepared for your interview. We offer mock group interview coaching with CSPA expert contributor in program faculty, Richard Wilson. These sessions take place every other month. Plan ahead and don’t miss out. What are you waiting for? Get started and challenge yourself and your knowledge, so when you get that phone call, you will be excited and eager to show up and knock that interview out of the park. Learn more about CRNA School Prep Academy at CRNASchoolPrepAcademy.com/join . Cheers to your future.

Assessment Process

Let’s get into how they assess your personality and how you interact with others. Essentially, whatever you place in this essay is going to be considered important by you. You wouldn’t put it there if you didn’t find it important. It’s important to include information about you, as well as your accomplishments. You want to highlight things that you have done, awards that you have won, committees you have been a part of, and any research you have done so they can get a taste.

Think about it. Don’t just regurgitate your resume. Some students make this mistake where they get listy in their CRNA school personal statements. It becomes like a new fancy resume. You got to be careful that you don’t do that, but if you did something special that maybe you want to highlight from your resume, then for sure talk about it, but know that you don’t need to put everything from your resume there. Anything that’s unique or stands out, mention it.

There are so many times where I had a candidate or students who got in, who maybe didn’t the first time they applied. I look at their resume, and I can’t gather the information I can get when talking to them. I’m like, “You’ve done all this amazing stuff, but your resume doesn’t even highlight that. I don’t even understand what this award is or what it means, but now you explain this to me. I wish I would’ve known that.”

It’s the same thing with your resume. You need to be going into enough detail to where they know why, what the award means, and what these certifications are. Use your essay to highlight that as well. There are a lot of things that people may assume that someone’s going to understand or know, but don’t ever assume that someone’s going to know. You have to explain and highlight what you’ve accomplished.

You want to go into the fact that you’ve been on this path for a while and why you want to do it. Let’s give you guys some examples of prompts. A prompt could be, “Share with me in a 500-word or less essay your short-term and long-term professional goals.” They could say, “Describe your personal strengths and weaknesses that you see to be important in completing this educational program.”

Maybe they don’t give you a page length. Maybe they just give you that prompt, but do you want to write a five-page paper? Ideally, most programs are going to give you a length. Maybe it’s two pages, but you want to still make sure, even if you have all this stuff to share, that you’re being succinct, concise, brief, and to the point. Allow a lot of the details to happen when they interview if they want to ask you questions about your personal statement.

I also want to get into this: what if you have something that you feel is a shortcoming and how to address it. I’ve had a lot of students also tell me they’ve had a lot of success by being upfront. I call it addressing the elephant in the room by addressing a shortcoming. The reason why that can be so powerful is because they’re looking at your resume, and they’re already going to be asking the question. They were such a bad student in the beginning, and now, they’ve gotten one A in stats, but how do I know they’re a serious student now? Address it briefly in your essay, and then allow them to ask you more questions in the interview and even bring it up.

“I know you probably saw this in my resume. I know I tried to describe it briefly in my statement.” Address it. They may even ask you, “Tell me why you think you’re a good student now when historically, you haven’t been.” Be ready to answer those hard questions because a lot of people have had traumatic things happen to them.

There are tons of stories that you can tell them, but you have to focus less on how you’re moving forward from it and what you have done to grow from it. Richard has said this before, too. It depends on what mood he’s in. When he reads an essay, he could get an essay that goes into all these details, and it could seem like they’re giving excuses as to why X, Y, and Z happened versus a brief, concise X, Y, and Z and now this.

He or she is admitting to this flaw, and this is what they’ve done to overcome that, versus tons of details of X, Y, and Z that this caused this and this caused that. Make sure you’re not taking up your entire personal statement by addressing one issue because you might miss out on other things you could highlight about yourself and not just focus on the negative. Keep in mind that you’re getting this shot to give the interview panel an overall picture of you. If you have a shortcoming, that’s just one part of who you are. That’s not everything. They’re understanding. They know a lot of students maybe didn’t have a clear focus early on in this career path and didn’t think they would go back to grad school.

That’s a common thing that people hear about pursuing CRNA, “I thought Nursing was it for me. I didn’t plan on going back to school. I was okay with Cs.” That happened. You didn’t have direction and a passion for CRNA, but once you discovered it, now you have found your passion and direction. Now you’re being able to persevere through overcoming what you did when you were younger and didn’t have as much direction on your career path by taking graduate courses, joining committee works, doing research, working at a great ICU, and explaining what you have done to make yourself a candidate that they will want in their program. That’s what I mean.

Give them a little taste of some of your shortcomings without going into so much detail that you’re taking over your entire paper because you want to make sure you’re still highlighting the good things too. You don’t want the whole paper to be about things that are more negative. Keep that in mind when you’re highlighting your shortcomings and focus on where you’re going with it versus what has already happened. That’s my biggest piece of advice.

Editing Your CRNA School Personal Statement

I want to make sure that I touch on this too. You guys are giving yourself enough time to edit your paper and think about what you want to write. Sometimes it takes a while, and it requires you to take a break and come back to it to gather your thoughts. Think about it. You write a paper and like, “I go back and tweak it 4 or 5 more times.” Maybe you even let some time pass, like a few days or so, and come back again. The thing is, what you do every time you do that is you stop and gather some insights around what you want to express and tell them.

Within 3 or 4 days, new insights come to you. They’re like, “I should mention that. The reason behind that clicks. Now I can see how I can fit into their program based on their mission statement. I know what my professional goals look like that are also in line with the school’s mission.” You should know the mission statement. Start it with that.

When you’re looking at how to start writing your personal statement, you should know your school and what they pride themselves on, what’s in their mission statement, and what’s important to them. You can also do this by going to their program, open houses, asking questions, and talking to students. Do your due diligence and research your school to make sure you’re personalizing your personal statement to that program, which is also why you have to tailor it even if you’re applying to 3 or 4 different schools.

Even if it’s the same prompt, you still have to tailor your essay to that school. I’m not saying you have to write a completely new essay, but make sure you’re answering the prompt. Let’s say you wrote a good personal statement for your number one choice school, and then you’re applying to two other schools as a backup. Maybe that’s what you’re doing.

Maybe your two other schools have different prompts where you’re like, “This essay is good. I know I made it great for this school. I’m sure it’s going to be fine for that school.” You submit it. They get it, and they’re like, “It’s a good essay, but you didn’t follow directions. You didn’t answer my prompt.” Immediately, they’re disqualifying you for not following directions. Don’t do that to yourself.

Take the time to tailor it to what the school’s asking. Why even bother applying if they’re going to discredit you from the beginning for not following directions? You may be a good writer, and you may have a lot of good things to say, but because you think what you did is good enough for them, it may not be. They’re still going to want you to follow directions.

It says to them like, “You don’t care enough to rewrite and answer what we’re asking you to write.” They’re going to not feel like they’re your top choice school if that’s the way you’re treating it. If it is a school that you want to potentially get into, if you don’t get into your top school, you have to treat it like the school you want to get into, which means you’ve got to give it your all-out effort.

Keep that in mind. I know it’s more work, but you need to plan ahead. Do not write your CRNA school personal statement the week your application is due. I know I’ve preached this before, but a lot of schools give preference to students who submit their applications early. You should probably be starting your admission statement at least 3 to 4 months out at a minimum, especially if you have more than one to do, because you could take a couple of months to tailor that essay and get feedback inside the academy. We have essay critiques that you can book one-on-one where they’ll review and edit 1 or 2 essays. Take advantage of these resources.

We have students whose English is their second language. They struggle with writing, and they’ve utilized our essay critiques in the academy 3, 4, or 5 times, have an awesome essay, and have gained acceptance. They’re still going to have to make sure that in school, when they are doing all their writing, they seek out resources if they’re struggling writing their papers, but the thought process behind what you want to say is there. It’s a matter of critiquing it to get it to read nicely. You have it within you to write.

Sometimes it takes some extra effort and tweaking to make sure you’re conveying what you want to say to the reader. Another great resource that’s free that I always recommend students to utilize, and I also know program directors frequently tell their students to do this course prior to starting the program, is a free writing course. It’s through Coursera.

If you google Writing in the Sciences and then Stanford, because it’s through a professor from Stanford, you will find it. I believe the platform they use is Coursera.org . It’s called Writing in the Sciences. Check it out. Whether you’ve already gained acceptance or still trying to prepare for your personal statement, it’s a great place to start because it goes over some basic writing style tips for you to take with you. Do that and utilize an essay critique in the academy.

Live Edits For CRNA School Personal Statements

If it’s something you’re worried about, make sure you’re having multiple eyeballs to take a look at your paper, whether that’s your dad, sister, friend, peer, or coworker, getting an essay critique inside the academy. Make sure you’re doing all those things to give yourself the best chance.

One cool thing we did inside the academy is we did a live essay edit.

We had a student of ours submit an essay for a live critique and Richard Wilson, who is our expert contributor and an Assistant Program Director, critiqued the essay live. You could watch what he’s thinking through reading the essay, what was good, what was bad, and what he corrected, and then allow you to ask questions around it. Those types of experiences are only going to help you when you go to write your own essay.

Don’t be afraid to swap with your peers. What’s great about swapping with your peers is you will get ideas from their writing. Utilizing the academy and the forum to swap your essay, even if you’re like, “I don’t want to have to offer feedback for their essay,” do it because you’re going to gather ideas for your own essay. Believe me. You will find something for them that they didn’t see. Maybe you can give them some advice they didn’t recognize. Don’t think what you have to offer is not valuable. You do have something valuable to offer. Even if you think you’re not a good writer, read it for context and clarity. You don’t have to read it for grammar.

If you’re like, “I have terrible grammar. I can’t proofread someone’s essay,” don’t do it for grammar. Do it for context and content. Do you understand what they’re passionate about? Do you know who they are a little bit more now that you’ve read their essay? That’s the feedback you can give to them if you feel like you can’t correct them on grammar.

Know that you have something valuable to give. It’s valuable to do a swap. That’s free. Pick someone from the forum to say, “I’ll read your essay if you read mine. Let’s do this.” Utilize your community for that resource. I know I did that. Granted, I worked in the medical ICU, and I knew three other girls who were applying to the same program at the same time as me.

We had the same prompt. We read each other’s essays. Why wouldn’t we? We’re friends. We’re going to help each other out. Even if I hadn’t gotten in and they got in, they would’ve helped me the next year trying to figure out how I could get in. We knew we had each other’s backs, and we utilized that to our advantage. Make sure you’re looking for opportunities like that. If you don’t know someone else who’s applying, try to go to these open houses and connect with the current student. They may be nice enough to read a personal essay for you or even show you theirs.

I also want to do a blanket statement. Don’t copy people’s essays. Do not do that. Even though there are a lot of applications that come in, take an essay from a student who got in the year prior, and if you were to take it and use it and tweak it to your own a little bit, they might recognize that. They may remember that essay, especially if it was good and unique. I highly encourage you not to do that. I’m not saying not to use an essay to get ideas. Be careful around that. That’s not an easy way. That would be a mistake.

If you fess up to it, I don’t know if they would overcome that because they would probably worry about you cheating in school too. I want to make sure I threw that out there. I hope you guys enjoyed this episode, and that it gave you something to think about. Best of luck to you in writing your own essay. I hope to see you inside the academy for fun things. The fact that we did a live essay critique, and utilize the students there doing critiques for you. I’ll see you next episode.

Important Links

• Coursera.org

Become a competitive CRNA school candidate in 8 steps with the

8 steps to crna road map, whether you're getting ready to apply to crna school, just getting started, or anywhere else on your journey to crna, this resource is just what you need to stay focused and on the right path to success., join our email list.

Hey there, future CRNA! Whether you’re just starting your CRNA journey, getting ready to apply for school, or are a current SRNA, we have ready-to-go resources just for you!

Enter your name and email below to join our email list and get the support and resources you need on your journey to CRNA.

Cheers To Your Future!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

2024 ® All rights Reserved. Design by Jessica Skelton

Terms | privacy | cookies, got questions send us an email at [email protected].

We’re sorry! To the best of our knowledge, there are currently no CRNA programs at any university in this state. If you know of a program that we do not have listed, please fill out the form below to let us know so that we can update our information!

We use cookies to improve user experience. You can read more about our Cookie Policy in our Privacy Policy .

A Twitch of Anesthesia

For future, current, and prospective nurse anesthetists.

• Mar 27, 2019

Personal Statement- Nurse Anesthesia Application

By popular demand, I am sharing my personal statement from when I applied to CRNA school in 2016. Keep in mind, it's not perfect by any means and I have become a much better writer while in CRNA school due to all the doctoral research classes, haha. However, I wanted to be honest and not make any edits. I was 26 when I started my anesthesia journey and reading my statement is not only humbling, but it's a reminder of where I started and how BADLY I wanted it.

Brittany B Harvey, RN, BSN, CCRN

Since high school, I have always been fascinated by the nurse anesthesia career. However, it was not until the summer before my freshman year of college, while volunteering at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, I gained a true insight into the field. I was assisting a child life specialist prepare a nine-year old boy for a routine tonsil-adenoidectomy. We carefully demonstrated how he would wear the “special space mask” and showed him the “little straw” he would have in his arm to receive sleeping medications during his surgery. Shortly following that consult, I mentioned to the child life specialist my interest in furthering my education after nursing school, focusing on anesthesia. A few minutes later, she introduced me to a young, effervescent CRNA, named Kelly. Kelly allowed me to shadow her for the rest of the day and spent hours teaching me the intricacies of anesthesia. I could see the passion in her eyes and became instantly hooked! Over the past three years, I have had the opportunity to shadow an anesthesiologist and three CRNAs during several cardiac and thoracic surgeries, including a left ventricular assist device implantation. That fiery passion I witnessed in Kelly’s eyes was also present in the eyes of the three CRNAs, and is now the same passion I carry with me for anesthesia.

Throughout nursing school, I continued to carry the thought of nurse anesthesia with me while completing my BSN degree. Out of our 50-student cohort, I was one of 12 nursing students selected to participate in the nursing honors program and graduated in the top nine percent of my class. I was also given the privilege to serve on my college’s Nursing Student Board as the Community Health Director for over a year. In this position, I was responsible for fundraising and organizing community health events.

These community events included public flu shot clinics, educational presentations for fellow undergraduate students, Relay for Life, Walk for a Cure, and Susan G Komen walks. While in nursing school I continued to stay involved in our local chapter (MSCANS), state chapter (GANS), and national chapter (NSNA) for nursing students. Through my membership with NSNA, I was introduced to my first medical mission, a two-week trip to Costa Rica with other nursing and medical students. I have since

participated, as a registered nurse, on another two-week medical mission trip to Kenya with a group of talented professionals from various medical fields. On both of these trips, I had the unique experience of caring for adults and children outside of modern medical conveniences. My focus on these trips was displaying compassion and improving quality of life for those who lack access to primary healthcare. These experiences further fueled my desire to grow and challenge myself as a nurse while improving current nursing practices.

Following nursing school graduation, I was offered an amazing opportunity to work at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta-Scottish Rite in a 50-bed, level II trauma emergency center. While there, I gained an irreplaceable foundation for nursing, which in turn inspired me to transition to an adult intensive care setting. After 18 months at Scottish Rite, I left to join an incredible team of nurses and providers at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital in the Coronary Care Unit/Medical Intensive Care Unit. At this 500-bed

hospital, including six adult intensive care units, I have been rewarded with extraordinary opportunities that have fully prepared me for advancements in my nursing career. For example, one month after completing my CCU orientation, I was approached by my unit manager to join two highly competitive critical care nursing councils. I was quickly voted in as co-chair of our CCU Unit Based Council and

shortly thereafter became CCU’s representative for Piedmont’s Critical Care Practice Council, where I still serve. On these councils, I have a front row seat to our nurse driven practices and have contributed in creating protocols and procedures for restraints, bronchoalveolar lavages, and post-cardiac arrest induced hypothermia. In addition, I assisted in creating the 2015 and 2016 annual competencies for all six intensive care units, developed three in-services to educate our intensive care nurses on topics including QT intervals and Torsades de Pointes, rapid sequence intubation, and hypothermia therapy following cardiac arrests, and am currently assisting with data collection and analysis as our CCU submits its first application for a Beacon Award. Continuing to always challenge myself, seven months off orientation, my lead charge nurse requested I begin training for relief charge and precepting of new

graduate nurses. A few months later, I was given a permanent relief charge nurse position for our night shift team.

While working in our 19-bed CCU/MICU, I have had the opportunity to care for a high acuity patient population and am experienced with ventilator support, ABG analysis, EKG interpretation, various ventricular assisted devices, intra-aortic balloon pumps, transvenous pacemakers, EKOS, CRRT/CVVHD, hypothermia devices, Swan-Ganz catheters, Rotoprone therapy, and several other diagnostic and therapeutic devices. I am familiar with vasoactive drips including, Epinephrine, Norepinephrine, Phenylephrine, Vasopressin, Dopamine, Dobutamine, Milrinone, Nitroglycerin,

Nitroprusside, as well as many other essential medications. I have also developed a thorough understanding of these medications and their effects on cardiac output/index, SVR, PVR, PAS/PAD, PAOP, heart rate and blood pressure due to our requirements for continuous in-depth monitoring of our patients. After 18 months in the CCU/MICU, I was the first intensive care nurse to be approved for cross training in our 34-bed CVICU. In this unit, I have been able to care for an array of patients including, various open-heart surgeries, VV/VA extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, heart transplants, and

ventricular assisted device transplants. In addition to my cross training, leveling as a Nurse III Preceptor, receiving my CCRN, and actively studying for my CMC has enabled me to feel more confident in autonomously caring for my acutely ill patients, and has allowed me to quickly identify and prioritize complex clinical situations. These professional advancements, as well as the positions I have held throughout nursing school and my career, have greatly enhanced my leadership skills in my nursing

Like many others who join the healthcare field, I have a strong desire and eagerness to serve and care for others. As a CRNA, I will be able to directly center my attention on one patient at a time, concentrating solely on them. I cannot think of a more focused professional role as a patient advocate. I hold a deep respect for the nurse anesthesia career, as it demands excellence, vigilance, leadership, and compassion. It can be immensely challenging, yet fully rewarding. I am striving to become a CRNA

because each day I want to have the responsibility to care for another individual during the most vulnerable time of their life- a time when they place every ounce of their trust in their nurse anesthetist. I know anesthesia school will be one of the greatest challenges I will ever face, but I am determined and confident in myself and the passion I have for anesthesia to succeed in this highly respectable career. Thank you for considering me as a future student and I hope to become a valuable addition to your CRNA program!

Brittany B Harvey

Recent Posts

Year 1 Recap of Anesthesia School

What I Wish I Would Have Known Before Starting CRNA School

11 Things I Learned Within My First Year of CRNA School

The CRNA Chase Academy

Craft your perfect personal statement for crna school acceptance.

CRNA schools are looking for professionals with motivation and vision. You can position yourself to be accepted by creating the perfect personal statement to communicate and articulate what makes you an amazing future CRNA! Let me show you how.

Your personal statement is a crucial component of your CRNA school application. It's an opportunity to showcase your unique experiences, passions, and motivations that make you an exceptional candidate for the program. However, crafting a compelling personal statement can feel like a daunting task, leaving you overwhelmed and unsure of where to begin.

Don't let the personal statement become a roadblock in your journey towards CRNA school acceptance. Take control of your narrative and unlock your potential with this mini-course. 

This course is designed to guide you through the process of creating a personal statement that will captivate the admissions committee and increase your chances of acceptance to a CRNA program. 

What will be the takeaways?

In this training, we will cover:

• Personal Statement Workshop 
• 5 Steps to Begin Writing Your Personal Statement 
• 9 Ways to Standout on Your Personal Statement 

Who is this for? This training will benefit:

• Professionals embarking on their CRNA journey 
• Anyone curious about the application process
• Experienced registered nurses looking to advance their careers and transition into the CRNA profession

Who is this not for? This is not ideal for:

• Anyone who has no interest in submitting a CRNA school application!

Course curriculum

Welcome Future CRNA!

How I Got Here

CRNA School Personal Statement Workbook

Personal Statement Workshop Training

5 Steps to Begin Writing Your Personal Statement

9 Ways to Standout on Your Personal Statement

Still Need Help With Your Application Material??? Don't Worry!

Customized Writing Services For ICU Nurses

Join the Membership!

Introducing CRNA School Made Possible

About this course

• 1 hour of video content

Our Guarantee

Our mission is to provide unwavering support and guidance to ICU nurses who may not initially see themselves as the most competitive applicants for CRNA school. 

By helping you develop the skillset and learn the techniques needed to succeed at gaining CRNA school acceptance —without costing you, your family, health, or sanity in the process.

Ignite your CRNA career starting today

CRNAPersonalStatement.com by  Dr. Robert Edinger Helping Nurses S ince 1995   [email protected]

Standard Statement Service

Premium Statement Service

Thanks for subscribing!

Letter of Recommendation 

CV/Resume Editing

• Oct 12, 2023

CRNA Personal Statement Examples

Updated: Feb 20

Born and raised in Manila, the Philippines, I am a young man and a nurse who is three-quarters Filipino and one-quarter Chinese. One of four siblings, I grew up in a tiny, humble home in one of the most impoverished slums in Manila , far from the city lights. We were happy even though fifteen people shared our house throughout my childhood. Despite losing my mother to America, I was blissfully unaware of any disadvantage of my social class. One day when I was six, I woke up to find my mother and all her things gone. A decade would pass before we would be reunited in Pasadena, California.

I came to the US when I was sixteen, a first-generation immigrant. I take immense pride in our celebration of diversity here in South Central California. I am honored to be building a career in nurse anesthesia with a particular concentration on emergency care. The underserved often have no medical care until they have an emergency; this is why I take special pride in my goal of becoming a CRNA dedicated to a lifetime of service on the front lines of care for our enormous population of undocumented residents. I recently finished my BSN at XXXU in May 2013. I treasure the opportunity to give my all to my studies when I am not on duty. I ask to be accepted to your program so I may return to doing what I most enjoy, studying to become the most effective nurse possible.

As with most Filipinos, I am amazingly comfortable communicating in English. I do hope, however, that my fluency in Tagalog, both writing and speaking, will be helpful in my nursing career. I want to study at XXXU’s XXXX Campus for many reasons, not the least because I live and work there . I also appreciate that your program is new, and if I am accepted, I will be part of the third graduating class. I feel profound admiration for your curriculum's breadth and depth, and I particularly appreciate your emphasis on the importance of diversity in our nursing community.

Committed to lifelong learning, I keenly look forward to an extensive engagement with research in nursing anesthesia that I will most enjoy for many decades. I want to participate in research concerning better ways of applying anesthesia with fewer side effects and greater overall efficiency in all aspects of my field. My desire to become the finest CRNA possible is something that has been building up for several years, mainly because of several vital role models that I have had along the way, such as Dr. XXXX, an anesthesiologist, and XXXX, a CRNA, working alongside both during my military service was a special privilege.

I have extensive experience as a respiratory therapist using various ventilators and their modes. I also see my profound dedication to emergency nursing as one of the most vital aspects of my application to your distinguished program. In my current position, I deal with cardiac arrest and resuscitation daily; this has helped me learn to work well under stress.

Your program at XXXU is the ideal location for my complete immersion in clinical anesthesia.  I especially admire the structure of the second phase of your program and the organization of your c linical practicums . I particularly look forward to working under the supervision of CRNAs in my practicum and clinical rotations. I appreciate that those rotations are available throughout California so that I can gain exposure to anesthesia delivery in various contexts, from large academic institutions to rural and outpatient settings. I have served as a respiratory therapist since 2002, and I have also served as an anesthesia technician, working side-by-side with anesthesia providers, including CRNAs and anesthesiologists. Most of my duties were related to anesthesia delivery throughout the four years I was stationed at Naval Hospital XXXX . For me, this was the ultimate shadowing experience.

California needs exceptionally well-trained CRNAs, especially concerning emergency services — particularly here in the Central Valley, and I seek to respond to that need. I live and work here and want to continue attending school here and practicing here after completing your distinguished program. I hope at some point to teach as well as practice Nurse Anesthesia. Your DNP program in Nurse Anesthesia will serve as an ideal platform for continuing my education at some point.

While my overall GPA for my BSN program was only 3.5, for my last three semesters, I earned a GPA of 3.9. This demonstrates how my elevated level of motivation has been increasing. I believe that I could excel in your rigorous program.

Thank you for considering my application.

This applicant is multicultural and multilingual. But he does not mention his language skills. He speaks only Tagalog (spoken in the Philippines) and English. While he is part Chinese, he does not speak Mandarin Chinese. Mandarin, and to a lesser extent Cantonese, are important for helping the underserved. If an applicant speaks a Chinese language, this should be put in the statement because of its relevance for helping the underserved. The hospital is aware of the languages that are spoken by its nurses, those who are multilingual are on call to serve as translators between patients and medical professionals. So, the languages that one can communicate in are especially important in nurse anesthesia.

#CRNA #PersonalStatement #Examples

#crnadiversity #crnaschool #nurseanesthesia #personalstatement #editing #samples

• CRNA Diversity Statement
• CRNA Multiculturalism Statement
• CRNA Helping the Underserved

Recent Posts

CRNA Personal Statement, DNP Nurse Anesthesia

DNP Personal Statement Nurse Anesthesia, CRNA

CRNA Personal Statement Sample, White Male

Top 8 Pieces of Advice for Writing a Great CRNA Personal Statement

Writing any professional document is not an easytask. It requires a decent amount of experience and skill to pull off successfully. The same applies to write any personal statement.

A CRNA personal statement is one such document that requires that you be skillful as you write it. It is not surprising that most students find developing a school CRNA personal statement, an uphill task.

However, with proper guidance, you will find it easy to come up with a personal statement for CRNA School. All it needs is a little diligence and consistency, and you will reap the rewards within a significantly short time. However, you first need an understanding of what you are writing.

What is a CRNA personal statement?

Nurses who desire to administer anesthesia as professionals are well aware of the CRNA. As such, it is essential to present yourself in a manner that allows the institution to gauge the kind of person you are; it is where the personal statement comes in.

It allows you to present yourself in a simple manner that tells plenty about you. As such, it gives an overview of your personality and qualifications that make you well suited for a particular nursing institution.

Alternatives when writing a personal statement for CRNA School

As a student, you do not need to get overworked in case you are unable to print your report. Many websites offer the service. You need to identify the right service provider that meets all your needs.

Furthermore, there are various options to choose from, and you do not need to be worried about their authenticity since the reviews could be relied upon by the institution. You, however, need to be keen to differentiate between genuine reviews and computer-generated reviews.

Pieces of advice on how to write a great CRNA Personal Statement

• Make a draft

It acts like a map that will guide you through your entire writing.  As much as it may look unnecessary, a selection simplifies your work, and all you need to do is develop content for it.

• Take your time

Do not rush to complete the task. Doing the job in a rush increases the mistakes within your document. Work on your statement as though you are performing surgery, paying attention to detail.

• Concentrate on your strengths

Ensure you show the institution why you are the ideal candidate. Do not dwell too much on other issues, but rather focus on demonstrating the institution what you bring to the table.

• Find the perfect words and expressions

Words speak a lot. Therefore, carefully select your phrases.

• Personalize it

It is your work, and as such, make sure you own it fully.

Since you are dealing with a learning institution, honesty is always the best policy. Do not exaggerate.

• Seek an alternative opinion

Give the document to a friend for review. They could provide useful insight.

• Stop reading it once you submit it

Once you deliver it, wait for the results. It is baseless to stress yourself over factors you cannot control.

Final words on writing a CRNA personal statement

Though it seems like a difficult undertaking, it requires that you be patient with yourself, right products take time to develop.

More Stories

Enhance Your Child’s English Skills with Premier English Enrichment Courses

The Art of Formatting a Winning Statement of Purpose for Grad School

Wondering if prime opinion is a legitimate survey platform?

You may have missed.

Five Books to Master Machine Learning

Unlocking the Path to Success: Essential Skills for a Mortgage Adviser Career

7 Tips To Get Into CRNA School, Even With a Low G.P.A.

• You Are More Than a Grade

It Only Takes One

• 7 Ways to strengthen your CRNA school application

Life Happens...

Follow @wali_khann on Instagram!

I believe at one point or another, every new (and seasoned) nurse aspires or at least thinks about becoming a CRNA as a potential future career. However, many potential applicants shy away from the opportunity or do not explore the possibility due to the rigorous and competitive CRNA school requirements. 

If you are someone that has researched the process of getting into CRNA school or are an ICU nurse currently applying for one, you know it is an incredibly competitive process. 

There are many criteria that students must possess in order to produce a competitive application, but the MOST important of these criteria is the undergraduate science (chemistry, organic chemistry, microbiology, anatomy & physiology) and the nursing school GPA. Most programs require a GPA of at least 3.0, with some requiring as high as a 3.5. It’s especially important that you earn a GPA of at least 3.0 in your health- and science-related courses for admission to most programs.

>>  See the Top CRNA Programs

If you’re anything like me, then you had no idea where you were going to work after graduating from nursing school, let alone even think about applying to CRNA school. And let's be honest, life happens and not everyone graduates school with a 4.0 GPA. So what if you didn’t have the best grades in nursing school but you went on to become a competent, compassionate, and intelligent nurse. Do you still have a chance of getting into CRNA school? 

• The answer on paper: NO 
• The real answer: YES! But only if YOU can show it. 

>> Show Me CRNA Programs

You Are More Than a Grade 

I serve as the class president of my cohort and for the last several months I’ve assisted faculty in conducting interviews for the incoming class of student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs). I’ve asked faculty members questions to explore and understand exactly what it is they seek in potential candidates. 

• Is it just “good grades?" 
• Must every candidate have a 4.0 in order to be considered competitive? 

And despite what you may have heard from others or read on a nursing blog; the overwhelming consensus is NO! 

Before we get into how you can strengthen your application for CRNA school, I need you to reaffirm a truth about yourself that you may have forgotten on your journey. 

The single best piece of advice I received when I was applying to school was that it only takes ONE.

• It only takes ONE school
• It only takes ONE interview
• It only takes ONE opportunity for you to tell your story. 

And when you are given that opportunity, you must be the best storyteller there is. Because there is no one that knows your story better than you. Whether you are preparing responses for your essays and personal statements or getting ready for an upcoming interview, consider these 7 points to strengthen your overall CRNA school application. 

Learn more about becoming a Nurse Anesthetist at Nurse.org's  Ultimate Guide to Becoming a CRNA.

7 Ways to strengthen your CRNA school application 

1. Tell Your Story - Who Are YOU?

The person or people reading your application want to know who you are as an individual. They all know you are an ICU nurse with a few years of experience because that is a requirement. What they don’t know is what kind of a person you are. 

• They don’t know what kind of life you have lived 
• They don’t know what you have had to overcome to stand where you do today

As you write the responses to the essay prompts of the applications, now is the time to tell your unique and powerful story. Some things to think about, 

• Did you face adversity on your journey to and through nursing school? 
• Did you have to overcome trials and tribulations that made your success an unlikely reality? 
• Make your responses to these questions intentional and purposeful. 
• They want to see if you possess the tenacity to overcome obstacles in your life - your unwillingness to quit and persevere is telling of what kind of a person you are and what kind of student you will be. Your individual story may be one of resiliency. Now is the time to draw a parallel from your life to your future journey in school. 

A key trait that many schools seek in candidates is “Grit”. Grit is a positive, non-cognitive trait based on an individual's perseverance of effort combined with the passion for a particular long-term goal or end state. CRNA school is a three-year-long journey that will challenge every aspect of your life. Faculty wants to see if you possess the motivation to achieve this personal objective. 

2. Emotional Intelligence

Chances are, if you haven’t researched how schools are conducting interviews nowadays, you’re probably unfamiliar with the idea of emotional intelligence and how it helps others see what kind of an individual you are. 

Emotional intelligence or EI is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, and those of the people around you. People with a high degree of emotional intelligence know what they're feeling, what their emotions mean, and how these emotions can affect other people. 

According to Daniel Goleman, an American psychologist who helped to popularize emotional intelligence, there are five key elements to it: 

• Self-awareness 
• Self-regulation
• Motivation 
• Social skills

Whether it's by reading your answers to written questions, direct questions in an interview or demonstration through role-play, schools want to see you demonstrate emotional intelligence. 

Here’s an example, 

Let's put this into more relevant and practical terms. Upon graduation from CRNA school and after passing boards, we’re going to be CRNAs who will routinely be working in the OR (operating room). Now, the OR is a place with a potpourri of personalities that are oftentimes unpredictable. On average we will be working with surgeons of different backgrounds and specialties, anesthesiologists, anesthesia assistants, OR nurses, OR techs, and environmental teams. 

Recall back to when you were in a rapid response or cardiac arrest. Remember how out of control and unpredictable the situation can become in a split second? Now envision the same scenario unfolding with you at the head of the bed and the whole room looking and screaming at you for answers. For leaders, having emotional intelligence is essential for success. After all, who is more likely to succeed – a leader who shouts at his team when he's under stress, or a leader who stays in control, and calmly assesses the situation? You can be the” smartest” individual on paper, but if that intelligence doesn’t translate to your practice, how good of a provider will you really be? 

3. Take graduate-level classes

If you’re an ICU who is interested in applying to CRNA school, but you don’t have the most competitive (science) GPA, one of the best things you can do right now shows you are actively trying to be better than you were. The way to demonstrate that is by enrolling in classes at a university or graduate school that can be applied towards your advanced practice degree (MSN, DNP). If you’re applying with a recent bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN), you’ll likely already have taken the required courses. However, if you earned your BSN more than five years prior or in a non-nursing field, you might need to take additional classes before applying to CRNA school.  

There are many CRNA schools that will allow prospective students to take some didactic coursework at outside institutions and have the credits transfer over. This action is reflective of your ability to take higher level graduate courses and succeed, despite not having had the strongest undergraduate grades.  Your ability to take preliminary didactic graduate-level classes like physics, chemistry, health assessment, statistics, and pathophysiology will demonstrate not only your ability to succeed but also your desire to invest in yourself and grow beyond where you were at one point. 

This action alone makes a strong statement on your behalf. It says to the people reading your application loud and clear, “I am aware I did not have the best grades at one point, but I am willing to show that I can be successful in your program. Here are some of the steps I’ve taken to better myself!” It shows that your past is not reflective of the person or student you are today or will become tomorrow and that is a powerful statement to make. This step can also potentially make your life a lot easier down the road as you will have a lessened class load compared to those who did not take extra classes outside.

4. Community Service 

Grades aside, the panel of faculty will want to see what other aspects of your application make you a competitive candidate. One area that is often overlooked and under weighed by prospective students is community service. 

The people reading your application are genuinely interested in getting to know you beyond your 2-3 years of ICU experience that you have listed on your resume. They want to see what you do outside of the hospital when you’re not in scrubs and on the clock. This is time to show that you are someone invested in your local, national, even global community. 

Your involvement in your community shows you, 

• Care about others 
• Are willing to give back - not because it makes you look good on paper or earns praise, but because you genuinely are invested in the well being and concern of others. 

This can easily turn into a talking point later down the road in a potential interview for ‘why do you want to be a CRNA?’ 

• Is it because YOU want to make more money? 
• Because YOU want to increase your skillset and scope of practice? 
• Perhaps YOU want to add more letters to the alphabet soup after your name? 

Keep in mind that your involvement in your community and your ongoing civic engagement shows your dedication and commitment to those around you and your willingness to give to those that may be less privileged. It makes a statement on your behalf that you understand that life is bigger than just you. 

Anyone who reads your application knows what an ICU nurse is, what they do, and their scope of practice. What they don’t know is what THIS ICU NURSE (you) does in his/her underprivileged or marginalized community. 

However, you won’t have anything to say unless you’ve actually rolled up your sleeves and done something for your community. And maybe while you’re in the process of refining your application for school, you just may end up learning something about yourself as an individual and your own capacity to love and care for others. 

After all, this is what our profession is truly about. It's about giving back to people, taking care of people that we may never cross paths within our day to day lives, and perhaps through involvement in your community, this may help to cultivate you personally on an individual level.  

5. Work Experience

Ideally, when applying to CRNA school, this is a straightforward concept. Before you can enter a CRNA program, you’ll also need at least one year of experience working as an RN in a critical care setting, though your school may require more time. 

According to the AANA, aspiring CRNAs enter graduate programs with an average of 2.9 years of experience in critical care. Although any adult ICU is accepted for school requirements, you can turn this into a leverage point. If you come from a small, low acuity hospital, and work on a unit that barely pushed you to your potential or challenged your intellectual capacity, a parallel transfer may be advantageous. This move shows your willingness to take on a new challenge, learn a new skill set, and be exposed to a broad range of disease processes in preparation for your new endeavor. It's easy to become complacent and apathetic when we aren’t pushed or challenged. A transfer to a robust environment to challenge yourself and expose yourself to new opportunities may prove advantageous in an interview and set you up for leverage. 

6. Certifications /Entrance Exams

Most programs require the GRE, though there are exceptions. As of 2020, a few schools have permanently removed the GRE from their application requirement, so be sure to check before applying. In some cases for instance, if you hold a recent BSN with a strong GPA, this requirement might be waived. Other programs may ask you to take an exam specific to their school or not require testing at all. 

For programs requiring the GRE, many do not publish a minimum score requirement, but 300 is generally considered to be the lower end of the range of acceptable scores. If you are planning to apply to a school that does still require the GRE as an entrance exam, take the time to really study. This means you may have to set aside ample time and may actually have to study for more than a month, purchase the prep programs (Kaplan, Magoosh, etc.), and score within the required range for acceptance. 

I have known many students that relied on grades or other aspects of their application alone and were turned away due to unsatisfactory scores on the GRE. Many did not take the exam seriously and thought it was just a refresher of middle school and high school course work until they took the exam and realized it actually is not like that and in fact, does require adequate planning, studying and strategy to succeed. Making assumptions, not adequately preparing, and taking things for granted can set you up for failure and your opportunity at an interview or even a potential seat in a CRNA school. 

CCRN Advantage 

Many programs also require applicants to have a Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) certification, which requires an exam. Even if this credential isn’t required, getting it can demonstrate your level of expertise and commitment and increase your chances of being accepted into a competitive program. Given a scenario where another candidate is neck to neck with you, having this certification or other things that boost your application just may be the leverage you need to break the tie and secure your spot. 

Although not a requirement, I chose to show my dedication and commitment in a slightly different way. I wanted whoever was reading my application to know that I was hungry. I wanted them to know that I was willing to go over and beyond what was asked of me to prove that I belonged in their (or any other) program. While studying for the GRE and still being employed as a full-time, I took classes and became an ACLS and PALS instructor and began teaching initial and renewal ACLS and PALS classes at my hospital. I was aware this was not a requirement, but I wanted them to see that I was just as competitive of a candidate as anyone else. 

7. Leadership 

The dynamics of how care is delivered to patients is changing rapidly. With these new changes to structure and care models, we also find ourselves facing new challenges that require the presence and capabilities of strong leadership. CRNA schools want to produce not only competent CRNAs that will deliver the safest care to patients, but also individuals that will go on to become strong providers with a passion for advocacy in their profession. 

There are many challenges that the CRNA profession faces today, especially in terms of their independence and full scope of practice. 

• There are many political conversations that are happening behind the scenes at capitol hill and even in courts. 
• A potential question to ponder when preparing your essay and or interview response is: are you someone that is invested in not only making yourself better but the people that you’re working with and representing? 

When we become student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs), we become part of the American Association of nurse anesthetists (AANA), the professional association representing Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) and student registered nurse anesthetists nationwide. Whether it's in your application or in an interview panel, now is the time to highlight whether you’ve served on a committee in your hospital or in your respective unit. 

• What changes were implemented because of your suggestions and feedback? Your commitment and desire to serve in this capacity shows you were invested in making not only yourself better, but also the place you called home for so many years that taught you the necessary skills to be where you are today. All these things will add up because they reflect that when you graduate as a competent CRNA, you will continue to be a voice of advocacy and representation for your profession and fellow colleagues. 

Don’t be disheartened if you weren’t the ideal student in nursing school. Don’t be disheartened if you have been out of school for a while and your dream now feels somewhat impossible. Life happens. I know you’ve heard this time and time again but allow me to reiterate this powerful truth: You are more than a grade. 

This time, it's coming from someone who wasn’t a straight “A” student in nursing school. But here I am today, in CRNA school, writing and advising you on how you can become the best version of yourself and work towards accomplishing your professional dream. We have interviewed students that did not have the ideal grades, but the panel chose to listen to these applicants because their essays portrayed such a high level of ambition and drive. So regardless of what stage of your nursing journey you are in, I want you to remember…

Dr. Wali Khan , DNAP, CRNA, is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesiologist, motivational speaker and humanitarian. His writing entails a powerful narrative and perspective on the balance between faith and medicine. Passionate about personal development, faith, and community service, he uses his voice on social media (Instagram) to highlight the intersection between the three. 

As a Muslim Pakistani-American immigrant and first-generation college graduate, his journey entails a story of perseverance, balance, and compassion that students and practitioners can relate to. His professional and personal goal has always been to advocate for human rights, diversity, and equality. 

Plus, get exclusive access to discounts for nurses, stay informed on the latest nurse news, and learn how to take the next steps in your career.

By clicking “Join Now”, you agree to receive email newsletters and special offers from Nurse.org. We will not sell or distribute your email address to any third party, and you may unsubscribe at any time by using the unsubscribe link, found at the bottom of every email.

Tips for writing a personal statement that is well, personal‪.‬ The CRNA Club Podcast

Dr. Diane Cady, our resident word wizard here at the CRNA Club, shares some tips and advice surrounding crafting a personal essay that captivates. Dr. Cady is a development editor, and has helped some of the most talented professionals get into some of the most competitive programs in the country, across all fields. She has a gift for working with "even the draftiest of drafts". With the transition to all programs being Doctorate degrees, the essay is more important than ever. Listen to learn how to write an essay that is polished and perfected. BRAND SPANKIN' NEW 👉 Applying to CRNA school? - Watch our free 30 minute masterclass - Becoming a Competitive CRNA School Applicant here! Looking for CRNA schools? - check out our School Database Tool to find your schools in a matter of clicks! Curious to see how competitive of a CRNA School Applicant you are? Take the quiz here. Let’s be friend on the 'gram: thecrnaclub. We've got TONS of free resources to turbo-boost you to pressing "submit" on that application, check us out online at The CRNA Club.com

• Episode Website
• More Episodes
• Copyright 2023 Sachi Lord

• Professional Development

9 Ways To Immediately Become The Strongest CRNA Applicant

Currently, many people are facing adversity and financial hardships. From decreased hours at work to loss of income completely. But now is not the time to give up on your dreams of becoming a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). In fact, strength is built through adversity. So give yourself time to get past your hardships, then get back up and stay focused on the end goal.

That being said, gaining acceptance to nurse anesthesia school is highly competitive. Since every applicant looks like you, you have to get creative in order to stand out. This is where all the extras is important. So what will make the admissions committee choose you over every other nurse anesthesia candidate? Here are 9 tips to make this a reality.

Read:  How to Become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)

1. Get great undergrad grades

The average GPA of most accepted nurse anesthesia students is greater than a 3.5. Great academic performance in sciences such as pharmacology, pathophysiology, or chemistry are a great way to demonstrate your academic ability. This is a strong indicator you can handle the rigors of a nurse anesthesia curriculum. Evidence of your academic ability is extremely important to gaining admission into a CRNA program.

2. Apply to the right CRNA programs

Prior to applying to any nurse anesthesia program you must be diligent when researching the schools in which you choose to apply to. Check out this awesome  website  to begin this process. After all, every program is unique and may not be the best fit for you. To increase your chances of getting into a CRNA program, plan on applying to at least three schools. While gaining admission may be tough, applying to the right schools will only increase your odds.

3. Put together an impressive CV

Your curriculum vitae (CV) is a critical part of your CRNA application. A CV is a showcase of your experience and achievements. It should be an evolving document as you and your career has evolved also. The key to creating an impeccable CV is to keep the time period relevant. For example, a CV for CRNA school should primarily focus on your experiences from nursing school and beyond.

Also carefully consider the sections you want to include in your CV. Typical sections when applying to CRNA school include education, work and volunteer experience, research, licensure and professional memberships. Now is the time to acknowledge all your accomplishments! And last proofread, proofread, proofread! This is important to spot any errors or inconsistencies in your CV before you submit your application.

4. Write a kick butt personal statement

As you prepare to apply to CRNA school, you’re probably stressed at the thought of writing your personal statement. Especially when it comes to what to write about or maybe not include at all. Your personal statement is your chance to write about anything you want to within the guidelines set by program you are applying to. In other words, you have total control over how the admissions committee see you and it allows you to show why your purpose is to be a nurse anesthetist.

Be sure to clearly highlight specific experiences and qualities which will enable you to become an excellent nurse anesthetist. If you are able to achieve this, you will definitely have a leg up on other CRNA applicants. The goal is to keep the admissions readers interested and eager to see what the next sentence is. This will make you stand out for sure!

5. Take a graduate level course

Passing a graduate level course shows the admissions committee you may fare well in their nurse anesthesia program. Your performance may also show the committee you may fare well in their program. But before going too far into graduate work, be sure you have taken all your prerequisites.

A solid graduate course to take is Statistics. It’s not too hard of a course and one which you could probably get an “A”. And after passing this course, be sure to mention it in your personal statement. Some schools may even require Statistics before you can apply to their program. So this will be a win, win situation either way. This will show you are determined and highly motivated. It also shows you can handle the complexity of the CRNA program and you already know how to study and learn. So this is half the battle to get through CRNA school.

6. Get involved in your profession

The next thing on your to do list is to get involved in the healthcare community. Not only join organizations but become an active participant. I joined the engagement committee and participated in my hospitals Habitat for Humanity. Make sure you join a committee you genuinely like and want to help grow. Programs love to see prospective candidates that are well rounded and passionate about their profession.

7. Job Shadow CRNAs for 40 hours

Shadowing a CRNA is an important part of becoming a CRNA. To fully gain an understanding of what the work of a CRNA is, you must shadow one first. Most applicants only shadow for 8 hours. In order to stand out from other applicants, I suggest you shadow a CRNA for 40 hours. Yes, I said it. Getting those 40 hours over a period of time is alright -just get it in! This goes a long way in showing the committee you know what you are getting into and you are in this for the long haul. I have included this handy  CRNA shadowing log  for your personal use. Just remember depending on the school you apply to, they may have their own CRNA shadowing form.

8. Get plenty of certifications

Most critical care nurses are required to take at the least Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS). Depending on your specialty unit you may also be required to obtain your Pediatric Life Support (PALS). Why not go a step further and obtain every certification you can. Like the  CCRN ,  TNCC , among others.

This is the time to think outside the box. Prior to becoming a CRNA, every Monday I was the Registered Nurse who provided moderate sedation for pain management procedures in the operating room. Therefore, it only made sense to get my  Certified Sedation Registered Nurse certification . These additional certifications are an indicator you are competent in critical care nursing. Also this shows you have obtained the knowledge along with gaining valuable experience while working in ICU.

Read:  Stay Motivated On Your Journey With These Easy Steps

9. Attend advanced nursing seminars

There are many CRNA programs which offer seminars for prospective applicants to help candidates get a good sense of what nurse anesthesia entails and prepare for school. What better way to show you are highly motivated, ready to apply and get some hands on experience in anesthesia in the process.

I attended the  Diversity CRNA Airway Management course  at the University of New England prior to applying to their program. In addition to learning so much about anesthesia, I also got to learn about the school and was given the opportunity to speak with the director. This will allow you to speak about your experiences and how much you want to be a CRNA. On the other hand, it will also tell you if the school will not be a good fit for you. Another CRNA program,  Wake Forest School of Medicine , also offers some continuing education programs.

Essential tips

I wanted to share some tips that will get you closer to the end goal of becoming a CRNA. After submitting your application, be sure to check on it often. And fight for your spot in the program. Getting into CRNA school is more than just making good grades and getting a high GRE scores. Everyone focuses way too much on the academic part of their application and forget to show the school who they are as a person and future anesthetist. It worked for me. So what are you waiting for?

Leave a comment

Hi! I’m Kiki. I’m a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist and PreCRNA Coach/Mentor for ICU Nurses to help them get into a CRNA program on the 1st try. 

Recent Posts

CRNA Program Admissions: The Challenge of High Demand and Intense Rivalry

The Biggest CRNA School Myth Debunked

How to Get Into CRNA School In 5 Easy Steps

Reasons Why You Should Leave Bedside Nursing (For ICU Nurses)

Stop Letting Fear Hold You Back, Do This Instead!

Creating a plan to get accepted to CRNA school changed my life. It can do the same for you! Ditch fear and get started TODAY!

Quick Links

• Work With Me

Go ahead & grab your  FREE  “Ultimate Guide to CRNA School Admission”. 

© 2023 The CRNA Chase Design by SitePress  Powered by  Mayarie

NursingStatement.com by  Dr. Robert Edinger Helping Nurses S ince 1995   [email protected]

Standard Statement Service

Premium Statement Service

Thanks for subscribing!

Letter of Recommendation 

CV/Resume Editing

Nursing Personal Statement of Purpose

I invite you to fill out my Interview Form at this link. Even if you have a draft, the information on the interview form is often helpful and serves as the basis for me to make creative improvements to the statement. I spend more time with the statement for my premium service customers at US$299.00 ; this is especially true when it comes to making major contributions to creative ideas. My standard service at US$199.00 is for clients who already have a well-developed draft that they need to have tweaked. My premium service is for those clients who want my ultimate effort and further revision after making changes. 

• Mar 12, 2021

300-Word Personal Statement, CRNA, Latinx

Updated: Mar 21

I feel well-equipped, highly motivated, and able to handle the opportunity and rigors of a challenging CRNA program . During these past six years in ICU, working alongside amazing CRNAs, and discussing my future with them in Nurse Anesthesia, I have been genuinely impressed by their confidence, work autonomy, and the magnetic coupling of nursing acumen with nursing pharma knowledge.

As a CRNA, I can turn one of my goals and dreams into reality: serving as an active member of my hospital’s anesthesia department. For the past six years, I have given time, energy, and passion to helping others within war-torn, impoverished, disaster-stricken locales in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Africa. I aim to do much more, on a grander scale, ideally through Doctors without Borders , and bringing my bilingual abilities to bear. I have witnessed elevated levels of human suffering, the aftermath of civil war, the effects of governmental corruption, and people of all ages who have never met a healthcare professional dying of treatable, curable diseases. This doesn't seem right, and no longer will I wonder who will help. I am that someone and my day has come.

XXXX School of Nurse Anesthesia is my only choice for further development. Repeatedly, XXXX’s name has come up in my research and consultation with CRNAs, convincing me of the program's stellar reputation. I bring to the student body and program over two decades of academic and professional experiences, which I am eager to share.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

#CRNA #nurseanesthesia #samples #personalstatement #statementofpurpose #editor

• Nurse Anesthesia CRNA Statements
• DNP Personal Statement Examples
• Latinx & Caribbean Nurse Statement

Recent Posts

DNP, CRNA Personal Purpose, Mission to Central America

CRNA, Asian, Developmentally Challenged Brother

CRNA, US Navy Service, Education, Volunteerism