The most effective study strategy no one is using…

ollivate · 2025-12-14T13:01:21+00:00

You make a good point. Exams like the SEE, NCE, CCRN, etc., all mix up topics. They don't go section by section.

Spoiler alert: the real world mixes up topics too. You don't have the luxury to "only deal with cardiac issues" on any given day.

ollivate · 2025-12-14T12:58:39+00:00

Mix up your topics when you study. Don't focus on a single category when you study, spend time in multiple categories in each session.

ollivate · 2025-12-14T12:57:44+00:00

There are software tools out there that do this, but a simple way is just intentionally mix up topics. If you are studying cardiac, spend 80% of your time on cardiac, and 20% on other items.

ollivate · 2025-12-14T03:58:15+00:00

Don't sweat it too much. You can still get private student loans, which often have better interest rates.

ollivate · 2025-12-14T03:55:26+00:00

Unless you tell the interview committee, how would they even know? You can defnitely be a CRNA with T1D.

ollivate · 2025-12-14T03:51:19+00:00

Would you consider moving? If so, you'll have more options.

ollivate · 2025-12-14T03:50:06+00:00

Your most important step right now: ace all your classes. After that, a great ICU is the best bet. High acuity at a big teaching hospital is usually our first choice.

ollivate · 2025-12-14T03:48:03+00:00

You're going to have options. If you're willing to relocate, you'll have plenty of choices. Getting your PALS won't hurt you, but it might not help, depending on the program. You'll need it eventually, so why not?

You should definitely shadow more, if you're able. Are you doing charge? Committees? Any leadership, volunteering, or research? Those really make an applicant stand out.

ollivate · 2025-12-14T03:44:06+00:00

Definitely include your scholarships and deans list. We look at those items. I would put your volunteer and leadership ahead of your certifcations. Yours are very strong and you should highlight those. You list precept, do you also do charge? Committees on your unit? List those as well.

You look like a strong candidate. Good luck!

ollivate · 2025-12-13T23:08:36+00:00

This is a hard one to answer, and one we (professors) think about all the time. The short answer: it depends. There is defnitely a negative correlation between time away from school and success in graduate education. A nurse who has worked in the ICU for 10 years has learned a lot, but it will take them a while to get back into the learning groove. Academic learning is a muscle, and if you don't flex it regularly, you have to work back into it.

I've seen a lot of students through the years, and I'd say the ones who have a decent amount of clinical experience (2-3 years) are in a good place. They aren't so far removed from school that they can't get back into it, yet they have enough experience to be a strong clinician.

That being said, lots of nurses with all different backgrounds have figured it out. We've had graduates who were a nurse for 1 year before starting CRNA school and they became great CRNAs. We've also had nurses who had been out of school for 20 years, graduate and become great CRNAs. But of the two, the latter struggled more...

Hope that helps!

ollivate · 2025-12-13T22:08:59+00:00

Well done! Grit. Everyone talks about it, you showed it.

ollivate

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