Program Description
Integrated, Innovative Curriculum
The 27-month Masters of Nurse Anesthesia program comprises didactic courses and clinical experience-integration of clinical training with coursework is a key feature of the program. Students begin a supervised clinical experience in the first semester. Clinical experience includes a minimum of 550 anesthesia cases covering a variety of general and regional anesthetics for pediatrics, obstetrics, geriatrics, cardiovascular-thoracic, neurological, plastic otolaryngology, ophthalmology, urology, orthopaedics, and radiological procedures.
Program Success
Through careful selection of applicants, quality instruction, and supportive environment, 97% of our admitted students succeed in completing the program and earning their master's degree. All of our master's trained graduates have passed the certification examination of the Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists and have scored at or above the national average. The first-time rate for passing the certification exam has been 92% for the past five years.
Accreditation
The program is fully accredited for the maximum 10-year period by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs. Both the quality of clinical training and the strong coursework emphasis in basic medical sciences were recognized as strengths of the training program.
Program Goals
- To provide an education in anesthesia for qualified students and train them for professional competency.
- To provide experiences that will contribute to the student's development in the specialized area of anesthesia.
- To stimulate the desire for life-long learning and development of knowledge and personal capabilities.
- To provide a service to the people by educating qualified nurse anesthetists.
- To encourage the student’s professional and personal development.
- To ensure integration of basic and clinical sciences.
Admission Prerequisites
- A baccalaureate degree in nursing or in a related science with a GPA of 3.0 or better.
- Current licensure as a professional registered nurse in one of the fifty states.
- Satisfactory score on the Graduate Record Exam taken within five years of application.
- A minimum of one year full-time critical care nursing experience prior to July 1st. Application must be submitted before May 1st deadline.
- Current CV or resume.
- Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).
- Letters of recommendation from two healthcare professionals.
- A personal interview with the Interview and Admissions Committee.