DNP Program Curriculum

Master’s prepared CRNAs who are granted advanced standing can complete the curriculum in 24 months with much of the program offered online. The schedule of classes is designed to accommodate working professionals. Most courses are offered in an online format and you will only need to come to campus three times.

Requirements for the Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree include:

• Successful completion of all courses
• Satisfactory clinical performance
• Satisfactory completion of the DNP Project in Anesthesia
• Satisfactory completion of the Comprehensive Examination in Anesthesia
• Satisfactory completion of all requirements of the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs and the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists

The Doctor of Nursing Practice Program-Nurse Anesthesia is committed to the promotion of excellence in the nurse anesthesia profession through education, research, and patient care. Nurse anesthesia is an evolving practice shaped by societal and professional needs. The College believes that the doctoral framework is fundamental to preparing clinical anesthesia practitioners and future educators. Together with the anesthesiologist and surgeon, certified registered nurse anesthetists seek to meet patient needs through the provision of high quality, safe, and cost-effective health care. Professional nurse anesthesia practice involves patient assessment, planning, administering, directing and evaluating anesthesia care for the patient in a variety of variety of settings and circumstances.

The program seeks to provide a wide base of anesthesia educational experiences. The curriculum incorporates cutting edge technology, including web-based learning and human anesthesia simulation, while providing a fully integrated learning experience for students. Faculty believe that learning is an independent, self-initiated, life-long process, including opportunities for teacher-student interaction, goal setting, selecting and evaluating learning experiences as well as monitoring and measuring student progress. Learning experiences, offered online as well as in the classroom and clinical settings, are designed to achieve integration of the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for the production of a competent anesthetist. 

The Doctor of Nursing Practice Program-Nurse Anesthesia views the student as an individual and is dedicated to the proposition of equal educational opportunity. It is our aim to provide an atmosphere of intellectual inquiry and clinical experience to enable each student to realize his or her potential.

Program Goals

The Doctor of Nursing Practice Program-Nurse Anesthesia is a 36-month program of study leading to a Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree in Nurse Anesthesia. Graduates of the program are eligible to take the certification examination given by the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists.

The goals of the program are as follows:

• Support the College’s mission, values, and imperatives
• Prepare graduates to become competent Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, ready to serve society in an advanced role on the health care team
• Promote core values and behaviors that encourage respect for diversity, acknowledge human worth and dignity, and support professional nurse anesthesia practice
• Foster an appreciation for the necessity of learning, thinking critically, and continuing to grow personally and professionally
• Contribute to the nurse anesthesia profession and to society by engaging in expert clinical practice