Nurse Anesthesia BSN to DNP Concentration

The Nurse Anesthesia BSN to DNP Degree Program prepares registered nurses for entry into anesthesia practice. Through an integrated program of classroom and clinical instruction, students develop the didactic knowledge base and clinical skills necessary for safe and effective practice. Graduates are prepared to administer a full range of anesthetics to a wide variety of patients across the life span.

Students will progress through a series of structured and scaffolded learning activities prior to embarking upon clinical learning experiences. Students will rotate through numerous clinical sites in Pittsburgh and around the region including the UPMC hospitals, which are nationally known for surgical innovation, trauma medicine, organ transplantation, evidence-based anesthesia practice, research, and biomedical technology. Rotations include specialized experiences in cardiothoracic, neurosurgical, dental, regional anesthesia, organ transplantation, pediatrics, obstetrics, burns, and electroconvulsive therapy.  An array of additional clinical opportunities in community environments and other unique settings help to enrich the curriculum and prepare the graduate for practice in diverse settings. Upon completion, graduates are well-prepared to safely manage simple-to-extremely complex patients across the lifespan.

Nurse Anesthesia Curriculum

The nurse anesthesia program doctoral curriculum is offered in a full time format over 36 months (9 terms) and classes begin each January. The curriculum consists of 86 credits (class and clinical). After the first two terms, the curriculum design integrates classroom and clinical experiences. The curriculum consists of 39 core credits and 47 anesthesia specialty credits.

Clinical practice begins as two days/week in the third term and increases in both intensity and frequency throughout the course of study. Course work in the final year includes completion of the DNP project and preparation for the SON Comprehensive Examination and the National Certification Examination. All anesthesia classes are during daylight hours and students are not typically scheduled for clinical experiences on anesthesia class days. Core courses may be scheduled during evening hours and students’ clinical schedules are adjusted accordingly.

Candidates who have been accepted for admission will be assigned a faculty advisor and can discuss enrolling in a selected DNP core courses prior to entering the full-time curriculum. This allows the student to lessen the academic requirements within the full time program.