Nurse Anesthesia BSN to DNP Major

The University of Pittsburgh 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 progress through a series of structured and scaffolded classroom and laboratory learning activities prior to embarking upon clinical learning experiences. Students 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 pain management.  An array of additional clinical opportunities in community environments and other unique settings help to enrich the curriculum and prepare the graduate for the full scope of anesthesia practice. 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 84.5 credits (class and clinical). After the first two terms, the curriculum design integrates classroom and clinical experiences. The curriculum consists of 42 core credits and 42.5 anesthesia specialty credits.

Clinical practice begins as two days/week in the third term and increases in both frequency and intensity throughout the course of study. Course work in the final year includes completion of the DNP scholarly project and preparation for the DNP Program Comprehensive Examination, the specialty area Comprehensive Exam, the NBCRNA Self Evaluation Exam, and the National Certification Examination. Anesthesia classes are typically held during daylight hours and students with core courses scheduled both during the daylight and evening hours. In either case, student clinical schedules will be adjusted accordingly to maximize success.

Candidates who have been accepted for admission are assigned a faculty advisor and can discuss enrolling in approved DNP core courses prior to entering the full-time curriculum. This allows the student to lessen future academic requirements within the full-time program. (Note: We recommend meeting with a counselor from the Office of Financial Aid in order to review the financial aid implications of taking coursework prior to the full-time start.)