Program Overview

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Nurse Anesthesia Program

The UNC Greensboro nurse anesthesia concentration is a 36-month plan of study that prepares students to become certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) who provide high-quality anesthesia care to their patients.

Program Overview

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are in high demand across hospitals, outpatient centers, and office-based surgical practices. Our Nurse Anesthesia program offers a 36-month doctoral plan of study and prepares students for the national board certification exam administered by the National Board on Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA) to become a CRNA.

Curriculum

The 36-month doctoral graduate study program consists of a total of 107 credits of didactic and clinical coursework over 9 semesters with a May entry and completion. The curriculum includes:

• 36-month doctoral graduate study program
• 107 credits of didactic and clinical coursework
• 9 semesters with a May entry and completion
• Affordable, integrated curricular design with rich simulation, practicum, and classroom instruction in state-of-the-art facilities
• Course delivery includes campus, online, and hybrid formats
• Campus-based courses are taught at the Union Square Campus, 124 East Gate City Blvd, Greensboro, NC 27406

Clinical Education

Students are exposed to excellent didactic and clinical instruction and gain a wide variety of clinical experiences that consistently exceed the requirements for certification eligibility. Clinical education results in:

• Approximately 1,000 cases (40 percent greater than the minimum required)
• Greater than 3,000 clinical hours (50 percent greater than the minimum required)
• Rotation to over 28 clinical sites located within North Carolina
• Clinical sites include prestigious institutions such as Cone Health, Novant Health, UNC Hospitals, UNC-Rex Health, WakeMed Health & Hospitals, Duke Raleigh Hospital, and Duke Regional Hospital, plus many others located to the east and west of Raleigh and Greensboro

Program Accreditation

The UNCG nurse anesthesia concentration is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA). The COA is located at 10275 W. Higgins Rd., Suite 906, Rosemont, IL. In October 2023, the program received a 10-year continuation of accreditation, the maximum accreditation period attainable through the COA, through October 2034.

Admission Requirements

Applicants to the Nurse Anesthesia Concentration must have or provide the following:

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing from a program accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency
• Entry-level MSN also accepted
• Minimum 3.2 GPA (cumulative)
• Undergraduate science grades are reviewed carefully
• Science GPA minimum 3.0
• Completion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) within five years of application
• Scores should be competitive in the > 50% percentile range
• This requirement may be waived for applicants who have earned master's degrees at the Program's discretion
• Current unrestricted licensure as a registered nurse in one of the 50 states or validated credentials by CGFNS for international students
• Residents of North Carolina must hold unrestricted North Carolina licensure as a registered nurse
• Basic Life Support (BLS); Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) & Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification must be from the American Heart Association
• PALS course completion is preferred prior to the time of interview

Required Course Work

• Health Assessment: Satisfactory completion of an undergraduate Health Assessment course
• Chemistry: Satisfactory completion of undergraduate Chemistry (three semester hours minimum)
• Statistics: Satisfactory completion of an undergraduate course in Statistics

Clinical Experience

• A minimum of one year of continuous full-time acute care experience in a critical care setting – adult experience is required (MICU, SICU, CCU, CTSU, Neuro ICU, etc.)
• PACU and ED experience is not considered to be acute care experience in a critical care setting

Shadowing

• A minimum of 2 shadowing experiences with a CRNA
• The CRNA should document the type of shadowing experience or experiences, sign and date, and give to the applicant

CCRN Certification

• Applicants will not be considered for admission until they have received their CCRN certification

References

• Three (3) references are required as part of the application process
• 1 from an immediate supervisor and 2 from colleagues
• References should come from individuals who work with you on a daily basis and can attest to your work ethic and experience

Application Process

• Applicants must submit an application to the Graduate School online portal with the appropriate application fee prior to the admissions deadline
• Applications must include:
  • Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
  • Completion of the Community Standards and Campus Safety Questionnaire
  • A curriculum vitae or resume that contains your educational degrees and work, employment history, membership or offices in organizations, and community service activities
  • A list of three academic and/or professional references
  • A personal statement of 400 words or less that discusses the applicant's nursing background and discusses future goals
• An interview is required for applicants
• Nonresidential international students are required to participate in a telephone interview

Plan of Study

The plan of study includes:

• Year 1:
  • Summer: NUR 751 Pharmacology of Nurse Anesthesia I, NUR 728 Physics, Chemistry, and Mechanics in Anesthesia, NUR 729 Health Assessment for Nurse Anesthesia, NUR 727 Basic Principles of Nurse Anesthesia Practice I, NUR 819 Holistic Approaches to Leadership
  • Fall: NUR 734 Basic Principles of Nurse Anesthesia Practice II, NUR 727L Basic Principles of Nurse Anesthesia Practice LAB, NUR 729L Health Assessment for Nurse Anesthesia LAB, NUR 728L Physics, Chemistry, and Mechanics in Anesthesia LAB, NUR 730 Neuropathology of Nurse Anesthesia, NUR 824 Applied Theory in Advancing Practice, NUR 771A Clinical Practicum in Nurse Anesthesia I
  • Spring: NUR 714 Foundations of Informatics and Computational Systems, NUR 732 Advanced Principles of Nurse Anesthesia Practice, NUR 732L Advanced Principles of Nurse Anesthesia Practice LAB, NUR 771B Clinical Practicum in Nurse Anesthesia II, NUR 740 Professional Aspects of Nurse Anesthesia
• Year 2:
  • Summer: NUR 772 Clinical Practicum in Nurse Anesthesia III, NUR 705 Scientific Approaches to Advance Healthcare
  • Fall: NUR 753 Cardiovascular Pathophysiology for Nurse Anesthesia, NUR 754 Pharmacology of Nurse Anesthesia II, NUR 773A Clinical Practicum in Nurse Anesthesia IV, NUR 818 Core Course Biostatistical Basis for Decision-Making
  • Spring: NUR 756 Respiratory Pathophysiology for Nurse Anesthesia, NUR 757 Pharmacology of Nurse Anesthesia III, NUR 890A Scholarly Seminar I: Project Development, NUR 773B Clinical Practicum in Nurse Anesthesia V
• Year 3:
  • Summer: NUR 774 Clinical Practicum in Nurse Anesthesia VI, NUR 744 Anesthesia Crisis Resource Management, NUR 759 Pharmacology for Nurse Anesthesia IV
  • Fall: NUR 890B Scholarly Seminar II: Project Development, NUR 775A Clinical Practicum in Nurse Anesthesia VII, NUR 758 Pathophysiology of Abdominal Systems for Nurse Anesthesia, NUR 820 Seminar for Nurse Anesthesia Advanced Practice
  • Spring: NUR 890C Scholarly Seminar III: Evaluation, Conclusion, & Dissemination, NUR 775B Clinical Practicum in Nurse Anesthesia VIII, NUR 797 Integrated Clinical Concepts

Frequently Asked Questions

• Will I be allowed to work as a nurse while I am attending your school?
  • The time committed to study, class, and clinical practice may consume over 60 hours per week. The University encourages students to plan finances appropriately, before entering the program, so you will not have to work while enrolled in the program. Students enrolled in the DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program are discouraged from working as an RN.
• What does the DNP NA Program accept as "critical care experience"?
  • Critical care experience needed in order to be considered a successful applicant would be full-time employment in an acute critical care unit such as CVICU, Neuro ICU, Surgical ICU, or Medical ICU. Emergency Room, PACU, or Operating Room experience is not considered to be critical care experience.
• I have a bachelor's degree in an area other than nursing. Can I apply for admission to the DNP NA Program?
  • No, all applicants must have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from a program accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting body.
• Is my deposit refundable once I have been accepted into the program?
  • No, deposits paid to the University are nonrefundable. A $3,000.00 deposit is required upon acceptance into the program and is applied towards the fees payable to UNCG.
• When do students begin clinical rotations and how long do they last?
  • First-year students begin clinical rotation beginning in the second semester. The clinical schedules will be prepared in 4-12 week blocks depending on the level of the student in the program. The first rotation is approximately 12 weeks in length.
• Can I only be assigned to a clinical rotation located near my home?
  • Clinical rotations are assigned based upon student case requirements and not according to the students' geographical location/residence. The UNCG DNP Nurse Anesthesia program has clinical sites located throughout North Carolina. Our graduate registered nurse anesthesia residents rotate through the program's official sites only. The program does not allow students to be placed in only one clinical site near their respective home.
• Does the UNCG DNP NA program offer simulation experiences?
  • Yes, graduate registered nurse anesthesia residents experience low and high-fidelity simulation experiences and are exposed to clinical scenarios throughout the program. The program has a large inventory of airway, regional, and CVP practice manikins.