Program Overview

Nurse Anesthesia, D.N.P.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nurse Anesthesia (NA) program prepares nurses for advanced practice in anesthesia care across the lifespan. The Nurse Anesthesia program provides intensive preparation for comprehensive anesthesia care delivery with a focus on independent practice. The students receive didactic instruction, patient simulation, and extensive clinical experiences. The didactic phase consists of coursework in the basic and clinical sciences, health care delivery and policy, translational research, leadership, and management culminating in a scholarly project. The clinical or residency phase consists of tertiary, community, and critical access hospitals and specialty rotations, providing students exposure to all practice settings. Faculty arrange the clinical sites to provide the best learning opportunities.

Admission

Applicants to the NA program must meet the requirements for admission to the Graduate School. In addition, to be considered for an interview for the NA program, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Completion of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from an institution accredited by the National League for Nursing or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.
• An undergraduate cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or above.
• An undergraduate cumulative science GPA of 3.0 or above.
• Current unrestricted/unencumbered Registered Nurse license (Oklahoma license required at the start of the program or multi-state license which includes OK)
• A minimum of one year (2,080 hours) of full-time experience within the two years prior to application in an intensive care unit, or the equivalent hours if working part-time. Clinical experience must be direct patient care that demonstrates independent decision-making (time in orientation or in managerial positions is not applicable).
  • Intensive care unit experience must be obtained within the United States, its territories, or a US military hospital outside of the United States. An intensive care unit is defined as one where, on a routine basis, the registered nurse manages one or more of the following: invasive hemodynamic monitors (e.g., pulmonary artery, central venous pressure, and arterial catheters), cardiac assist devices, mechanical ventilation, and vasoactive infusions.
  • Examples are surgical, cardiothoracic, neurotrauma, medical, pediatric, and neonatal intensive care.
  • Those who have experience in other intensive care units may be considered, provided they can demonstrate competence with managing unstable patients, invasive monitoring, ventilators, and critical care pharmacology.
  • Emergency room, operating room, recovery room, and step-down units do not satisfy the ICU requirement.
• BLS, ACLS, and PALS certification at the time of application and must be maintained through graduation.
• A current CCRN certification is required.
• Professional and academic competency attested to by three letters of recommendation submitted by the recommender directly to the graduate school. The three recommendations required are an academic recommendation, a current immediate supervisor recommendation, and an advanced practice provider recommendation.
  • For the academic recommendation (e.g., a professor in your BSN program): We are interested in whether the applicant is recommended for further study as a graduate student.
  • For the current immediate supervisor recommendation: We are interested in an assessment of the applicant’s critical care nursing skills, personal characteristics (emotional intelligence, maturity, and readiness for a difficult program of study), and degree of professional development as a Registered Nurse.
  • For the advanced practice provider recommendation (e.g., CRNA, physician, AGAC-NP): We are interested in an assessment of the applicant’s critical care knowledge and skills.
• The ability to comply with all hospital policies and carry out the position’s physical aspects.
• Submission of a 250-word personal essay describing the qualities and life experiences you bring to graduate school.
• Applicants must shadow at least one shift with a CRNA. Documentation of shadow experience with the name and signature of the CRNA must be submitted with the application.
• Although not required, experience as a preceptor, charge nurse, and committee member demonstrates leadership and is strongly encouraged.
• Following the committee review of all applications, selected applicants will be invited to in-person interviews. During the interview process, all interviewees will complete a Health Science Reasoning Test to be completed 48 hours prior to the scheduled interview.

Curriculum Requirements

Summer Year 1 (8 hours)

• DNPA 9101 Orientation to Nurse Anesthesia Practice
• DNPA 9113 Basic Principles of Anesthesia
• DNPA 9114 Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology for Nurse Anesthetist I

Fall Year 1 (13 hours)

• DNP 8023 Advanced Pharmacology
• DNP 9003 Foundations for Practice
• DNPA 9123 Advanced Principles of Nurse Anesthesia Practice I
• DNPA 9124 Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology for Nurse Anesthetist II

Spring Year 1 (12 hours)

• DNP 8032 Advanced Assessment
• DNP 8031 Advanced Assessment Lab
• DNPA 9002 Anesthesia Simulation Lab
• DNP 9013 Health Care Policy
• DNPA 9154 Advanced Pharmacology for Nurse Anesthetists

Summer Year 2 (11 hours)

• DNP 9023 Healthcare Informatics
• DNP 9063 Epidemiology
• DNPA 9112 Advanced Anesthesia Simulation Lab
• DNPA 9133 Advanced Principles of Nurse Anesthesia Practice II

Fall Year 2 (10 hours)

• DNP 8043 Translational Research
• DNP 9043 Organizational Leadership and Quality Improvement
• DNPA 9164 Anesthesia Clinical Practicum I

Spring Year 2 (10 hours)

• DNP 8053 Biostatistics
• DNP 9073 D.N.P. Project Proposal
• DNPA 9174 Anesthesia Clinical Practicum II

Summer Year 3 (9 hours)

• DNP 9173 D.N.P. Project Design
• DNPA 9186 Anesthesia Clinical Practicum III

Fall Year 3 (9 hours)

• DNP 9083 Project Completion
• DNPA 9196 Anesthesia Clinical Practicum IV

Spring Year 3 (7 hours)

• DNPA 9193 Advanced Clinical Topics
• DNPA 9294 Anesthesia Clinical Practicum V

Accreditation

The Nurse Anesthesia Program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) and meets or exceeds its published clinical and academic requirements. The program works collaboratively with COA on quality assessment and improvement activities. The next review is scheduled for May 2025.