Nurse Anesthesia Track of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program

Welcome

To meet the increasing complexity of our health care environment, the Institute of Medicine calls for health care to reduce the burden of illness, injury, and disability for our nation. Improvement strategies include the provision of care that is safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable. The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Nurse Anesthesia Program blends a multi-disciplinary clinical framework with organizational, economic, and leadership skills, preparing critical-care nurses to provide high-quality, cost-effective anesthetic care to a variety of patients across the lifespan, in a wide array of clinical settings.

Overview

The UAMS DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program is a 36-month, full-time, entry-to-practice plan of study which prepares BSN- or masters prepared critical-care nurses for the role of a DNP-prepared CRNA.

The UAMS DNP Nurse Anesthesia graduate will develop the leadership skills needed to translate evidence into clinical practice, transform health care models and systems, and influence policy while ensuring quality outcomes and safety in the delivery of anesthetic care. Graduates will be eligible to take the national certification examination (NCE) offered by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA). Upon passing the NCE, the graduate will then become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA).

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Plan of Study

New (2024) Course Numbers	Old Course Numbers	Course name	Credit
		FALL YEAR 1
NURS 51003	NURS 5101	Research Methodology	3
NURS 51033	NURS 5102	Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology	3
NURS 71053	NURS 7105	Theoretical Foundations For ANP & Research	3
NURS 71133	NURS 7112	Health Care Informatics	3
NURS 75133	NURS 7511	Scientific Foundations	3
		Subtotal	15
		SPRING YEAR 1
NURS 51043	NURS 5103	Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics in APRN	3
NURS 71143	NURS 7114	Health-Care Analytics for Nursing Practice	3
NURS 75204	NURS 7520	Principles of DNP Nurse Anesthesia Practice I	4
NURS 75234	NURS 7521	Advanced Physiology for Nurse Ansthesia	3
		Subtotal	13
		SUMMER YEAR 1
NURS 75302	NURS 7531	Pathophysiology for Specialty Populations	2
NURS 75243	NURS 7523	Clinical Pharmacology for Nurse Anethesia	3
NURS 75104	NURS 7510	Advanced Human Anatomy for Nurse Anesthesia	4
		Subtotal	9
		FALL YEAR 2
NURS 53052	NURS 5305	Advanced Health Assessment and Dx Reasoning Theory	2
NURS 53061	NURS 5306	Advanced Health Assessment and Dx Reasoning Practicum	1
NURS 71103	NURS 7111	Economics for Complex Organizational Systems	3
NURS 75265	NURS 7525	Principles of DNP Nurse Anesthesia Practice II	5
		Subtotal	11
		SPRING YEAR 2
NURS 71173	NURS 7117	Leadership in Health Policy and Advocacy	3
NURS 72103	NURS 7210	Evidence-Based Practice for Doctor of Nursing Practice	3
NURS 75255	NURS 7524	DNP Anesthesia Practicum I	4.5
NURS 75354	NURS 7535	Principles of DNP Nurse Anesthesia Practice III	4
		Subtotal	14.5
		SUMMER YEAR 2
NURS 52063	NURS 5205	Quantitative Epidemiology I	3
NURS 75344	NURS 7534	DNP Anesthesia Practicum II	4
		Subtotal	7
		FALL YEAR 3
NURS 72133	NURS 7211	Quality Outcomes Management	3
NURS 75446	NURS 7544	DNP Anesthesia Practicum III	6
		Subtotal	9
		SPRING YEAR 3
NURS 72142	NURS 7212	Integration of DNP Competencies	2
NURS 74004	NURS 7401	Advanced Nursing Clinical Practice	4
NURS 75553	NURS 7554	DNP Anesthesia Practicum IV	3
		Subtotal	9
		SUMMER YEAR 3
NURS 75363	NURS 7536	Integration of Critical Nurse Anesthesia Concepts	3
NURS 75644	NURS 7564	DNP Anesthesia Practicum V	4
		Subtotal	7
		TOTAL CREDITS	95.5

Quick Facts

• Enrollment mode: On-campus only
• Admission term: Fall only
• Application deadline: November 1st

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Admission to the UAMS DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program is competitive; on average, we receive 260 applications for sixteen open slots, yielding a 6% yearly acceptance rate. The following criteria are used to determine admission to the program:

Course Work and Grade Point Averages

• Bachelor’s degree with a major in nursing. Present proof of earned baccalaureate degree in nursing from a program accredited by either the Accreditation Commission for Nursing in Education (ACEN; formerly known as NLNAC) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or equivalent degree from a comparable foreign institution.
• Health assessment course. Provide evidence of an academic or an ANCC-COA continuing education approved health assessment course.
• Basic statistics course. Applicants must have completed a course in basic statistics with a letter grade of “C” or better.
• Grade Point Average (GPA). Applicants must hold a GPA of 3.00 or above (on a 4-point scale) for admission. GPA will be calculated from the last cumulative 60 hours of nursing undergraduate coursework for applicants with BSN only, or from cumulative graduate coursework for applicants with a graduate degree in nursing. Additionally, a separate GPA measuring achievement in science courses (chemistry, physics, anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology) of greater than 3.25 is recommended.
• Official Transcripts: An official transcript from every institution previously attended or currently attending must be submitted either in a sealed envelope or electronically from the sending institution.

Licensure and Residency

• Registered Nurse (RN) license. Provide evidence of an unencumbered license as a registered professional nurse and/or an APRN in the United States or its territories or protectorates. Applicants will be required to submit an RN license from the state in which they are currently working. Once applicants are accepted into the NAP, they must maintain an active Arkansas or compact state license.
• Residency Status. Residents from other states who apply are accepted and attend UAMS may be financially impacted based on residency status. Policies on residency may be found in the following:
• UAMS Residence Policy. Standards and Processes for Determining Student Residency Status can be found under All UAMS Policies & Procedures. Search by title.
• Change in Residency Status. Application for Change in Residency Status form can be found under All UAMS Policies & Procedures. Search by title.
• Residency Status of Native Americans.
• Native American people in other states belonging to tribes that formerly lived in Arkansas before relocation and whose names are on the rolls in tribal headquarters shall be classified as in-state students of Arkansas for tuition and fee purposes on all campuses of the University of Arkansas. Tribes so identified include the Caddo, Cherokee, Choctaw, Osage, and Quapaw.
• Non-Resident Tuition for Native Americans Residency Exception can be found under All UAMS Policies & Procedures. Search by title.
• Residence status of Military:
• Active Military Non-Residency Exception can be found under All UAMS Policies & Procedures. Search by title.
• Employment and Spouse/Dependent In-State Residency Exception for Tuition and Fee Purposes can be found under All UAMS Policies & Procedures. Search by title.

Minimum Experience as an RN:

• A minimum of two (2) years of clinical experience is strongly recommended prior to application.
• The Arkansas State Board of Nursing requires a minimum of 2000 verified experience hours as a registered nurse as part of the application process for advanced practice licensure. The College of Nursing requires a minimum of 2000 verified RN experience hours prior to enrollment in the Advanced Health Assessment & Diagnostic Reasoning theory and practicum courses (NURS 5305 and NURS 5306).

Critical Care Experience:

• A minimum of one year of full-time critical care experience, or its part-time equivalent, is an accreditation requirement for admission to all nurse anesthesia programs. We evaluate each applicant on an individual basis to determine the quality as well as quantity of critical care skill experience. While the one-year minimum is recommended by our accrediting body, we have found that successful graduates of our program will typically have had three to five years of critical care experience.
• A minimum of one year of professional nursing experience in critical care (adult, pediatric, or neonatal) is required within two years prior to application to the nurse anesthesia specialty. Additionally, the applicant must show development as an independent decision-maker capable of using and interpreting advanced monitoring techniques based on knowledge of physiological and pharmacological principles.
• Applicants must show proof of 2000 hours of work experience as an RN before registering for any practicum course. The Verification of Employment Form found on the College of Nursing website must be completed and notarized.

Certifications

• Life support certifications. Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certifications are required at the time of application and must be maintained throughout the program.
• CCRN certification is highly recommended.

References

Two letters of recommendation (one professional, one peer) are required from professionals with knowledge of the applicant’s current work performance and experience. Recommenders must address the applicant’s ability to successfully complete a doctoral program and can speak to the applicant’s academic potential, clinical skills, knowledge, and involvement in leadership or professional activities. A recommendation from the applicant’s most recent supervisor is strongly suggested. Reference names and e-mail contact information must be provided as part of the application. An email will then be sent directly to the recommenders with information and instructions for completion and return of references.

Essay and On-campus Interview

• Applicants who meet academic, licensure, nursing experience, and certification qualifications may be invited for an on-campus interview and essay completion. Generally, 2-3 times the number of applicants for the available spaces in the nurse anesthesia specialty will be invited for the on-campus assessments.
• Professional goals statement. The purpose of this statement is to provide the nurse anesthesia faculty with further insight into the professional goals, motivation, and expectations of the applicant and to evaluate written communication skills. This statement is to be submitted with the application. (Maximum 250 word count)
• Additionally, applicants may be asked to provide written responses to a series of questions during their on-campus interview sessions as a part of the admission process.
• Interview. Applicants meeting admission criteria and selected for further admission consideration must participate in an interview for the purpose of evaluating communication and decision-making skills, educational goals and current leadership, scholarship, practice roles, and activities. The interview will be in-person, face-to-face unless extraordinary circumstances warrant other arrangements. The nurse anesthesia specialty Director is charged with the responsibility for making decisions related to “extraordinary circumstances.”
• Applicants without a High School Diploma or College Degree from the U.S.
• The CIA official language field listing is used to determine whether the TOEFL exam is required for international applicants who declare English as their first language. If English is listed as the official language of their country of birth on the CIA listing, the student will not be required to complete the TOEFL exam as an admission requirement. If the applicant was not born in the United States or in a country where English is the official language, the applicant may document their English proficiency in one of two ways:
• a. An official TOEFL score of at least 550 or above on the paper-based exam, or 213 or above on the computer-based exam, or a minimum score of 20 in each section of the iBT is required. The test must have been taken within the last two (2) calendar years of admission. Official TOEFL exam score report reflecting successful completion must be received no later than one (1) month past the application deadline date. Only TOEFL test scores received directly from ETS will be accepted as valid. Testing information is available at http://ets.org.
• b. If the applicant’s entire educational experience has been in the United States, the applicant does not have to take the TOEFL. To document this, the applicant must provide records/transcripts from the time that the applicant entered school in the seventh grade through high school and college. If the applicant cannot provide this documentation, the applicant may appeal first to the College of Nursing Admissions and Progression Committee, and then to the College of Nursing Dean.
• Evaluation of Foreign Transcripts. If the degree was earned outside of the United States, the applicant must have all international transcripts evaluated by a credentialing entity that is a member of NACES (The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services) (e.g., www.wes.org or www.ece.org). The evaluation must include proof of the equivalency of a United States degree and an equivalent GPA that is based on a 4.0 grading system.
• Applicants who have attended a previous graduate nursing school or another health-related professional school must have a letter submitted from that school that includes a statement regarding the student’s standing at the previous school. Applicants who have been previously dismissed from a program or who are not in good standing will not be considered for admission. Admission will not be considered for anyone who earned an incomplete “I”, non-complete “NC”, or ”C” in any two graduate nursing courses; or a “D”, “F”, or withdrew with a failing grade (“WD” or “WF”) in any graduate nursing course.

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DEADLINES

Applications open: September1st

Deadline: November 1st

The UAMS DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program accepts students for fall enrollment only.

Frequently Asked Questions

Visit the Nurse Anesthesia Program FAQ page.

Accreditation

The UAMS DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program is a 36-month, full-time program, accredited through the fall of 2025 by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA). The COA offices are located at 10275 W. Higgins Rd., Suite 906, Rosemont, IL 60018-5603; (224) 275-9130. The program’s next review by the COA is scheduled for April 2025. http://coacrna.org.

Cohort Statistics:

• Attrition: Last graduating class, 0%. Overall, <2%.
• Certification pass rate. Last graduating class, first-time test takers: 94%. Sixty-day pass rate: 100%
• Employment rate: 100%.
• Total number of clinical sites: 13.
• Clinical site summary: UAMS NAP offers a variety of clinical sites serving urban, rural, and underserved communities. Practice sites include an academic health sciences center, comprehensive not-for-profit healthcare organizations, community-based facilities, and critical access hospitals. A full range of clinical educational experiences are available to ensure that graduates of our program are prepared to care for patients in any environment, and to deliver safe, high-quality and cost-effective anesthesia care to patients in virtually any healthcare setting.
• Average number of cases for last graduating class: 881.
• Average anesthesia hours for last graduating class: 2398.

CRNA PROGRAM FACULTY

Michelle LR Gonzalez, PhD, CRNA, FAANA, CHSE-A®

Director, Nurse Anesthesia Program

Clinical Associate Professor

Mark Dunavan, DNP, CRNA, COL, USAR (ret.)

Assistant Director, Nurse Anesthesia Program

Clinical Assistant Professor

Jennifer Rader, DNAP, CRNA

Clinical Instructor

Casey Polk, MSN, CRNA

Clinical Instructor

Adjunct Professor

Brian Parks, PhD

Clinical Instructor

Adjunct Clinical Instructor

Contact

If you have questions about admissions or your application. Please contact the Student Services office: 501-686-5224 or conadmissions@uams.edu