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College of Nursing: Doctor of Nursing Practice Program

Nurse Anesthesia program: Admissions requirements

Admission to the DNP Program, nurse anesthesia specialty is competitive. The following criteria are used to determine admission to the program.

See also the admission requirements to the DNP program (of which the CRNA program is a track). For example, certain forms and verifications are required for all DNP admission, including to the CRNA program.

For applicants seeking a DNP degree meeting eligibility requirements leading to certification as a CRNA:

Course Work and Grade Point Average

  • 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 have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 on a 4.0 scale to be considered for admission. In addition, applicants must have a minimum “last 60 GPA” of 3.25. For applicants whose highest degree is a BSN, the “last 60 GPA” will be calculated using the most recent 60 credit hours of undergraduate coursework. For applicants with a graduate degree in nursing, or who have completed graduate-level coursework, the “last 60 GPA” will be calculated using the most recent 60 credit hours of all coursework. Both cumulative GPA and “last 60 GPA” will be reviewed as part of the admissions process. Applicants must also demonstrate strong academic performance in the sciences, with a minimum science GPA of 3.25. The science GPA is calculated using coursework in the sciences, such as chemistry, physics, cell biology, anatomy, physiology, microbiology, genetics, immunology, biochemistry, and pharmacology.
  • Official Transcripts: An official transcript from each institution previously attended or currently attending must be submitted either in a sealed envelope or electronically from the sending institution.

Licensure

  • 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 a 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.
  • Critical Care Experience:
  1. A minimum of one year of full-time critical care experience or its part-time equivalent. One year of full-time critical care experience is a Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs requirement for admission to all nurse anesthesia programs.
  2. 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. We evaluate each applicant on an individual basis to determine the quality as well as the quantity of critical care skill experience.

Certifications

  • Life support certifications. Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certifications are required at time of application and must be maintained throughout the program.
  • CCRN certification. Active CCRN® certification is required for admission.  Applicants must provide their CCRN examination score as part of the application process.  Certification and score submission serve as indicators of advanced critical care knowledge and readiness for nurse anesthesia specialty education.

Student Liability Insurance / Anesthesia Professional Liability Insurance

Individual student liability coverage must be purchased through American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) Insurance Services. Proof of insurance will be required and maintained during enrollment. Failure to obtain the required liability insurance will result in inability to register for classes.

References

Nurse Anesthesia Specialty applicants must submit two (2) letters of reference from persons with knowledge of the applicant’s work performance and experience, including 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. One letter from the applicant’s most recent critical care area supervisor is required. The process for obtaining and submitting official references is included in the application packet and is sent to those individuals who will be providing references.

Essay and On-campus Interview

Applicants who meet academic, licensure, nursing experience, and certification qualifications may be invited for 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.

  • Essay. The purpose of the essay is to provide the nurse anesthesia faculty further insight into the professional goals, motivation, and expectations of the applicant and to evaluate written communication skills. Applicants are asked to provide written responses to specific questions during their on-campus interview session.
  • 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 in the U.S.

  • If you do not have a degree from a U.S. high school, college, or university, you are required to demonstrate English proficiency. An official TOEFL score of at least 550 or above on the paper-based exam, or 213 or above on 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 https://ets.org.
  • 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 [http://www.ece.org)]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.

Previous Nursing Education

Applicants who have attended a previous graduate nursing school or another health-profession-related 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.

Transfer Credit Policy

The College of Nursing will permit a student to transfer up to twelve (12) credits of graduate credit from another accredited graduate school in the United States, provided that the grades are “B” or better, and the subjects are acceptable to the department concerned, as a part of the student’s program. During advising, students may petition their specialty coordinator for approval of transfer credit. A student will not be permitted to transfer credit from another institution for any comparable course that has been registered for twice at UAMS. Graduate nursing courses will be evaluated for transfer if copies of course syllabi, and an official transcript reflecting the completed coursework are sent to the College of Nursing Student Services Office for processing. The six-year completion time for DNP degree begins with the oldest course that is to be applied to the degree.