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The mission of the School of Nursing is to provide an academic environment that allows students to master the intellectual and technical skills necessary to become competent in the safe conduct of anesthesia.  This is accomplished by providing a select group of experienced, graduate-level critical care nurses with the highest level of didactic, simulation lab, and clinical site experiences.  É«ÏãÊÓƵ’s graduate nurse anesthetists develop life-long scholarship, critical thinking skills, technical skills, and professionalism needed to become compassionate, patient-centered Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) in independent practice or within a collaborative anesthesia environment. 

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, have been providing anesthesia care in the United States of America for over one-hundred and fifty (150) years. Currently, there are approximately sixty-thousand (60,000) CRNAs in the United States with more than two-thousand and eight-hundred (2,800) students graduating per year.

CRNAs are anesthesia specialists who safely administer approximately fifty-million (50,000,000) anesthetics to patients in the United States each year. As Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, they serve in a variety of capacities in daily practice, such as a clinician, educator, administrator, manager, and researcher. CRNAs work in the administrative positions of hospitals, academic institutions, and other health care facilities.

• CRNAs administer anesthesia to patients across the lifespan for all types of surgical cases, using all anesthetic techniques. CRNAs practice in every setting in which anesthesia is delivered, from university-based and tertiary medical centers, community hospitals, free-standing surgical facilities, and office-based surgeries. CRNAs deliver anesthesia in traditional hospital surgical suites and obstetrical delivery rooms; critical access hospitals; ambulatory surgical centers; ketamine clinics; the offices of dentists, podiatrists, ophthalmologists, plastic surgeons, and pain management specialists; and in the U.S. military, Public Health Services, and Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare facilities.
• CRNAs are the primary anesthesia providers in almost 100% of rural hospitals in the United States, affording access to anesthesia care where it would otherwise not be available. CRNAs also provide anesthesia in urban areas.
• CRNAs are qualified and permitted by state law or regulations to practice in every state in the nation. They provide anesthesia in collaboration with surgeons, anesthesiologists, podiatrists, dentists, and other healthcare professionals.
• Nurses first provided anesthesia on the battlefields of the American Civil War. During World War I, nurse anesthetists became the predominant providers of anesthesia care to wounded soldiers on the front lines in Europe. Today, CRNAs have full practice authority in every branch of the military and are the primary providers of anesthesia care to U.S. military personnel on front lines, navy ships, and aircraft evacuation teams around the globe. 

Degree Curriculum

The curriculum for the Doctor of Nursing Practice Post Master’s degree is a sequential, chronological curriculum that meets the requirements of the AACN Essential Elements for a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.  Each doctoral course builds upon prerequisite course work and presents increasingly complex content and where applicable, competencies. There are no elective courses. All coursework applies directly to anesthesia or the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s essential elements and is interrelated. 

The curriculum for the completion degree is fully online and has twenty-nine (29) credit hours over five (5) semesters. The program begins in the fall semester.  For students who wish to complete the program at a slower pace, it is possible to extend the program and take fewer courses per semester.  Each course is offered during specific semesters. There is no clinical component to this program. All students are master’s prepared CRNAs.  There is an opportunity to acquire a certificate in health care management by taking two (2) additional courses in the College of Professional and Graduate Studies. 

All students will complete three (3) courses in research and the scholarly project culminating in the dissemination of the acquired information via publication, poster or oral presentation, or submission to DÉ«ÏãÊÓƵ- Digital É«ÏãÊÓƵLibrary. 

The School of Nursing is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA) of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education through the fall of 2031. The program received the maximum ten (10)-year accreditation length in the fall of 2021.

Contact information for the Council on Accreditation:
Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs 10275 W. Higgins Rd
Suite 906
Rosemont, IL 60018-5603
Phone: (224) 275-9130
http://coacrna.org

View the department performance data sheet (PDF). The data only reflects the entry to practice performance, as post-masters students do not take the certifying exam. 

Upon completion of this educational program, the student shall demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the faculty, specific competencies expected of the graduate. These competencies identify knowledge and skills necessary for competent entry-level practice of nurse anesthesia. Upon completion of the program, the graduate will:

1. Demonstrate professional responsibility, integrity, and accountability to their peers, interprofessional colleagues, and other healthcare stakeholders throughout the program and peri-anesthetic clinical experiences.
2. Demonstrate the integration of critical and reflective thinking in the leadership approach while fostering interprofessional collaboration.
3. Apply analytical processes in the areas of health policy, quality improvement of patient care outcomes, information systems, and business practices to support and improve healthcare delivery systems.
4. Develop and evaluate quality improvement methodologies to promote safe, timely, effective patient-centered care.
5. Use information technology appropriately to analyze data from practice and design evidence-based intervention.
6. Educate others, including policy makers at all levels, regarding nurse anesthesia, health policy, and patient care outcomes.
7. Use analytic methods to critically appraise existing literature and other evidence to determine and implement the best evidence for practice.
8. Disseminate findings from evidence-based practice and research to improve healthcare outcomes. 

ESSENTIAL TECHNICAL STANDARDS:

Nurse anesthesia education requires that the accumulation of scientific knowledge be accompanied by the simultaneous acquisition of specific skills and professional attitudes and behavior. Nurse Anesthesia school faculties have a responsibility to society to matriculate and graduate the best prepared nurse anesthetists, and thus admission to this program has been offered to those who present the highest qualifications.

The essential technical standards presented in this handbook are pre-requisite for matriculation, subsequent promotion from year to year, and ultimately graduation from the É«ÏãÊÓƵSchool of Nursing. These standards pertain to all matriculated students. All required courses in the curriculum are necessary in order to develop essential skills required to become a competent nurse anesthetist.

The faculty is committed to fostering relationships with its students that encourage human and professional growth. Its policies and procedures attempt to reflect this commitment to proactive and supportive communication.

It is imperative that all students recognize the primary responsibility for a successful nurse anesthetist education, both in and outside the classroom, rests with the individual. Students, including students with disabilities, must have the capacity to manage their lives and anticipate their own needs. The school has incomplete influence in helping students achieve these personal adaptations. Situations can arise in which a student’s behavior and attitudes resulting from a disability or other personal circumstances represent a secondary problem, which impairs the student’s ability to meet the school’s standards, even after implementation of all reasonable accommodations by the school.

Recommendations:

1. No otherwise, qualified individual will be denied admission to the School of Nursing based solely upon a disabling condition.
2. Candidate with disabilities applying to the School of Nursing will be expected to have achieved the same requirements as their non-disabled peers.
3. Matriculation into the School of Nursing assumes certain levels of cognitive, emotional, and technical skills. Nurse anesthetist students with disabilities will be held to the same fundamental standards as their non-disabled peers. Reasonable accommodations will be provided to assist the student in learning, performing, and satisfying the fundamental standards, so long as the student provides timely, comprehensive documentation establishing the student’s disability status and need for reasonable accommodation.
4. Reasonable accommodations that facilitate student progress will be provided, but only to the extent that such accommodation does not significantly interfere with the essential functions of the School of Nursing, fundamentally alter the program, or significantly affect the rights of other students.
5. The School, under the law, is obligated to provide all reasonable accommodations that will eliminate or minimize the barriers disabled students may face in the process of successfully completing the requirements for graduation from the É«ÏãÊÓƵSchool of Nursing.

ABILITIES AND SKILLS:

A student of this program must have abilities and skills of five (5) varieties including observational skills; communication skills; fine and gross motor skills; conceptual, integrative and quantitative abilities; and behavioral and social/emotional attributes.

I.    Communication Skills

The student must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently using verbal, written, and reading skills, in a manner that demonstrates sensitivity to patients, their families, and all members of the health care team. A student must be able to accurately elicit information, describe a patient’s change in mood, thought, activity and status. He or she must also demonstrate established communication skills using traditional or alternative reasonable means that do not substantially modify the standard.

II.    Intellectual Skills- Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities

The student must be able to measure, calculate, reason, analyze and synthesize information in a timely fashion. In addition, the student must be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relationships of structure. Problem-solving, the critical skill demanded of nurse anesthetists, requires all of these intellectual abilities. These problem-solving skills must be able to be performed in a precisely limited time demanded by a given clinical setting. In addition, the student must be able to adapt readily to changing environments and deal with unexpected activities.

III.    Behavioral and Social/Emotional Attributes

Students must possess the emotional health, intelligence, and stability required for full utilization of their intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, the prompt completion of all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients, and the development of mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients.

Students must be able to tolerate physically taxing workloads and to function effectively under stress. They must be able to adapt to changing environments, to display flexibility, and to learn to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in the clinical problems of patients. They must be able to measure, calculate, reason, analyze and synthesize information effectively in a precisely limited time demanded by a given clinical setting, while under stress, and in an environment in which other distractions may be present.

Compassion, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest, and motivation are all personal qualities that will be assessed during the educational processes.

PROFESSIONAL EXPECTATIONS FOR GRADUATE STUDY

1. Graduate education represents an opportunity for self-motivated learning in which the student assumes the principal responsibility for the learning process through the comprehensive engagement of the material outlined in the program curriculum.
2. The role of the program faculty is to facilitate the learning process by guiding the student to the resources necessary for him or her to meet the educational objectives of the program in a self-directed manner, and by promoting a supportive and collaborative environment conducive to the pursuit of academic excellence, clinical competence, and professional success.
3. Didactic instruction in the program is designed to synthesize the wide body of knowledge represented by the program curriculum in a manner that highlights foundational principles and that facilitates the student’s mastery of the material through the development of learning strategies for which he or she is ultimately accountable.
4. Examinations will evaluate the extent to which the student is able to master the material in a comprehensive and self-directed manner. It is expected that all written assignments and/or projects should be the result of comprehensive research and reflection on a given topic in keeping with the principles of intellectual honesty and scientific inquiry and be presented in a professional manner on the due date.
5. Meeting deadlines for submission of administrative paperwork, is a professional expectation and failure to do so is considered a breach of conduct becoming of a professional graduate student such behaviors will be met with consequences ranging from probation to course failure.
6. Time-sensitive communication between faculty and students is an essential component of the student’s success in the program and efficient department functioning. For this reason, the University has provided a communication platform based on individual email accounts for each student and a web-based platform which supports live chat and threaded online class discussions. It is considered a professional obligation that students respond to faculty calls and electronic correspondence within 24 hours or sooner if requested, of receiving messages. Failure to do so will be construed as unprofessional behavior. Students should remain updated on Web-based class related notifications and information. It is recommended that students check their email and the Brightspace Announcement section for updates initially in the morning and throughout the day.
7. On-going evaluation of the program’s didactic courses by students is an essential component of meeting standards of quality as mandated by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Programs and an important means of communication between students and faculty. Please note course evaluations are a required element of every course; to receive your grades at the end of the semester, you will need to complete the on-line course and instructor evaluation. Notices and time frames for completion are sent out via email and determined by the University. Participation in evaluation processes by students is a professional and departmental expectation and is required by the Westbrook College of Health Professions. Students must have appropriate resources necessary to fully participate in all phases of the program.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

The DNP-NA Program abides by the É«ÏãÊÓƵ policy on discrimination. Discrimination, based on race, ethnicity, religion, age, gender, marital status, handicap, sexual orientation or national origin will not be tolerated.

 PROGRAM COMPLETION TIMELINE

The program consists of five semesters. Courses are only offered during specific semesters. Students may choose to take longer to complete the program.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

All students will meet with the program director in the semester prior to graduation to determine eligibility to graduate.  

GRADUATION CRITERIA

• All É«ÏãÊÓƵ Graduation Criteria Met
  • All fees paid in full
• Registrar’s Graduation Application
  • Submitted in January for May graduation
• Completed course requirements for all courses
• Meet all Doctoral Standards as set forth by the COA
• All DNP courses completed with overall cumulative GPA 3.0 or higher
• Scholarly Project requirements met:
  • Scholarly project and manuscript completed
  • Scientific poster completed and presented
  • Scholarly project manuscript submitted to DÉ«ÏãÊÓƵ
  • Outside publication or presentation application completed
• Proof of Meeting attendance
• Final Paperwork
  • Financial Aid Meeting
  • Exit Interviews
  • Program evaluations
• A current RN license and ACLS and PALS Certifications must be on file
• Current recertification from the NBCRNA must be on file

The program reserves the right to defer a student’s graduation until all requirements have been met. 

TRANSFER CREDIT

No transfer credit will be awarded for prior coursework.

ADVANCED STANDING

No advanced standing track is available.

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

No credit will be awarded for experiential learning.

APPLICATION PROCESS

• All applicants must submit an application through the .
• Verified applications received on or before the application deadline will receive full admission consideration.
• Highly qualified applicants will be invited to interview. Interviews are conducted by invitation only.
• É«ÏãÊÓƵ communicates all status updates, notifications, and admission decisions via email.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Items to submit to NursingCAS:

• Application with application fee
• Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
• Three (3) letters of recommendation
• Resume
• Proof of current unencumbered APRN license
• Proof of CRNA certification or recertification from NBCRNA

Degree Requirement

Master's in Nurse Anesthesia from a COA-accredited program. 

Licensure and Certifications*

• Current unencumbered APRN license
• Current certification or recertification from NBCRNA
• Current ACLS/BLS/PALs certification

*Upload copies of all licenses and certifications in NursingCAS

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books, which are estimated at $750. For more information regarding tuition and fees, please consult the Financial Information section of this catalog.

Financial Aid 

Detailed information and applications are available on request from the Financial Aid Office at the Biddeford Campus. Call (207) 283-0170, ext. 2342, or visit the Financial Aid website.